This will help keep a cap on the cost per unit, and therefore retain a competitive purchase price for Pandina customers. It will almost certainly feature the same 1.2-litre hybrid powertrain that will be available in the 500 Ibrida later this year.
But Fiat is very clear about all the pitfalls of building a modern city car, with significant challenges as the market continues to evolve. François said: “A-segment cars in Italy are a must, but all cars have to be global and there’s just not that much of a market for cars of this size elsewhere, which makes it a challenge.”
In order to make the sums work, the Pandina will be designed to be simple and cost-effective. While not aesthetically driven by the Centoventi concept of 2019, François told us: “It will have the same philosophy as the Centoventi. It needs to be simple, innovative. What can we leave out? What do we actually need inside? This will help keep the costs down.”
The Pandina will join the upcoming Volkswagen ID.1 and Renault Twingo in the next generation of compact, clever and efficient A-segment models. The key difference is that at least initially, Pandina will also offer that hybrid powertrain, bringing costs down compared with its all-electric rivals.
But the fact that it shares its core underpinnings with the all-electric 500e will mean that if markets warm up to electric cars again, or legislation forces them into it, the Pandina will be ready and waiting to accept a BEV powertrain with relatively little effort or expense.
Regardless of powertrain, the A-segment is still a very difficult place to make a profit, and François was blunt in saying: “In order to make money from it, we’ll need to sell them in huge numbers, but I’m confident that we will.”
Can’t wait for the Pandina? These are the best city cars to buy….
