Fiat ‘Koala’: Company is ready to reveal Panda-inspired 2CV twin

Fiat is ready to reveal a new entry-level electric car twinned with the reborn Citroën 2CV, and it could be named the Koala. The upcoming EV will serve as an electric counterpart to the existing combustion-engined Panda, which has been sold in Europe for 15 years and is also known as the Pandina. The new model will share Stellantis‘s bespoke platform for small EVs with the 2CV, which debuted in concept form at the Paris motor show and is scheduled to go on sale in 2028. This platform is designed to take advantage of mooted EU E-car rules tailored for electric vehicles measuring less than 4.2m long, inspired by Japan’s kei car framework to help lower prices and drive the mainstream transition to EVs. The European vehicle class was proposed by Stellantis and the Renault Group in July 2025, though it has not yet been signed into law. Speaking at the Paris motor show, new Fiat boss Arnauld Belloni stated that the brand is working on vehicles based on the E-car platform, including a small car based on the 2CV. Design chief François Leboine noted that Fiat’s first E-car is as ready as the 2CV, but the brand decided against showing it at the Paris show to avoid upstaging its French counterpart. Having launched larger models like the Grande Panda and Grizzly SUV, Fiat’s current priority is revitalizing its city car range, alongside models like the Pandina, the 500, and the near-production Multiplina four-seat quadricycle. While the new E-car sits within the Panda family, it may use the Koala moniker, continuing Fiat’s naming convention of using bear names for the Panda range, which includes the Panda, Grizzly, and the newly trademarked Koala. Belloni noted that Fiat cannot use the name Kodiak because Skoda uses it for a large SUV. The combustion-engined Panda will continue to be sold to serve the affordable petrol-powered market. Fiat Europe boss Gaetano Thorel previously emphasized the need for a multi-energy solution for the Panda customer base. Belloni ruled out a neo-retro revival approach for the city car, contrasting it with the 2CV. Leboine also mentioned an E-car design competition run for Italian university students, won by the blocky Ippo concept, alongside runners-up Lumo Su Misura and Fizz. Fiat has displayed the Ippo in strategic presentations alongside the Multiplina and Grizzly, and hired seven of the participating students for design studio apprenticeships, with four remaining at the company.