FIAT has officially received the AUTOBEST “Best Car Design of Europe 2026” trophy for the FIAT Grande Panda, during a dedicated award hand-over ceremony held in Paris on 19 June.
The trophy was personally presented to Olivier François, CEO of FIAT and Abarth and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Stellantis, by Dan Vardie, Chairman and Founder of AUTOBEST, underlining the significance of the recognition and the importance of the FIAT Grande Panda’s achievement within this year’s AUTOBEST CONQUEST competition.
The FIAT Grande Panda was named winner of the AUTOBEST Award for Best Car Design of Europe 2026 as part of the first edition of AUTOBEST CONQUEST 2026, a new and innovative competition format designed to combine the expertise of the AUTOBEST jury with direct public engagement across Europe.
Olivier François, CEO of FIAT and Abarth and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Stellantis, said: “This is the Best Car Design of Europe award for Grande Panda, and if I may say so, it means the world to us. What makes this recognition especially important is that it reflects not only the voice of 32 nations and 32 journalists, but also the vote of the people.
For a brand like FIAT, which has always been, fundamentally, a people’s brand, this is a huge encouragement and a very meaningful recognition.”
Dan Vardie, Chairman and Founder of AUTOBEST, said: “It is with enormous pleasure to hand over the ‘Best Car Design of Europe’ award to Olivier François – a true legend of the automotive industry and a proud member of the AUTOBEST ManBest Hall of Fame, which honors the best top executives in the global car industry.
Best Car Design is the first Oscar of its kind in Europe, dedicated to designers – to the people who make us happy simply by looking at cars. This year, our jurors and the public coming from the 32 European nations represented in AUTOBEST, voted together, showing that the time has come to reconnect with our love for cars. The future will tell, but one thing is already clear: design is coming back to the center of the automotive conversation.”
This recognition confirms the strong impact of the Grande Panda’s design language, which stood out for its distinctive character, contemporary styling and ability to reinterpret FIAT’s heritage in a modern, accessible and emotionally engaging way.
The ceremony took place at FIAT Paris 15ème – NEUBAUER Groupe, bringing together representatives of FIAT and AUTOBEST to mark the official hand-over of one of the most important design distinctions in the European automotive landscape.
NEUBAUER Groupe is a leading FIAT dealer but also a multi-brand automotive and motorcycle distributor in the Île-de-France (Paris) region. With over 120 years of family history, the group operates numerous dealerships representing 25 major automotive and motorcycle brands, providing sales, maintenance, rentals, and corporate workspaces. At the AUTOBEST handover ceremony, was present Madame Leila Neubauer, CEO, representing the fifth generation of the Neubauer family to lead the enterprise, which was originally founded in 1905.
The first edition of AUTOBEST CONQUEST 2026 officially concluded with the AUTOBEST CONQUEST Show, broadcast live on 28 March 2026. The new format introduced a completely fresh approach to independent automotive recognition and became the largest live independent motoring entertainment event of its kind, bringing together audiences, automotive brands, journalists and live public participation in an innovative and highly engaging format.
Within this new and dynamic framework, the FIAT Grande Panda emerged as the winner of the Best Car Design of Europe 2026 award, standing out in a competition that celebrated the cars shaping the future of mobility through design, technology and user-friendliness.
Following the exceptional response generated by the first edition, preparations for the next development phase of AUTOBEST CONQUEST are already underway. Together with selected strategic partners, AUTOBEST is now working on expanding the platform’s international footprint, introducing new communication initiatives and further strengthening audience engagement across multiple markets.
About AUTOBEST
The AUTOBEST jury represents 32+1 European countries (Russia remains suspended), making it the largest independent motoring jury both in Europe and globally in terms of represented nations. The AUTOBEST jury pays close attention to the automotive industry’s efforts. Investments, new automotive job opportunities, funds for green cars and technologies, and support for different regions of Europe are all carefully assessed by the jury. New in-car technologies and connectivity are also under continuous scrutiny.
ENDS
Contact:
Andreea Oglan
PR Coordinator, AUTOBEST
pr@autobest.org
