306maxi said:

LEDs should last the life of the car tbh. There will always be the odd one that doesn’t, but that’s the exception rather than the rule.

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Yeah, that's what they say.

Hasn't been totally true for high level brake lights so far, but the odd LED out on them doesn't seem to fail the MOT.

Don't really see how nearly £2k to change a lightbulb (bumper off job, apparently) is a step forward though... maybe that's why some people have taken to stealing front ends?

Still, just changed my headlight bulbs for some nice WhiteVision ones.
Although I felt a bit "ripped off" at paying £14 for them (last pair were under £12).

306maxi said:

Nope! BMW have fixed price servicing. A current 320d will cost you £149 to service at a main dealer, even less at a specialist! A 1.2 500 will cost more to service at a dealer. I’m sure I could do it myself cheaper, as I do on my 500, but it’s nice to have a full dealer service history just in case I do sell it.

If you don’t believe me, go on autotrader and get the reg for a 320d and put it in the BMW service site et voila, £149 for a minor service. They want silly money for brakes and stuff, but you can do that a lot cheaper.

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Quite correct, my 1 Series is cheaper to service than my 500, both at main dealer prices.

Apart from not understanding how a 3 year long rumour has reached 57 forum pages, I really don't get the recent posts on inverse badge snobbery.

gazz_bee said:

Quite correct, my 1 Series is cheaper to service than my 500, both at main dealer prices.

Apart from not understanding how a 3 year long rumour has reached 57 forum pages, I really don't get the recent posts on inverse badge snobbery.

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85 pages if you've got the app.

Your inner Panda RADAR is clearly suffering a malfunction.

BTW. I hope FIAT notice the passion generated by this rumour and take some notice of the general consensus that this car is worth preserving and NOT mess it about too much. DO so at your peril FIAT.

We don't wont a VW Up clone!

The Panda Nut said:

Your inner Panda RADAR is clearly suffering a malfunction.

BTW. I hope FIAT notice the passion generated by this rumour and take some notice of the general consensus that this car is worth preserving and NOT mess it about too much. DO so at your peril FIAT.

We don't wont a VW Up clone!

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If Fiat truly did listen to their customer base they would've replaced the Punto. They're probably thinking of replacing the Panda with another Jeep.

I do fear what, if anything, Fiat will replace the Punto with.

puntofan01 said:

I do fear what, if anything, Fiat will replace the Punto with.

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Probably something forgettable like the new Tipo.

Sadly Fiat seems to have lost its elegant styling on its new models it used to have and focussing on cheap.

Ubba said:

I think VW cooperation is an old story, more than 6months and VW CO gave up this oportunity. The only news i hear is about HYUNDAI. The only real thing is that all fiat engines are outdated. I believe that FIREFLY is not a a big step in the future since most competitors have brand new small petrol turbo angines and at list a mild hydrid systems. My opinion is that FIAT must find a solution very quick and thats why CO is searching a collaboration.

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What do you mean by outdated? Fiat probably has the smallest most modern petrol engine of all the competitors. Hyundai just started with small turbo engines and there's nothing revolutionary about those engines. In general all petrol engines are outdated and the only ones that did it right (imo) is Mazda with there high compression normally aspirated engines. All this turbo nonsense is highly unnescescary and hardly make the engines any more fuell efficiënt. And all the variable valve timing systems are all sensitive and likely to cause extra problems for small gaines.
The only problem is that Fiat doesn't have a very wide choice in engines and if you don't like the twinair or multiair your basicly screwed. But same goes for lot of the other manufacturers. More and more cars get tiny turbo engines that will never feel as nice as a normally aspirated 1.6 or 2.0 engine. I think the Ford 1.0 Ecoboost is awesome in many aplications but a bit silly in a Mondeo sized car.
All these tiny engines are inspired by tax and emission laws but bring very little gains in the real world.
At least the Twinair Turbo is fun to drive wich can't be said of many other "eco" engines.

JimbbobW1977 said:

Probably something forgettable like the new Tipo.

Sadly Fiat seems to have lost its elegant styling on its new models it used to have and focussing on cheap.

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I like the Tipo tbh. Personally, I think it's 1 of the best looking cars in the class, along with the Giulietta and I30.

puntofan01 said:

I like the Tipo tbh. Personally, I think it's 1 of the best looking cars in the class, along with the Giulietta and I30.

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The Tipo is so dull that if t was ice cream it would be water flavoured ice cream.

And the Giulietta isn’t really a looker either.

puntofan01 said:

I do fear what, if anything, Fiat will replace the Punto with.

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5-door 500, Fiat Argo based.

A 5 door 500 wouldn't be ideal.

The Argo looks ok inside, but not sure about the exterior.

JimbbobW1977 said:

Probably something forgettable like the new Tipo.

Sadly Fiat seems to have lost its elegant styling on its new models it used to have and focussing on cheap.

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Yeah, true. The Tipo looks good to me, but it's too bland and German looking.. too much like a BMW. Though the price and product seems about right and I hope it's meeting their expectation for sales!

