Don’t panic. You aren’t seeing ghosts. Or time travelers. Just look. There’s a Fiat Panda. And a Renault 5.
It’s 2024, not 1983. But these names are back. And they mean business.
Europe is sweating. Cheap EVs from China are flooding in, getting faster and cheaper by the week. So what’s the defense? Nostalgia. Hard-core, pixelated nostalgia. These two are Europe’s best shot at stopping the red tide.
But it’s not just about being cheap. The prices are good, yeah. Roughly £20k. Close enough to not matter.
The real story is design. Specifically, one guy. François Lebois. He worked at Renault on the new 5. Then he moved to Fiat. Now he’s everywhere. It’s like watching the same architect design two competing houses, then argue over whose front door is cooler.
Style over specs. Always style first.
The Renault 5 is familiar now. We’ve driven it. We like it. It stops traffic. People point. The hood has an illuminated ‘5’ that tells you battery life. Flared arches? Yes. Subtle nod to the wild 5 Turbo rally car from the 80s.
Then the Panda pulls up. Mint green. Box-shaped.
And the Renault feels old instantly.
The Fiat isn’t tiny anymore. It’s a “Grande Panda.” Get it? Bigger box. Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the original square thing back in the day. This new one keeps that brutalist, blocky vibe.
They fit the same lane. They drive about the same distance on one charge. But they feel… different. One plays cool retro-tech. The other plays geometric puzzle piece.
Which is better?
Hard to say. Maybe impossible. The Fiat is wider, taller. More space. Less charm? Maybe.
