A new chapter in Fiat’s Panda lineup is beginning to take shape, with fresh variants now undergoing tests on European roads. Among them is a budget-friendly fastback crossover that aims to combine everyday practicality with a more distinctive silhouette, set to be offered with gasoline, mild-hybrid, and fully electric powertrains.

The fastback first appeared in concept form in early 2024, shown alongside a hatchback that evolved into the Grande Panda, plus an SUV, pickup, and camper study. The prototype caught in camouflage testing looks toned down compared to the concept, trading some of its flair for more traditional proportions and a simplified glasshouse.

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Up front, the resemblance to the Grande Panda is clear, with boxy LED headlights featuring pixel-style graphics, a closed-off grille, and a single intake low on the bumper. From the side, the longer wheelbase and large-diameter alloys give it a stretched stance. The shape of the windows hints strongly at Citroen design influences, something that makes sense once you look at its family connections.

At the rear, heavy camouflage hides much of the fastback curve, but you can still spot slim taillight elements mounted high and the license plate positioned on the bumper. A discreet exhaust tip tucked beneath the car suggests this particular prototype is running a combustion engine.

The original concept (above) compared to the production version (below).

SH Proshots

An Italian With A French Sibling

Despite its silhouette, the car isn’t related to the the Fiat Fastback that is available in South America since 2022. Instead, it shares DNA with another Stellantis product, the Citroen Basalt, which launched in 2024 for markets including India, Brazil, Argentina, and Indonesia. That model is mechanically linked to the C3 hatchback and C3 Aircross SUV, though it wears a more coupe-like shape.

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Fiat’s newcomer will sit on Stellantis’ Smart Car platform, the same underpinnings found in the Grande Panda, the European-market Citroen C3 and C3 Aircross, and the Opel Frontera.

Engine choices are expected to include the 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder in both standard petrol and mild-hybrid configurations, alongside a full EV variant. While the default setup is front-wheel drive, there’s a chance an all-wheel-drive version could follow, echoing the planned Grande Panda 4×4.

Fiat has confirmed that the full Panda family will roll out by 2027, with the fastback likely to be the first of the new additions to reach showrooms. An official unveiling is expected within the next few months.

Porsche has made a few goofs in its time, including thinking it could replace the 911 with the 928 and dropping combustion power from the 718 lineup. It wisely U-turned on the first of those decades ago, and it’s just confirmed it has backtracked on the second. The next Boxster and Cayman, originally planned as EVs only, will now get an ICE option, but only a small portion of buyers will be able to access it.

The rethink was confirmed late last week by Porsche on an investor call, where CEO Oliver Blume acknowledged that the EV market was no longer growing fast enough for the company to carry on with the electric-focused product strategy it conceived years earlier.

As a result of the slide, Porsche is refining its plans to incorporate more combustion models, some of which will be “highly emotional” derivatives appearing at the “top” of the 718 lineup.

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No major details were released, but a likely explanation is that replacements for the Cayman GT4 and GT4 RS, and 718 Spyder, could carry on with six-cylinder petrol power. The regular 718 cars will stick with the single and dual-motor electric drivetrains Porsche has been developing since it conceived the next-generation sports cars purely as EVs.

Adapting the electric platform to take a combustion engine isn’t the work of a moment, however. The 718 EVs will debut in 2026, but a presentation slide confirmed we’ll have to wait until later in the model cycle to see the combustion halo cars.

Porsche

Porsche will obviously pitch them as the enthusiast’s pick, and it sounds like they’ll be the most expensive versions you can buy. The combustion cars might also be quicker around a track – we reported earlier this year that Porsche was struggling to get the new EV prototypes to handle as well as the outgoing ICE cars – but they’ll almost certainly be annihilated in a straight line by one of the dual-motor, all-wheel drive EVs.

Similarly, Porsche also confirmed at the same time that it was backtracking on its electric SUV plans. The Macan will no longer switch to an EV-only lineup and will now get a new ICE/PHEV model range before the end of the decade. And the SUV flagship, codenamed K1, which was also planned as an EV, now won’t get a BEV version at all, and will instead be offered with a choice of combustion and hybrid engines.

Porsche 718 Cayman Electric

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Porsche 718 Boxster Electric

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