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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