Five studies for the future of electricity: Fiat’s global Panda Express

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Fiat was once one of the largest in the automotive industry. It absorbed the former major player of the USA, Chrysler, in 2014. As the new FCA group, it had global plans. But the radical austerity program, strategic misjudgments and mismanagement of Fiat’s father, Sergio Marchionne, who died in 2018, brought the pioneer of the Italian economy to the brink of collapse.

But since FCA merged with France’s PSA Group to form new industry giant Stellantis in 2021, confidence and good mood have returned to the Turin headquarters.

Like almost all major manufacturers, Fiat skipped the Geneva Motor Show, which still takes place on a small stage. But that didn’t stop CEO Olivier François, 62, from inviting people to a video conference just in time for the start of press day on Monday morning to talk about the Italians’ future plans.

Location of the event: Northern Italian town Ginevra – the Italian name for Geneva. François soon stopped joking: “We don’t take ourselves seriously because there’s no need to.” It’s easier not to take yourself so seriously when 1.3 million cars have been sold.

Of course, other manufacturers are faring much better than Fiat, which has lived almost exclusively on the success of the 500 and its derivatives for years. But in the future, Italians want to think globally again with a range of new models.

New star in Fiat’s sky

The focus of the attack is the new version of the Panda small car, which will be presented to the public on July 11, 2024, which coincides with Fiat’s 125th birthday. Almost no details are known about Fiat’s new star in the sky. What is certain is that the upcoming Panda will be based on the Stellantis smart car platform, which currently underpins the Citroën ë-C3 small electric car, which will be launched in the spring.

The models that follow each year will also be based on Stellantis’ multi-energy platforms that enable all conceivable types of propulsion: electric, hybrid, gasoline, gas-powered. Standalone platforms such as the 500e are probably a thing of the past at Fiat: Only those who exploit synergies and make very precise calculations can prevail in the global war for customers.

From Mega Panda to Giga Panda

Time will tell how similar the “City Car” presented by Olivier François really is to the Panda, which will be available in the summer. In any case, the crossover that appears now is much larger than the current Panda; There is even talk of a “mega panda”.

As well as all kinds of fun details such as camping chairs or a foldable shelf under the dashboard, there are also clever solutions such as a self-rotating charging cable, plenty of recycled materials and fabrics made from bamboo fibre. The city car concept is designed for zipping around urban areas, but thanks to its versatility it’s also suitable for weekend trips with the family.

The angled front end with LED pixel design continues on all concepts, including the pickup shown. What many people don’t know: Fiat is the market leader in the South American pick-up segment, with the Strada being Brazil’s best-selling vehicle. Fastback and Tipo notchback sedans, which are very successful in many markets, will in the future be covered by a vehicle simply referred to as “sedan” in Olivier François’ presentation.

The fourth concept is – unsurprisingly – talk of a “Giga Panda” – an SUV that is likely to be significantly larger than the regular Panda in terms of length and size. The look is completed by a coolly designed “leisure vehicle” that could once compete against the VW Bulli as a campervan.

A new model every year

Sharp edges and angles, pixel graphics, long wheelbases, short overhangs; future Fiat models are likely to converge again in terms of styling. «We can finally imagine real global models. The sky is the limit,” François says at the end of the video broadcast.

And Fiat’s global Panda Express is being rolled out more quickly than is usually the case at such future shows: After the Panda reveal in July, a new model will follow every year until 2027.

Source: Blick