Fiat Grande Panda GP

The Fiat Grande Panda (Type GP, from 2024/2025) is Fiat's new retro-styled crossover supermini — a distinctive look on the Stellantis Smart Car platform, available either as a mild-hybrid petrol or a pure electric version. The concept and styling land well, plenty of car for the money; but it's a first production run with the usual teething troubles.

The core is the 1.2 Turbo mild hybrid (EB2LTEDH2, 101 hp) with eDCT automatic — a pragmatic, economical entry point for daily use. The pure electric version (~113 hp) with roughly 200 miles of WLTP range suits a pure city/commuter profile well. Anyone wanting flexibility without home charging is better served by the mild hybrid.

Recurring themes (very young car, thin source base): the eDCT dual-clutch gearbox sometimes fails to engage a gear — to be taken seriously. The mild hybrid is subject to recall F60D over fire risk at the 48V terminal cap. Connected services were unreliable in the launch phase, and the instrument-cluster software triggered recall F52U.

Test drive: test the eDCT repeatedly from a standstill and in stop-and-go (does it engage reliably?), check recall status F60D and F52U, run through connectivity and infotainment in full, and note software versions and update history.

Market 2026: new, the petrol starts around $20,500, the mild hybrid with eDCT at $21,500, and the electric from $26,900. The first young used examples are appearing at a slight discount — but supply is still thin.

Insider pick: the 1.2 mild hybrid (EB2LTEDH2) as the pragmatic entry point — wait out the early software/eDCT issues, or have the completed recalls (F60D, F52U) confirmed before buying.