New Fiat mid-size SUV twins to launch assault on the Nissan Qashqai

We’ve seen how Fiat is planning to reinvent its iconic Panda to sit alongside the 500 and 600 in the small-car market. But the Italian giant is also going to bring fresh offerings to family-car customers – specifically with two all-new mid-size SUVs that will battle big-selling models such as the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Karoq and Hyundai Tucson.

At Fiat’s 125th anniversary event, where the firm also revealed new information on the upcoming Panda, brand CEO Olivier François confirmed that his team is working on returning to the C-segment with two, “affordable, spacious and desirable” new models. 

But rather than focusing on a simple hatchback or estate, Fiat is aiming to offer variations on the compact SUV format that has proven so popular across Europe in the past decade. François said: “A station wagon [estate] is iconic for Fiat in Italy, but we know that’s not what buyers [elsewhere] want. Instead, we’re going to build utility vehicles, because that’s what we know people want.”

The two cars will take the form of a traditional boxy SUV and a more rakish ‘fastback’ coupé-SUV, and our exclusive images preview how the two models might look. Each will feature a fresh take on the charismatic design language already seen on the new Fiat Grande Panda – not just a larger body with the same face, but also distinct evolutions of the Panda’s new ‘pixel’ visual cues, with even more bold colours and quirky shapes. 

The pair will find their aesthetic basis in two of Fiat’s Panda Concepts revealed last year, but feature more production-relevant proportions and details. Speaking about the way the two cars will look, François told Auto Express: “They are not Pandas, but ‘Panda inspired’. They’re not going to be called Panda, but they will be inspired by its DNA and feeling: boxy and charming. It’s generally not easy to make boxy charming, but in smaller sizes the Panda of the 1980s captured this, and this is what we’re basing it on.”

The first, more traditional SUV model will feature the usual off-roader design cues that are so popular with customers. This will include the use of contrast-coloured plastic wheelarch surrounds, roof rails and chunky, rugged front and rear bumpers. One striking element already seen on both the concept and production Grande Panda is the combination of round wheelarches with squared-off surrounds; this is something we expect to see applied to the production SUV too. 

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The fastback will share many fundamental design themes with its sister model, including its front-end styling and general detailing, but it will also feature a more aggressive, sloping roofline and sleeker side glass. Unlike the SUV, we expect there to be less contrasting black plastic and instead greater use of body-coloured or contrast-coloured painted elements. This should help Fiat to nudge this model towards more design-led but less practicality-focused customers.

In both cases, the nose will be dominated by clever LED lighting for the headlights and a distinctive daytime- running-light signature, and even the possible use of an illuminated Fiat logo. On top of this, we expect to see more playful uses of the Fiat logo and other new graphics integrated into many of the design details. 

The two cars won’t simply share their design language with the Panda, because they will also use the Stellantis Group’s Smart Car platform that underpins the smaller model. Already seen supporting the Citroen e-C3, the Smart Car system is said to be flexible enough to allow Fiat to lengthen the wheelbase and widen the track to produce a C-segment model that will be competitive in the sector. 

The same principles are also expected to be used by Citroen for its next generation of C4, because Stellantis sources have already suggested that Smart Car could support as many as seven models within the next couple of years.

The use of the Smart Car platform gives us a good idea about powertrain choices for the two new Fiat SUVs. Combustion-engined versions are likely to use a 1.2-litre three-cylinder hybrid powertrain, complete with a six-speed automatic gearbox. And the electric models should feature at least a 111bhp front-mounted electric motor – although Fiat may also choose to offer a beefed-up version with a higher output.

Equally, the Fiat models are unlikely to get the smaller battery that Citroen is planning to add to the e-C3 line-up. But entry-level versions of the Italian duo could get the 44kWh pack that has been used at launch by the French supermini. The modular battery configuration should allow Fiat to exploit the longer wheelbase and increase the overall capacity; it’s likely that a range of 200 miles would be seen as a minimum for the new models, rather than a benchmark.

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The interior will focus on spaciousness and versatility, with rugged finishes designed to be practical and hard-wearing. Fiat will attempt, however, to set its offerings apart from the likes of the value-focused Dacia Duster (another key rival) by emphasising its heritage and having a greater sense of fun, not just usability.

Fiat will continue to reference its famous Lingotto factory in many of the interior’s design elements and detailing. As such, the oval-shaped elements that are found in the Grande Panda will likely be carried across, with a similarly varied use of different soft and hard-touch materials. Both cars will also probably feature the same technology package, including a 10-inch driver’s information display and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. Fans of separate climate controls will also be glad to see Fiat retaining hard keys. 

As with the Grande Panda, Fiat’s colour and trim department will focus on using as many recycled materials as possible, including bamboo-fibre mixes and a combination of bright, high-contrast stitching. Small item storage has also been a focus, so there will be plenty of interior oddment space, and the Panda’s clever integrated charging cable, which is coiled away and accessible via the front bumper, should also be retained. 

The key for both models, though, will be offering enough space for families – something that the new Grande Panda is a little short on. In order to ensure there’s enough space in the second row, Fiat will extend the wheelbase, opening up more rear legroom. The rear overhang is also expected to grow, giving both SUV and Fastback plenty of floor space, but the latter’s outright boot capacity will be compromised by the sloping roof. 

Timelines for the new Fiat models have yet to be confirmed, but we could see one, if not both, revealed in full by the end of this year, before they enter production some time in 2025. 

Fiat’s slow rate of new product launches and updates to existing models over the last few years has been a worrying sign for such an iconic brand – one that’s so important not just to the Italian car industry, but the country’s manufacturing base in general. However, this is about to change, as Fiat exploits the Smart Car platform and access to synergies across Stellantis. The Grande Panda is a bold first step, but the SUVs have the potential to re-establish Fiat as a true volume player across most European countries.

Q&A with Olivier Francois

Fiat CEO and Stellantis CMO

Fiat boss is reaping benefits of Stellantis Group; we spoke with him to find out about the Panda family.

Q: So far, there have been no four-wheel-drive models on the Smart Car platform. Does that mean there is no new Panda 4x4 in the plan?

A: “People only seemed to notice we built a Panda 4x4 when we stopped building it. It’s only three to four per cent of sales, so it’s very small. It is an important part of the image of Panda, and people love it – but there’s a difference between people loving it and buying it. 

“The [new] Panda is designed for a particular purpose: practicality, functionality and roominess, with a contained price point and relevant tech. This said, [a Panda 4x4] is something we’re looking into. Will we do it for sure? No, but we are trying to find a solution. The question still remains of ‘will we actually sell any?’, which is key.”

Q: Can you fit a bigger battery in the new Panda?

A: “Not really, no. But what we are working on is the performance of our battery. Not bigger, but better. Obviously there will be new generations of batteries, and these will come with longer ranges and faster charging.” 

Q: What else can you do with the Smart Car platform, then? Could you build the next 500 on it?

A: “We can go larger and wider, but we cannot go significantly smaller. The Italians would be vocal if we built 500 on Smart Car, but 600? Who knows?”

Q: What is the future of the 500, then?

A: “For me, the 500 is electric; we have a perfect car with the EV powertrain. Like everyone else, there was an idea that the world would go electric faster. We couldn’t imagine that Covid would happen, there would be a shortage of parts and that European buyers would turn their back on sustainable solutions.

“Not all markets have the same mandates, our DNA has an element of social relevance, so we have to fit and react to wherever we go. Which is why we made this decision to make the new 500 with a hybrid engine. But this is the final petrol-powered 500.”

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