In mid-April, Stellantis began transferring workers from its Fiat and Maserati plants in Italy to the Kragujevac factory in Serbia to address production delays for the new Grande Panda. Since then, the number of Italian workers in Serbia has doubled. While the vehicle has received positive reviews across Europe—from Italy to Germany, France, and the UK—its production progress tells a more difficult story.
Stellantis has set a target of producing 500 Grande Pandas per day. However, current output is around 120 vehicles daily, an improvement from 80–100 in late April, but still well below the target. Technical trials for a potential second shift have recently begun, aiming to increase output to 240–250 vehicles a day.
The strong market interest, with over 15,000 orders in just a few weeks, has created pressure to boost manufacturing. But delays in component availability, particularly eDCT gearboxes required for hybrid models, have slowed down deliveries. As a result, customers who ordered the Grande Panda EV in April may not receive it before August, while hybrid versions are delayed until November.
Sales have already begun to reflect these setbacks. In Italy, 233 Grande Panda EVs were registered in March, falling to 172 in April—pushed down to 10th place by competitors like the Renault 5. A similar drop has been recorded in France.
The Grande Panda is key to Fiat’s European strategy, merging retro design, affordability, and electrification. With plans to expand production to Brazil and Algeria for local markets, all European output currently relies on the Kragujevac plant. Stellantis is racing to stabilize production and meet demand before further delays impact momentum.
