Fiat is expanding its range of bear-related cars – the Grande Panda was joined by the Grizzly at the Paris motor show, but there are more new Fiat cars on the way. 

That’s according to Fiat design boss François Leboine, who I sat down with at the show to talk through some of the things he’s been working on. 

It’s rare to meet someone quite so excited about their work in the car industry, but Leboine loves the brand and is clearly looking forward to being able to show off what he and his colleagues have developed. 

Fiat is planning more bear-themed cars

First things first, though, and Fiat needs to have the right framework in place – Leboine says Fiat has been working hard to develop two strands to its lineup that we’re just now seeing the fruits of. 

On the one side you’ve got the retro models that started with the 500, which are apparently known as the “Dolce Vita” lineup, whereas on the other you’ve got the new Grande Panda and Grizzly models – will these be known as the bears?

Fiat Koala: the next new Fiat model?

It turns out that the Italian carmaker registered the name ‘Fiat Koala’ with the EU’s intellectual property office back in August, which the company’s boss gave away as the name for the company’s next big launch, a car based on the same platform as the 2CV that’s been developed across Stellantis. 

“Our Fiat is almost as ready as the 2CV is. It was decided that we don’t show it in Paris, it wasn’t the right time to show what we’re doing on the same platform,” explained Leboine. 

Other documents show that Fiat also registered the name ‘Fiat Orso’, which was apparently under consideration as an alternative to the Grizzly badge (below). A sloth of Fiat bears, then. 

“We’ve begun to build a logical story from the Grande Panda to the new Grizzly – we know we’re on a path that makes sense for building up the brand.”

Fiat CEO Arnaud Belloni confirmed the new car when Vicky spoke to him in Paris, so now we know to expect a more modern design rather than a retro effort like the 2CV or the 500. 

Fiat Multiplina: will the four-seat Topolino reach production?

The Multiplina concept car was a highlight of mine at the Paris motor show – it’s essentially a stretched version of the Topolino, adding enough room for two seats in the back, but still keeping the fundamentals of the car in place. 

A tough project then, given the tight demands of the smaller vehicle class that the Topolino is in – Fiat’s planning to keep the new car as a quadricycle. So how is Fiat managing to keep the Multiplina as light and cheap as the Topolino?

“It’s complicated working on a quadricycle, because it’s not the cost, it’s the weight. It’s still 450kg maximum, and as soon as you start with a Topolino, add two people and extend the chassis, you add weight in every dimension. So the challenge then is using tricks and finding ideas to get rid of weight everywhere.”

The Multiplina maintains the bare bones interior of the Topolino, but with none of the low rent feel you might expect from a car that’s been designed to a budget and a weight target.

We don’t know what the price and performance details will be, or even where Fiat plans to put the car on sale, but we look forward to seeing the production version of that car, which isn’t expected to change too much. 

A new Fiat Topolino and 500 are also on the way

Leboine also confirmed that the company is working on a second generation of Topolino and that work was well underway on a new Fiat 500 – so lots to get excited about from Fiat in the next few years then, and none of the sameness you get from other brands. 

“I love the fact that every product has a strong personality and is independent,” says Leboine. “They’re connected, but still standalone products. The brand has a history and an image that can support these differences, which not every brand can do.”