TURIN, July 12 (Reuters) - Fiat will sell the fully

electric (EV) version of its new Panda model for less than

25,000 euros ($27,000) the head of the Stellantis

brand said on Thursday.

The new Fiat Panda, produced in Serbia, joins a group of

Stellantis ( STLA ) budget EV models, including the Citroen e-C3, aimed

at making electric mobility more affordable for European

customers.

"Affordability is never optional on a Fiat," the brand's CEO

Olivier Francois said at a celebration for the 125th anniversary

of Fiat in its hometown of Turin, where the new Panda was

showcased.

The event was attended by Stellantis ( STLA ) CEO Carlos Tavares and

Chairman John Elkann, as well as Italy's Industry Minister

Adolfo Urso, who was a surprise guest following government

criticism which strained relations with the automaker.

Rome this year repeatedly criticised the group for its

falling output in the country and for moving production of some

models of historic Italian brands like Fiat and Alfa Romeo

abroad.

"We must not resign ourselves to the fact that (Italy)

becomes a car museum," Urso said in a speech at the event on

Thursday.

The new Panda will also be available in a hybrid version,

for less then 19,000 euros, Francois said.

Deliveries are expected to start between October and

November for the EV and a few months later for the hybrid.

The model marks the first step in a plan to renew Fiat's

lineup, helping the brand move its focus off the small car

segment and add larger vehicles to its offerings.

Three other models are scheduled as part of the plan, one

every year until 2027 - a pick-up, a fastback and a small SUV

covering an increasingly popular market segment and will likely

compete with Renault's successful Dacia Duster.

All the new Fiat models will be based on Stellantis' ( STLA )

low-cost, multi-energy Smart Car platform for small vehicles,

that underpins the recently launched Citroen e-C3.

They will be all offered in EV and hybrid versions.

The new Panda, however, will not immediately replace the

current Panda model, which could remain in production until

2029, in Italy's Pomigliano plant.

($1 = 0.9201 euros)

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari, editing by Alvise Armellini

and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)