TheR said:

What do you mean by outdated? Fiat probably has the smallest most modern petrol engine of all the competitors. Hyundai just started with small turbo engines and there's nothing revolutionary about those engines. In general all petrol engines are outdated and the only ones that did it right (imo) is Mazda with there high compression normally aspirated engines. All this turbo nonsense is highly unnescescary and hardly make the engines any more fuell efficiënt. And all the variable valve timing systems are all sensitive and likely to cause extra problems for small gaines.
The only problem is that Fiat doesn't have a very wide choice in engines and if you don't like the twinair or multiair your basicly screwed. But same goes for lot of the other manufacturers. More and more cars get tiny turbo engines that will never feel as nice as a normally aspirated 1.6 or 2.0 engine. I think the Ford 1.0 Ecoboost is awesome in many aplications but a bit silly in a Mondeo sized car.
All these tiny engines are inspired by tax and emission laws but bring very little gains in the real world.
At least the Twinair Turbo is fun to drive wich can't be said of many other "eco" engines.

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That's true. This tiny petrol with turbo thing has to end on small, inexpensive cars like our Fiats. I think a big petrol engine with turbo for sportiness yeah, sure, people can deal with the low fuel economy there. But definitely the likes of the 1.2 FIRE, slow as it may be, are reliable and low maintenance and in reality, more economical than the TwinAir. Unfortunately, the typical buyer of a Fiat 500 these days probably is concerned more with which pastel paint colour to choose! So Fiat will probably keep selling a tonne and develop more engines of the sort

And I suppose the next Panda will have the same engine choice and platform as the next 500 anyway. But if there's one thing Fiat can do it's build a decent engine!!! Though the TwinAir isn't ideal to us, it's still one of the best of it's kind and as you mentioned fun to drive!

Most Corsa's the age of my Panda are on their last legs with those dreadful GM 1.0 chain driven three cylinders... I remember phoning Vauxhall for a quote to get my mums Corsa 1.0 '04 a new timing chain. The mechanic at the dealer said "Well, to be honest it's sort of reaching the end of its service life now" - 10 years, 98,000 miles.... come on. Suppose they were just Opels, and Opel being German I guess that's the best they can do reliability wise

puntofan01 said:

A 5 door 500 wouldn't be ideal.

The Argo looks ok inside, but not sure about the exterior.

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Just looked. Yes the Argo looks like a new design language. Perhaps they read all our complaining about the 500X and 500L and how we don't want a morphed 500?! And this is what we got... damnit!

Personally the 500L and 500X grew on me and I like em. Would choose them over the Tipo and Argo just because they're different from most other cars on the road.

Though the Tipo when I point it out to people I know they can't get over the fact it's a Fiat. And because it is a Fiat, most disregard it sadly. So Fiat is selling us out by making a mainstream, blander than normal car and they're also probably not pleasing the target customers they want?! Sad state of affairs... just bring us a good next Panda Fiat!!! :worship:

The Tipo wasn't actually designed for us, I think it was designed for a more budget conscious country, then Fiat decided to make it RHD, and sell it at a low cost here. For want of a better comparison, it's like what vw did with the old Fox.

I'm a lot happier with my 85 TwinAir, now it has the new UniAir module fitted.
Ever sins i got it back with new UniAir module it drive perfect and the engine characteristics have changed sins, it really drives much better then ever before.
I now even think that my previous Blue Panda 85 TwinAir was also not that fresh anymore, because that drove like this silver Panda did before the UniAir module repair.

JCarp16 said:

85 pages if you've got the app.

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22 pages if you have the right settings

Problem is always going to be emissions related for manufacturers. To get a N/A to 1.6/2.0 petrol to meet emissions requirements takes a lot of work to do, and complexities within the engine take for example sky activ with Mazda, but it’s not just the engine it’s whole car as well. It’s the chassis and the weight and weight loss to lower emissions to get within a fighting chance of meeting emissions targets. The easiest way to satisfy performance/emissions/ advertised fuel figures is smaller turbo charged engines. The manufactures do not really care if they do not meet advertised consumption in the real world as long as figures look good on paper.

Fiats current vehicles bar the Spider are vase on old out dated technology. The 500/Panda is based on a chassis from the early 2000’s. Whilst the rest of the line up is based on the the old GM/Fiat platform that can trace its origins back decades ago.

Regards the current Tipo it will simply never sell in this country, albeit their is nothing fundamentally wrong with it, it has no stand out features in a crowded market. Main issue being is that Fiat still carries a reputation for poor reliability with the public, no amount of low pricing will assist this reputation sadly. Hyundai/Kia for example because they are Korean are assumed to be reliable and cheap so people buy them.

People buy VAG products because of the badge and assume nothing else is as reliable when reality is FCA is probably more reliable.

People still assume Fords rust or Fix or repair daily motto still exists yet some of the most rusty cars on the road are Mercedes Benz from what I see.

Fiat need to do something very clever to shake off its image. The 500 has done well for Fiat in that sense, but then Fiat knew that and then over did it