Fiat Grande Panda review

There are three specs for the EV: Pop, Icon and La Prima.

Pop, at £20,995, has white 16in steel wheels that suit it well. It also gets the retractable curly cable for AC charging plus and a normal CCS socket for rapid(ish) 100kW DC input. The full-size touchscreen does without navigation but runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly. Headlamps are LED, windows electric all round, the rear seat is split, the airbag count is six, and the rear end has parking sensors.

Why pay more? Icon is an extra £1k and adds a 'Style Pack' that includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a steering wheel wrapped in soft touch material, roof rails and front/rear skid plates.  

La Prima is another £2k, taking it into big battery Renault 5 territory. You get built-in navigation which you probably won't use, a phone charging plate and 17-inch alloys. None of which you need. Its rear camera and front park sensors are inessential given its small boxy outline. Climate control becomes automatic. No big deal. Only things that are truly handy are the heated steering wheel and seats, as they save using the space heater.

Worth noting that this large Panda doesn't currently qualify for the UK Government's Electric Car Grant, so no extra money off, but monthly prices do start at a very reasonable £198. That's for Pop trim on a four-year deal with £2,999 down and an annual mileage limit of 6,000.

What about the hybrid prices?

The three trim levels get the same names and pretty much the same equipment as the EV above, but prices for the entry-level Pop kick off at a very reasonable £18,995. Unfortunately, that gives you plain black steel wheels with plastic covers though, rather than the excellent white steelies of the EV.

Again Icon trim is an extra £1k on top, and La Prima is £2k more than that at £21,995. Red paint is standard fit and comes with badges for Bono's (RED) charity, while all other colours are an extra £650. Lunar Bronze, anyone?

Again, monthly prices kick off at £198 for the entry-level trim with the same terms as the EV. On a cheap home electricity tarrif the EV's running costs should work out cheaper, but if you're parking on the street the petrol one's likely the better bet.