If you’ve ever been to Italy, there are a few things you’ll no doubt have seen: expert chefs throwing pizza dough above their heads, heaps of delicious gelato and dozens of knackered old Fiat Panda 4X4s that are somehow still running. Now, the ’80s icon is making a comeback in a new concept car that the Italian car maker has nicknamed the Mega Panda.
Unveiled as part of a showcase into the future design direction of Fiat, the Mega Panda is a new EV concept that offers a glimpse at the city car of the future, in Fiat’s words.
“We are excited to share this glimpse into our future; a very near future actually,” said Olivier Francois, Fiat CEO and Stellantis Global CMO. “The first car will be presented in four months during the brand’s 125th anniversary celebration. That car will then be followed by 1 new model every year.”
The new city car concept will be larger than the current Panda and draws its angular styling straight from the first-generation model, which premiered back in 1983. As well as the old car, the new Panda concept also draws influence from the nameplate’s birthplace: the Lingotto building in Turnin, Italy, which has an oval racetrack on its roof.
As such, the roof of the concept takes on an almost oval shape when compared to the rest of the car’s angular stylings. There are also further oval shapes inside the car, including across the dashboard and seats, Fiat says.
But, as you’ll notice, the majority of this car’s aesthetics are all about sharp angles. There’s a massively squared off front end with blocky headlights up front. Angular wheel arches also fill each corner of the car and there’s even a squared-off look to the rims Fiat fitted the imaginary car with. It’s great and follows a nice angular styling boom that was started by cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the new Renault 5 concept.
The concept isn’t a one-off as it’s part of a whole design study from Fiat that could outline the future look of its cars. As such, the city car concept is joined by a camper design, pickup truck and a new SUV.
Each follows a similar look to the Mega Panda, with angles for days and a sharp, squared off front end. The Pickup then adds a bed behind two rows of seats, and the Camper adds a longer wheelbase, rugged wheels and more storage space at the rear. Obviously, the camper also looks excellent.
What do you think of the new concept cars from Fiat? Is it a good direction for the Italian brand, or would you prefer it stick to the soft curves and pastel colors it’s been flogging for years on cars like the 500?