Fiat Panda prices announced

Is it just me....or are Fiats getting pricey?

When I bought my pre-reg diesel Panda, I got a good discount which dropped the price by a couple of grand to £7.5k. Now a similar spec model is quoted at nearly £12k.
I do wonder if this higher price will reflect in their value after a couple of years. Frankly, I think not. As with all Fiats, apart from the 500, they do lose a significant amount of money when trade-in time comes around.
At the prices quoted it seems that Chrysler's Ypsilon with its VAT-free offer is the car to go for until Fiat start offering discounts.

By n50pap on 8 February, 2012, 9:01am

Wait a couple of months after release

by which time they'll be banging them out at £6,995

By jcrowley012 on 9 February, 2012, 2:28am

Why would anyone pay for a car with such little power ?

It's backwards we are going because European manufacturers refuse to offer Hybrids, plug in hybrids and full battery cars and so downsize to matchbox sized cars or ridiculously underpowered engines. I would love to see how long a 2 Cylinder lasts, the 3 cylinders don't have a great reputation. A fiat engine after 60k miles ? no thanks, I've seen enough with blue smoke after 7 or 8 years and hate to imaging the 2 or 3 cylinder after that time!

My prius this morning averaged 62.7 mpg after 24 kms, 120hp and bags of torque from 0-50 mph, it's not slow and climbs hills like the clappers. It's a decent size too and got it cheap 2nd hand for 8.5 K Euros 4 years old. I can get 65 mpg easy. I don't have to drive like a granny but I did have to learn how to drive it so I would get best regen and how to use it by knowing how much pressure to apply to the accelerator and when.

Downsizing size, or engines is not necessary and without proper investment in technology will see the collapse of the European auto industry!

By Mad_Lad on 9 February, 2012, 9:24am

Why would anyone pay for a car with such little power ?

It's backwards we are going because European manufacturers refuse to offer Hybrids, plug in hybrids and full battery cars and so downsize to matchbox sized cars or ridiculously underpowered engines. I would love to see how long a 2 Cylinder lasts, the 3 cylinders don't have a great reputation. A fiat engine after 60k miles ? no thanks, I've seen enough with blue smoke after 7 or 8 years and hate to imaging the 2 or 3 cylinder after that time!

My prius this morning averaged 62.7 mpg after 24 kms, 120hp and bags of torque from 0-50 mph, it's not slow and climbs hills like the clappers. It's a decent size too and got it cheap 2nd hand for 8.5 K Euros 4 years old. I can get 65 mpg easy. I don't have to drive like a granny but I did have to learn how to drive it so I would get best regen and how to use it by knowing how much pressure to apply to the accelerator and when.

Downsizing size, or engines is not necessary and without proper investment in technology will see the collapse of the European auto industry!

By Mad_Lad on 9 February, 2012, 9:59am

Why would anyone pay for a car with such little power ?

It's backwards we are going because European manufacturers refuse to offer Hybrids, plug in hybrids and full battery cars and so downsize to matchbox sized cars or ridiculously underpowered engines. I would love to see how long a 2 Cylinder lasts, the 3 cylinders don't have a great reputation. A fiat engine after 60k miles ? no thanks, I've seen enough with blue smoke after 7 or 8 years and hate to imaging the 2 or 3 cylinder after that time!

My prius this morning averaged 62.7 mpg after 24 kms, 120hp and bags of torque from 0-50 mph, it's not slow and climbs hills like the clappers. It's a decent size too and got it cheap 2nd hand for 8.5 K Euros 4 years old. I can get 65 mpg easy. I don't have to drive like a granny but I did have to learn how to drive it so I would get best regen and how to use it by knowing how much pressure to apply to the accelerator and when.

Downsizing size, or engines is not necessary and without proper investment in technology will see the collapse of the European auto industry!

By Mad_Lad on 9 February, 2012, 11:28am

Sorry I have no idea why it posted 3 times, apologies again.

By Mad_Lad on 9 February, 2012, 12:06pm

Reliability and Build Quality

Two word you cannot use for a Fiat (that includes all Fiats from Ferrari down to Alfas )
It is all very well making cute cars but if they break down with the regularity of a Swiss watch what is the point?

By Carmad3 on 9 February, 2012, 12:11pm

FIATS are reliable

"Two word you cannot use for a Fiat (that includes all Fiats from Ferrari down to Alfas )
It is all very well making cute cars but if they break down with the regularity of a Swiss watch what is the point? "

Is old hat and totally wrong,

I've had 2 Alfas in the last ten years (so far) neither have broken down.

There is a Panda in the family fleet, has been for six years, thats been 100% reliable

I like the Panda, defo consider the 4x4 version

By Richard_H on 9 February, 2012, 12:44pm

Economy Reliability

The twinair and Diesel Pandas are both economical and nippy - look at the figures, and they are mechanically relatively uncomplicated, without the encumberance of a potentially very costly battery stystem.

As for reliability, Fiats posess above average reliability, according to the German system of measurement, and me. My nine year old Fiat is still sweet as a nut and has never broken down, and I drive it like stink in all weathers.

There is so much prejudice out there.

By Alexan14 on 9 February, 2012, 3:17pm

Twinair question.

The bit I don't understand is how the Twinair got such a low CO2 rating when all the real world MPG tests are so different. I realise that losing 10mpg in the real world isn't unusual but the road tests are anything like 50% less MPG and if that is correct the CO2 rating can't be right, can it?

By steelcityuk on 10 February, 2012, 9:10am