https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/jeep-launch-new-entry-level-model-sit-below-renegade

Not confirmation - but this would be an opportunity to finally replace the ageing Panda platform - with another car of similar size and (potentially) large volumes.

"The Fiat Panda was the best-selling car in Italy last year, with 144,533 finding homes – the best-selling car in any single market. The Lancia Ypsilon was second, with a comparatively piddly 60,326. The Fiat 500, having shifted 58,296, was a close third. It was a 60/40 split between Fiat Chrysler group cars and other manufacturers in 2016, with the Renault Clio, Ford Fiesta, and Volkswagens Polo and Golf in the top ten, too"

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/2017s-most-popular-cars-europe-–-country

JCarp16 said:

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/jeep-launch-new-entry-level-model-sit-below-renegade

Not confirmation - but this would be an opportunity to finally replace the ageing Panda platform - with another car of similar size and (potentially) large volumes.

Click to expand...

Sounds logical for Jeep to think about building a small 4x4 on a new Panda platform - and it wouldn't be the first time, either. Remember the Jeep Phoenix? (I don't think the design concept ever got beyond the photoshop stage, but still...)

https://goo.gl/images/6o2Kg9
https://goo.gl/images/d4P8fV

I'd never seen that before!

I don't get how fiat see more of a future in the jeep brand rather then fiat
Can't remember the last time I saw a jeep anywhere in the UK or a jeep dealer
Bet it many people can even name some of there models

SUV is the current buzzword in the car industry.

chris3234 said:

I don't get how fiat see more of a future in the jeep brand rather then fiat
Can't remember the last time I saw a jeep anywhere in the UK or a jeep dealer
Bet it many people can even name some of there models

Click to expand...

Worldwide Jeep are a big brand. Around here I see a lot of Renegades. Much more than 500Xs.

JCarp16 said:

Worldwide Jeep are a big brand. Around here I see a lot of Renegades. Much more than 500Xs.

Click to expand...

Must depend on the area
But around here you see next to no Jeeps can't remember last time I saw one
Hundreds of 500/500z/l models

Eklipze3k said:

SUV is the current buzzword in the car industry.

Click to expand...

Indeed, loads of SUVs round here driven by young & old, pretty much new as well. Not all are bought outright, leasing tends the way nowadays, well that's what I'm seeing.

I think the Panda get less sporty by every new Generation.
The Panda 141A i had was lowered and had 14 inch wheels and 185 tires and it went round corners like on rails.
But engine wise they where not that fast.
The next typ 169 was not to bad either, for this model there ware loads of suspension possibilities to "Sport" it up so to say.
For the present typ 319 there is not a single sporty suspension available.
Mostly just springs, and now by the end of is life circle some Bilstein B6 shocks, but further from that nothing.

If the rumors are correct and the next Panda will be based on some kind "Jeep SUV" platform it will stray even more from sportiness, and will be high on his wheels.

I don't see any truth into future Abarth Panda rumors, i simply don't see the Panda be sporty enough to get a Abarth badge stick on it.
It also get heavier and heavier by every new generation and not get backed up by more performing engines.

The most interesting Panda language would be small and light like the 141A with a small 3 cylinder turbo engine under the bonnet.

chris3234 said:

I don't get how fiat see more of a future in the jeep brand rather then fiat
Can't remember the last time I saw a jeep anywhere in the UK or a jeep dealer
Bet it many people can even name some of there models

Click to expand...

Plenty of Jeep dealerships, just look into your local Fiat dealer. Renagades are popular but the real jewel in the crown is the new JL Wrangler, unfortunately most will end up in London! Jeep will be updating a lot of their models this and next year.

Wrangler said:

Plenty of Jeep dealerships, just look into your local Fiat dealer. Renagades are popular but the real jewel in the crown is the new JL Wrangler, unfortunately most will end up in London! Jeep will be updating a lot of their models this and next year.

Click to expand...

Local ish fist dealer has next to no Jeeps available

And other day in a long drive around the area saw 17 Fiat's mainly 500 and 500x and a total of 1 jeep

There just not something that anyone has

Well I cant comment on other Jeep models but the Wrangler, I'm afraid to say will get to places in snow, water & rock that a Panda 4x4 wouldn't, purely due to the ground clearance limits and the fact you can put on BFGoodrich KO2' s or similar on to it. Different beasts thougth and I love both my Cross and Wrangler.

I bought a Jeep Wrangler JK in 2010 and you know what, in that time it hasn't missed a heart beat. Still running on the same MOPAR battery despite being in the Highlands and the temperatures experienced. It cost me £21,500, yes thats right and I could still sell it up here for 16k!

Now, at the moment you cant buy a JK Sport or any other JK due to the dealerships waiting for the JL to arrive in November. Further it was after Fiat bought Crysler that the Sport, for whatever reason was withdrawn from the UK market. You could not nor now buy a better 4x4 for that money (and that includes Defenders). However, since the Fiat takeover and the new JL line feeds into production, in their wisdom, most options that were standard are now extras, so that Sport base model is now over 30k to buy. Pity and I'm sure that would not have been the case several years ago.

MOPAR supply quite a lot to Fiat regarding aftermarket stuff and if from the USA it's good quality. I'm sure Jeep will feed in their experience in the off road side of things into any new 4x4 Panda design.

New updated Jeep models are in the pipeline which might explain why you dont see many in the dealerships, or certianly that is the case with the Wrangler and I know that the Cherokee(?) is being updated.