Bunga bunga: Fiat Grizzly Panda has its claws out for the Dacia Duster
Fiat has confirmed that it will launch its new Grizzly as a C-segment SUV and SUV Coupé, possibly by the end of this year.
Speaking at the 2026 Stellantis Investor Day, Fiat CEO, Olivier Francois, said: “The new Fiat Grizzly, and you see two silhouettes, because it’s designed for three regions of the world, it completes the Panda and Grande Panda family.
“Same DNA, still built on Smart Car, but it’s a bigger animal.”
However, Olivier was keen to stress that the Grizzly models are not Pandas. Instead, they are Panda-inspired, suggesting that both cars will adopt the irreverant boxiness of the 1980s original, and the current Grande Panda.
Fiat Grizzly design and interior
The SUV coupé version was previewed by the Fiat Fastback concept, pointing towards a pixellated headlight signature, and squared-off wheel arches derived from the Grande Panda.
Aimed squarely at the value-focused Dacia Duster, the Grizzly promises to be “affordable, spacious, and desirable” when it arrives. As such, the hard-wearing cabin will focus on practicality and utility.
Like the Grande Panda, the Fiat Grizzly’s interior will adopt several designed cues referencing the Italian brand’s famous Lingotto plant and its oval-shaped, rooftop test track.
This suggests that the smaller car’s oval design elements will carry over, along with its mix of soft and hard-touch recycled materials such as bamboo fibres, plus a combination of bright, high-contrast stitching.
To keep costs down, we expect the Grizzly to use the same 10-inch driver display and 10.25-inch infotainment display as the Grande Panda. Physical buttons will also be used for the climate control. Bravo.
Battery and pricing
Riding on Stellantis’s low-cost Smart Car platform shared with the Grande Panda and the Citroen e-C3 Aircross, the Grizzly will be offered with either a 44kWh or 54kWh battery. The former provides up to 180 miles of range, while the latter can manage up to 250 miles on a single charge. The Grande Panda’s in-bumper charging cable is also set to carry over to the Grizzly.
When it debuts, the Fiat Grizzly SUV is expected to be priced from around £25,000 with the SUV coupé model carrying a slight premium.
Alongside the Grizzly, Fiat is expected to launch a new “baby” Panda to sit beneath the Grande Panda. This will be based on the new E-Car system being developed to meet impending EU regulations and will be built in Italy alongside the upcoming electric Citroen 2CV.
