This post about an "austerity" Fiat on a neighbouring thread reminded me about the South American Fiat Novo Uno.
The Novo Uno is basically a low spec value engineered sister to the 2012 Panda. It's built in Brazil with two engines, either the 73 hp 1.0L or the 83 hp 1.4L. It deletes the rear 3/4 windows, has a cheaper interior and fewer features.
Notwithstanding all the regulatory issues surrounding harmonising a foreign model for the European market, could you imagine a low cost Panda like this working here? At what price would it work without damaging sales of other models?
The Novo Uno is basically a low spec value engineered sister to the 2012 Panda. It's built in Brazil with two engines, either the 73 hp 1.0L or the 83 hp 1.4L. It deletes the rear 3/4 windows, has a cheaper interior and fewer features.
Notwithstanding all the regulatory issues surrounding harmonising a foreign model for the European market, could you imagine a low cost Panda like this working here? At what price would it work without damaging sales of other models?
The increased ride height and tough suspension are brilliant and ideal for third world and British roads. The trouble is that too many British punters confuse glitz, and shiny chrome and squeezy plastic - ooh, feel my dashboard Marjorie - with quality; and the road tests all seem to major on the quality of the plastics as if nothing else mattered.
