Fiat celebrates its 125th birthday with a large Panda
Fiat CEO Olivier Francois (left) and Stellantis Supervisory Board Chairman John Elkann present the Fiat Grande Panda.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
125 years ago, a few gentlemen got together in Turin and decided to found Fabricca Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT for short). Obviously, the gentlemen had correctly interpreted the signs of the times, and the company they founded soon dominated the domestic market. Reason enough to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the brand, which is now part of the Stellantis Group, at length at the old Lingotto production site in Turin and to give themselves a present.
The self-made gift rolled onto the factory's former drive-in track as a Grande Panda and will soon continue the success story of the classic, which was advertised as a "great box" in the 1980s. Don't worry, the classic Panda will continue to be built at its factory near Naples. However, the "big" Panda will roll off the production line in Serbia, which will probably not please the government's keynote speaker. Adolfo Urso, Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, could not emphasize Italy's role often enough and then had to accept that Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares and Fiat boss Olivier Francois emphasized the global role of the brand. With 1.35 million vehicles sold, Fiat is the most successful brand in the Stellantis Group and plays a leading role in South America, among other markets.
In addition to the Grande Panda, Fiat also presented a new version of the Fiat 500 Electric, which was created in collaboration with fashion designer Giorgio Armani. In addition, the 600e Abarth will roll onto the market in the coming month. "The final test drives will take place in November and then the model will be launched on the markets," promises Francois.
But back to the star of the party. The Grande Panda shares the platform with the new Opel Frontera and the Citroën C3 and will initially be launched as an electric car. "We are aiming for a price well below 25,000 euros," explains Francois. A hybrid version will be added later, which, according to Francois, "should cost less than 19,000 euros". With its length of 3.99 meters, the Italian is the most compact of the Stellantis trio, but thanks to its box shape based on the original Panda, it offers plenty of space in the interior, which is also reminiscent of the first Panda with its reduction to the essentials. The trunk has a capacity of 361 liters and can be significantly enlarged by folding down the backrests.
Fiat is still holding back on the technical data, but the electric range is said to be around 320 kilometers. A neatly arranged information landscape spreads out in front of the person behind the steering wheel, and three storage compartments come into play on the passenger side. A classic glove compartment, a shelf above it and an additional compartment with a cover made of bamboo fibers, the pandas' favorite food. The charging cable is cleverly positioned, concealed behind a flap in the front section and can be easily pulled out to charge the Grande Panda with up to seven kW at the AC charging point. We can only hope that a faster charging option will be added for the market launch. There will not be an all-wheel drive version of the new Panda for the time being. "The all-wheel drive Panda recently had a share of three percent," explains Francois.
With the Grande Panda, the successor to the Punto and Tipo models, Fiat plans to further strengthen its global presence. However, Fiat CEO Olivier Francois complains that "electromobility is taking longer to establish itself than we expected. But the future of mobility is electric, and small electric vehicles for urban areas are the best solution". Francois also attributes the faltering transformation to the lack of financial incentives. "When customers are offered incentives, they take them up. The incentives offered in Italy in June were taken up within eight hours."
The Grande Panda is the prelude to a model offensive with which Fiat also wants to return to the next higher C-segment. In spring, Francois announced five variants, including a pick-up, which was developed primarily for the South American market. "The platform can easily be extended. We are planning two models for the C-segment, which are influenced by the Panda but will have a different name." (aum)
More info for topic: 125 Jahre Fiat
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Fiat CEO Olivier Francois (left) and Stellantis Supervisory Board Chairman John Elkann present the Fiat Grande Panda.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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Vehicle parade to mark the 125th anniversary of Fiat.
Photo: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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