General Chrome Pack changes

[PandaLounge]

Hi

Is anyone in the know who might be privy to bulletins aware of whether or not the front bumper chrome is being removed from 2019 500’s?

The current Collezione doesn’t have front inserts so I’ve browsed Euro models and have noticed that unregistered Lounge’s in Germany, Italy, France etc appear to not have the front chrome but have the rear?!? Looks particularly crap TBH.

Hubby is thinking of getting 500 in Jan but wouldn’t be interested if chrome was missing.

Anyone able to help?

Thanks

 

[simon_16vpunto]

I work in a fiat dealer and we have a couple of new lounges which don’t have chrome on the bumper.

I have access to fiat bulletins and can’t find anything about it being deleted.

 

[PandaLounge]

Thanks for that info. I guess it’s just a sign that they’re winding down the current car. The deletion of rear speakers and only one type of seat design, albeit dark and ivory ambiance may be shows that they’re spending elsewhere. Shame really.

 

[306maxi]

Thanks for that info. I guess it’s just a sign that they’re winding down the current car. The deletion of rear speakers and only one type of seat design, albeit dark and ivory ambiance may be shows that they’re spending elsewhere. Shame really.

Doubt they’re winding down production. It’s just cost cutting which all manufacturers do, but yeah this is pretty nasty.

I’m actually responsible for deleting a whole switch on the dash of our future cars, I doubt anyone ever presses it, it looks like crap, costs money and just isn’t necessary. Will be quite happy when we facelift or launch new models and I’ve saved a whole 10 quid or something on each car and also made the interior look better.

 

[chris3234]

Be a shame if they have Chrome really suits the character of the car

 

[jrkitching]

I’ve saved a whole 10 quid or something on each car and also made the interior look better.

Back in the 1970's at Ford, your future as a design engineer would have been made if you'd come up with a way of saving 5p on a door handle. Over a production run of perhaps a million cars, it adds up to a lot of money.

 

[jrkitching]

Thanks for that info. I guess it’s just a sign that they’re winding down the current car. The deletion of rear speakers and only one type of seat design, albeit dark and ivory ambiance may be shows that they’re spending elsewhere. Shame really.

The core design came into production with the Panda 169 in 2003. It's an old, old car, getting older by the day and, were it not for its huge eye appeal, would likely have been dropped years ago. The only high volume cars I can think of in living memory which had such a long production run were the original Mini, and the Ford Capri.

A devastatingly poor Pandaesque result in a future NCAP test could well seal its fate.

 

[306maxi]

Back in the 1970's at Ford, your future as a design engineer would have been made if you'd come up with a way of saving 5p on a door handle. Over a production run of perhaps a million cars, it adds up to a lot of money.

I’ll tell you a secret, I just thought it was a dumb, ugly, pointless button and I thought it ruined the lines of the dash. Whether it saves £10 or not is neither here nor there for me. Doesn’t make a big enough difference for us sadly.