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General The Panda, a missed opportunity for Fiat UK?

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General The Panda, a missed opportunity for Fiat UK?

306maxi

306maxi

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Is it just me or was/is the Panda wasted on Fiat UK? Here you have a small Fiat (Brits like small Fiat's) which is well build, well priced and economical to run. Why the heck aren't there more Panda's on the road?

Sure the 500 was always going to sell well with its cute looks and B&M but why did Fiat screw up so bad with the Panda? :confused:
 
Well they definately missed a trick with it, the Italians (and other countries) get the dual fuel beasties.

Now think of the running costs on a 1.1 dual fuel panda - your average school kid could run it on pocket money :D :D
 
udtrev said:
Well they definately missed a trick with it, the Italians (and other countries) get the dual fuel beasties.

Now think of the running costs on a 1.1 dual fuel panda - your average school kid could run it on pocket money :D :D
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I think manufacturers think that brits don't want LPG fuelled cars (y)

I should have also mentioned the 4x4 and 100hp, both great little cars in their niches but cars which pretty much seem to have not been advertised at all. I only know about the 100hp through Evo and the 4x4 through a friend and of course the forum.
 
306maxi said:
I think manufacturers think that brits don't want LPG fuelled cars (y)

I should have also mentioned the 4x4 and 100hp, both great little cars in their niches but cars which pretty much seem to have not been advertised at all. I only know about the 100hp through Evo and the 4x4 through a friend and of course the forum.
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The 4x4 has been on 5th Gear, and probably Top Gear as well
 
Perhaps controversially....I like the 100hp and the Cross but the standard Panda is a lot more functional than stylish. I prefer the Cinquento and Seicento styling (for their time).
 
Van Diemen said:
Perhaps controversially....I like the 100hp and the Cross but the standard Panda is a lot more functional than stylish. I prefer the Cinquento and Seicento styling (for their time).
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Can't agree about the Seicento - always thought it was the worst smallest Fiat ever. I just hope the Topolino will be a proper successor to the various 500s. Initial thought is that Fiat doesn't make the margin it would like on the Panda, whereas the 500 must be much more profitable, presumably the cost of homologating every single version of the Panda in RHD form is a facor in limiting the range. Nevertheless, the Panda does appear to represent a lost opportunity for Fiat in the UK, particularly when you look at the standard of the genuine competitors.
 
babbo umbro said:
Can't agree about the Seicento - always thought it was the worst smallest Fiat ever. I just hope the Topolino will be a proper successor to the various 500s. Initial thought is that Fiat doesn't make the margin it would like on the Panda, whereas the 500 must be much more profitable, presumably the cost of homologating every single version of the Panda in RHD form is a facor in limiting the range. Nevertheless, the Panda does appear to represent a lost opportunity for Fiat in the UK, particularly when you look at the standard of the genuine competitors.
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I have to say I'm not a big Seicento fan either. Of course there isn't much profit to the Panda compared to the 500, but just remember the person that buys a Panda and likes it has a good chance of going on to buy a slightly bigger Fiat next time and then perhaps something bigger or just another Fiat.
 
306maxi said:
I have to say I'm not a big Seicento fan either. Of course there isn't much profit to the Panda compared to the 500, but just remember the person that buys a Panda and likes it has a good chance of going on to buy a slightly bigger Fiat next time and then perhaps something bigger or just another Fiat.
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Surely Fiat's biggest failing - especially here but also in general - is that their bigger cars have not attracted buyers to stick with the marque because - to be honest - most of them are not good enough.
 
babbo umbro said:
Surely Fiat's biggest failing - especially here but also in general - is that their bigger cars have not attracted buyers to stick with the marque because - to be honest - most of them are not good enough.
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Bravo is meant to be good. Interior is certainly good IMHO.
 
I'm I miss-reading this ?.. are you saying the dual fuel Panda's are the missed trick or all Pandas?

if the latter then I think Fiat might argue against that... They sold so many they had to bring our next years spec models to fill in, and customers like me had to wait 12 weeks to get ours (waiting for them to be made)

Around here there a loads of Pandas, many brand new, some 08, 07 and further back... in fact now that I'm an owner I'm getting neck ache keep looking around at them all... !

Steve
 
AskCy said:
I'm I miss-reading this ?.. are you saying the dual fuel Panda's are the missed trick or all Pandas?

if the latter then I think Fiat might argue against that... They sold so many they had to bring our next years spec models to fill in, and customers like me had to wait 12 weeks to get ours (waiting for them to be made)

Around here there a loads of Pandas, many brand new, some 08, 07 and further back... in fact now that I'm an owner I'm getting neck ache keep looking around at them all... !

Steve
Click to expand...
I mean all Panda's :) Here there are certainly more 500's than Panda's. I'm a 500 owner but I'm one of the few ones who realise it's just a Panda in a frock. It really was the Panda's reputation that made me get a 500 and for the wife it was the 500's looks.
 
The 500 should have some kind of 'halo effect' for the rest of the range. Before it came along I'm sure plenty of people would never have considered a Fiat. Now they're suddenly trendy.

Here's hoping dealers are improving too. Between 1998 & 2001 we bought three new Fiats, but such was the service we had from the dealer it was only last January when I decided to try again with the Panda.
 
In a way I am glad Fiat UK missed a trick with the 100hp

The road is littered with the same old cars everyday with the like of the Vauxhall Corsa and Suziki Swift, everywhere you look you see them.

How many 100hp's do you see everyday? :cool:

Me personally I'm glad for a little bit of exclusivity. So thank you Fiat UK for missing a trick. (y)
 
DavePanda100 said:
In a way I am glad Fiat UK missed a trick with the 100hp

The road is littered with the same old cars everyday with the like of the Vauxhall Corsa and Suziki Swift, everywhere you look you see them.

How many 100hp's do you see everyday? :cool:

Me personally I'm glad for a little bit of exclusivity. So thank you Fiat UK for missing a trick. (y)
Click to expand...

There are huge numbers of Pandas in Italy, of course, but you see very few 100HPs there - I've seen one in our "home" city there, Spoleto, and a couple on the autostrada further north between Milan and Bologna, and one while travelling through Switzerland umpteen times. 4x4s, by contrast are very common especially in our more rural area and in more basic MJ form than you can get in the UK. Eco versions are also increasingly common as they receive significant subsidies.
 
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