Move Over, Panda! Fiat’s Next City Car Will Be Named The Koala
Thanos Pappas/CarScoops
Fiat plans to expand its lineup with more affordable EVs, and at least one of them will be a member of the growing Panda-themed family. The Italian automaker is working on a sibling to the Citroen 2CV, with urban EV aspirations and a sub-€15k price tag. The first new model is expected to adopt the Koala moniker, serving as a fully electric alternative to the ICE-powered Pandina.
As suggested by its name, it will be positioned under the Grande Panda crossover hatchback and the Grizzly SUV within the Fiat lineup. This role might sound similar to the existing Fiat 500, but the Koala will have a different character with a greater focus on utility targeting budget-conscious buyers. As with many other automakers, Fiat will take advantage of the new regulations in Europe’s upcoming E-Cars segment for its entry-level EVs. Note that these are different from the more basic heavy quadricycles like the Fiat Topolino.
More urban models
Fiat
While we don’t know how many Fiat E-Cars are on the pipeline, high-ranking officials gave us a few hints about the first one. Arnauld Belloni, who has recently replaced Olivier François as the new CEO of Fiat, Abarth, and Lancia, spoke to Autocar during the Paris Motor Show: “We are working on a few cars based on the E-car platform. We are preparing a small car which will be based on the 2CV, and it’s going to be a ‘wow’.”
Belloni has indirectly confirmed the name of the upcoming EV by mentioning a trademark filing: “Koala now belongs to Fiat. We have a Koala, a Panda and a Grizzly“. It seems to us that Fiat is building a zoo for its non-500 and non-LCV lineup. François Leboine, Fiat’s Head of Design, revealed that the upcoming model is “as ready” as the Citroen 2CV is. The team decided that Paris was “not the right moment for us to show what we are doing,” but promised to reveal the urban EV “at a good moment”.
Fiat was part of Stellantis’ large stand in Paris, where they hosted the debuts of the Multiplay pickup/SUV concept and the Multiplina microcar, alongside the first public outing of the Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback production SUVs. Indeed, adding a preview of another future EV sounds a bit over the top for a single event.
Not another retro-inspired EV
Thanos Pappas / CarScoops
Leboine said that Fiat is now “redoing the bottom part” of the range including the Pandina and the 500. The aging Pandina has been around since 2011 but remains a best-seller in its home market in Italy. In the future, Fiat will likely replace it with another combustion or hybrid model, which explains why a different name was needed for the Koala EV.
The design boss clarified that Fiat’s latest urban dweller won’t follow the neo-retro styling recipe of the Citroen 2CV, instead adopting “a very different approach”. He also mentioned that the model could borrow styling cues from the winning entries at an earlier E-Car design contest, open to university students in Italy.The Ippo concept occupied the top spot as a boxy three-seater hatchback with protruding headlights, while the Lumo Su Misura and the Fizz were chosen as runner ups. Overall, the design team was impressed by the students’ ideas, with Leboine admitting some of them influenced future production models.
The design boss concluded: “We are quite happy with what we have, but I cannot say more.” leaving us waiting for the debut of the Koala EV. Judging from the Citroen 2CV project, the Italian model is expected to arrive by 2028. Until Fiat gives us something more rigid, you can check out our own speculative rendering of the Koala (lead image) or the Ippo concept (below).
Thanos Pappas/CarScoops
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