New Fiat Grizzly: all the details on the £20k Dacia Bigster rival
Fiat will offer the Grizzly in petrol, hybrid and electric forms when it goes on sale in January 2027
The all-new Fiat Grizzly made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show. The larger sibling to the Fiat Grande Panda is set to go on sale early next year in both traditional SUV and ‘Fastback’ coupe-SUV forms from as little as £20,000.
Fiat’s CEO, Olivier Francois, said that “Grande Panda marked the return of Fiat to affordable family movers. With Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback, we’re completing this line-up with two vehicles designed around different needs, different lifestyles, but sharing the same idea: smart, accessible and rooted in Fiat’s design DNA.”
The Grizzly shares parent firm Stellantis’ ‘Smart Car’ platform, which also underpins the Citroen C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera. At four-and-a-half metres long, the Grizzly is slightly larger than those cars, but only offers five seats and rivals the likes of the Dacia Bigster and entry-level versions of the Nissan Qashqai. Fiat says it’s aiming to price the Grizzly from just 20,000 Euros when it goes on sale in Europe in January 2027 – which will likely translate to £20,000 in the UK once appropriate taxes are factored in.
Design
Boxy proportions make the Fiat Grizzly instantly identifiable as a member of the Panda family. Both the Grizzly and the sleeker Grizzly Fastback look identical from the front, with a gloss black trim piece between the four-pixel headlights. This is very much reminiscent of the arrangement on the Grande Panda, but the Grizzly also gets extended illuminated elements that converge towards the Fiat logo in the centre.
The bulky wheelarch cladding should appeal to those who enjoy the rugged nature of the Grizzly’s main rival, the aforementioned Bigster. At the rear, the Fastback gets a gloss black trim piece that connects the pixel-like tail-lights, while this section remains body coloured on the regular SUV.
The periwinkle and burned orange paint colours showcased at Paris also appear to reaffirm that Fiat is standing by its promise not to offer the colour grey on its cars. Instead, buyers should expect an array of vibrant shades, similar to those offered on the Grande Panda.
The Grizzly’s underpinnings have proved impressive in the smaller Grande Panda already. Not only is the Grande Panda the reigning Auto Express Supermini of the Year, but it is also now available from less than £19,000 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
Interior and practicality
As you’d expect given its budget price point, the Grizzly’s interior won’t come close to matching the almost luxurious cabins of other family SUVs such as the top-selling Kia Sportage. However, the brand has still tried to inject a sense of fun through the use of as many recycled materials as possible, including bamboo-fibre mixes, as well as a combination of bright, high-contrast stitching.
Trims and equipment levels will be confirmed closer to order books opening, but both of the Paris show cars had a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, as well as a 10.25-inch touchscreen. Fans of separate climate controls will also be glad to see Fiat retaining fixed buttons, although many (including us) will reel at the liberal usage of fingerprint-attracting gloss black plastic on the centre console.
The main attraction of both Grizzly models will be offering enough space for families – something that the supermini-sized Grande Panda is a little short on. Fiat says the standard Grizzly offers 545 litres of boot capacity, which rises to 608 litres for the Fastback. This is slightly less than the 677 litres you’d get in a Dacia Bigster, although that is a larger car than the Fiat.
Petrol, hybrid and electric power options
Because the Grizzly sits on the Stellantis Smart Car platform, it can accommodate petrol, hybrid and full-electric power. All petrol models will use a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine alongside a manual gearbox, while hybrid versions will the same engine pair with a six-speed automatic gearbox that has an integrated e-motor. The latter produces 143bhp, as it does in the Grizzly’s C3 Aircross and Frontera sister cars.
Meanwhile, the electric models will be offered with a choice of a 44kWh or 54kWh battery, again like the e-C3 Aircross and Frontera Electric. These should provide close to 180 miles and 250 miles of range, respectively. Fastback models with their more aerodynamic shape will undoubtedly benefit from a slightly longer range.
A 100kW maximum charging speed will allow for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in about half an hour, and driving the front wheels is likely to be a 111bhp front-mounted electric motor. However, Fiat may choose to fit a beefed-up e-motor to give these bigger cars a bit more oomph than the smaller Grande Panda.
Fiat’s slow rate of new product launches and updates to existing models over the past few years has been a worrying sign for such an iconic brand. However, this is about to change, as Fiat exploits the Smart Car platform and its access to synergies across Stellantis. The Grande Panda was a bold first step, but the SUVs have the potential to re-establish Fiat as a true volume player across most European countries.
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