FIAT is set to write a new chapter in its global ambitions with the UK launch of a hybrid version of the Grande Panda which will sit alongside the recently launched electric versions of the company's new compact SUV in showrooms from this summer.

The Italian giant says that the Grande Panda echoes the company's golden years when simplicity, innovation, and emotional design moved millions.

The new hybrid model is far from simple, however. Like its' electric sibling it sits on the Stellantis Smart-Car Platform which offers highly flexible, multi-energy architecture supporting both hybrid and electric powertrains.

At the heart of the hybrid model is the latest, T-Gen3 hybrid powertrain, featuring a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine delivering 110 HP, combined with a 48V Li-ion battery and a sophisticated eDCT 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The system integrates a 21kW electric motor, an inverter, and a central control unit, together enabling smooth, efficient, and quiet driving.

The hybrid system incorporates functions like e-launch, e-creeping, and e-parking and can operate in full-electric mode during low-speed manoeuvres, allowing for up to 0.6 miles of electric-only driving at speeds under 18mph.

These features result in smoother acceleration, silent city driving, and lower fuel consumption and COâ emissions, made possible in part by the Miller Cycle combustion strategy.

The exterior design is what Fiat calls "a contemporary reinterpretation of the 1980s Panda" and reckons that its' distinctive PXL LED headlamps "evoke retro video games". Other distinctive features include cube-like taillights, blacked-out pillars, 3D, low-relief PANDA lettering on the doors and similar FIAT branding at the back.

Inside, Fiat claims best-in-class shoulder width and there's a generous 412-litre boot capacity plus smart storage solutions throughout the cabin, such as in the cleverly designed 13-litre dashboard, three litres of which are housed in a single compartment.

It's also eco-friendly with innovative materials including a dashboard made with materials containing 33 per cent bamboo fibres in the top-of-the-range version. Fiat claims that 140 recycled drinks cartons are used in the making of every Grande Panda, repurposing the non-recyclable layers into a striking blue plastic material with a shimmering aluminium finish used throughout the interior.

The Hybrid models add a new entry-level trim, called Pop to the Icon and La Prima trims already available on the electric version..

Priced at £18,035, the Grande Panda Hybrid Pop features an infotainment system with a 10.25-inch screen, cruise control and LED lighting technology at front and rear. Also included are 16-inch steel wheels with aero covers, manual air conditioning and rear parking sensors.

For an extra £1,000 the Icon trim adds 16-inch black alloy wheels, roof rails and skid plates, a central armrest and privacy glass while the top-of-the-range La Prima model, costing £21,035, comes with dedicated 17" alloys, heated front seats and front and rear parking sensors with a rear view camera

All three trims come with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including cruise control, speed limiter, active safety brake, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning, and open-door alerts.