News September 22 2006

Pandamonium at Fiat

Fiat knows when it’s on to a good thing and so will be using its stand at the upcoming Paris show to show off no less than eight variants of its popular Panda model. Two of these are brand new, including the dual fuel Panda Panda (!) and the souped up Panda 100 HP. Information below is straight from Fiat Australia – we have put some numbers in to help you count the Pandas! There is also some information on the Fiat Punto Sport and the DualLogic gearbox.

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1) Panda Panda

So good that they named it twice, the Fiat Panda Panda will go on sale in Europe early next year and it will be helping avoid extinction by offering a dual-fuel system that offers a choice of running on petrol or methane.

The original Fiat Natural Power has become the new benchmark in the sustainable urban mobility vehicle. The Panda Panda is also even more innovative because it overcomes the drawbacks typical of methane cars. The floorpan, derived from the 4x4 version, incorporates two separate methane tanks, each with a capacity of 72 litres. The two tanks fitted in this way allow the same amount of room as on the original car for both passenger and luggage (more than 200 litres with the rear seats upright).

The 72 litre capacity allows a superior trip range that is about 300 kilometres using methane alone (20% more range than that offered by the Fiat Punto, for example). The fuel tank capacity remains unchanged compared to the petrol version (30 litres) thus ensuring peace of mind even where methane suppliers are thin on the ground.

The ‘Panda Panda’ confirms Fiat’s leadership in the methane sector and its continuous quest to find solutions that reconcile customer needs with the greatest respect for the environment. Methane vehicles reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 23% compared to the equivalent petrol vehicles and reduce particulate matter (PM) emissions to practically zero. Emissions when the car is driven in methane mode amount to 114g of CO2/Km compared to 133g of CO2/Km in petrol mode (NEDC cycle).
The Panda Panda will also be available with a Dynamic specification to ensure that even the basic version of the car is packed with creature comforts and may be customised on the basis of individual requirements. The new Panda version is also ideal for small company fleets since it can be driven around freely in any city centre.

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2) Panda 100 HP

The Paris Motor Show will also see a hot Panda rampaging around the Fiat stand in the shape of the new Fiat Panda 100 HP, a Panda pocket rocket!

The Panda 100 HP is fitted with a brand new 1.4 16v power unit that develops a power output of 100 bhp at 6000 rpm and a maximum torque of 131 Nm at 4250 rpm. When equipped with this engine, the Panda 100 HP reaches a top speed of 185 km/h, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 9.5 seconds and consumes 6.5 l/100 km over a combined cycle.

This performance, attractive by any standards, will satisfy young customers who continually seek performance but wish to stand out from the crowd. On the outside, the Panda 100 HP therefore reveals itself to be a car with a true sporty vocation with chrome spoiler and exhaust pipes, special bumpers with a sporty grille and new 15” alloys. The same aggressive stamp is also evident in the passenger compartment, where customers will appreciate a leather steering wheel, new sporty interiors and a black facia with chrome detailing.

The new Panda 100 HP complements the long list of equipment on the Emotion version, from which it is derived, with a foglight, rear disc brakes, special suspension, 195/45-15” tyres, leather steering wheel, 6-speed manual gearbox, split seats and special exterior add-on kit. Customers can use a Sport key on the facia to select the steering setting and accelerator response to enjoy the sporty drive to the full.

These new Pandas join the existing range of diminutive award-winning Fiats that include the go-anywhere 3) Panda 4x4, the go-anywhere stylish 4) Cross Panda and 5) Panda Monster, the stylish 6) Panda Alessi as well as the normal, well, relatively normal 7) Panda Active and 8) Panda Emotion, all of which prove that when it comes to small cars, Fiat is the benchmark.

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Pandemonium Kit

And, as if this wasn’t enough, Fiat will also launch the Pandemonium Kit at the Paris, a package of car-sized stickers designed to quickly and easily change the appearance of any Panda – a tribal tattoo kit for cars is what Fiat calls it.

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DualLogic Gearboxes

Away from the Pandemonium on the Fiat Stand, the Paris Motor Show also sees the launch of the DualLogic gearboxes for the Fiat Punto. The DualLogic also offers other advantages over conventional manual and automatic gearboxes.

Firstly, the system may read the driver’s needs and thus adapt to his driving style. To do this, it analyses the engine rpm and maps the pedal position (interpreted as performance requests with rising speed).

Another specific feature of the DualLogic is its ability to assess vehicle deceleration and adjust downshifts. In semiautomatic mode, for example, the system allows downshifts, particularly when the driver demands a lower gear to take a corner at speed during a sporty drive. In automatic mode, the system anticipates the downshift to ensure the driver can always call on the most appropriate speed to maintain the required comfort level or fuel saving.

To ensure safety and prevent unwanted gear changes, the system engages neutral when the engine is still running and the door has been opened. Lastly, the DualLogic device also activates warning lights and buzzers to notify the driver of emergency situations or manoeuvres that are not permitted and could damage the engine or gearbox.

With the DualLogic gearbox in automatic mode, its robotised electronic management system allows the gears to be changed at the time of maximum engine performance. This makes it possible to exploit all the power and torque of the 1.4 petrol and 1.3 Multijet engines and achieve a distinct improvement in acceleration over a manual gearbox.

In automatic mode with the Economy key engaged, the Punto consumes less fuel than a manual gearbox. Fuel consumption with the DualLogic fitted is 5.7 compared with 5.9 l/100 km for the 1.4 petrol and 4.5 versus 4.6 l/100 for the Multijet. The most substantial benefits are achieved around town: 6.8 compared to 7.5 l/100 km for the 1.4 petrol and 5.8 compared to 5.9 l/100 for the Multijet.

The engineers have therefore succeeded in imposing a set of gearshift settings that reduce fuel consumption without reducing performance and thus driving satisfaction due to the device’s small size and low weight. Not least, the price of the new device is significantly lower than that of a conventional automatic transmission.

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Punto Sport – Need For Speed kit

Paris will also see the launch of the Punto Sport outfitted with the special Need For Speed kit based on the well-known racing video-game that includes aluminium pedals, sports exhaust tailpipe, sideskirts, special bumpers at front and rear, roof spoiler, roof bars, 17” alloys and a Hi-Fi system designed for connection of an iPod.

The new Punto ‘Need For Speed’ is the outcome of an original joint venture between Fiat and Electronic Arts (EA), a world leader in video-games. Visitors to the stand may try version two of Need For Speed, the biggest-selling car racing game in the world that involves the unexpected participation of a Grande Punto car. Visitors can also admire the real life version of the car, to satisfy those who want to enjoy a form of sportiness that is not so virtual.

The cars on show in Paris are also equipped with a sophisticated Hi-Fi sound system developed in conjunction with Interscope, the prestigious Universal Music brand. The system has been carefully developed, designed and adjusted to fit the passenger compartment to ensure sound quality of unparalleled performance and dynamism. In detail, it consists of 2 Tweeters with a treated silk diaphragm for crystal-clear high notes (40 Watts of music power); 2 x 165 millimetre Woofers with a polypropylene membrane for clean medium frequencies and precise bass notes (80 Watts of music power); 2 x 130 millimetre Fullrange with a copper ring for undistorted listening (40 Watts of music power).

The Interscope Hi-Fi system is also equipped with a four-channel amplifier (160 Watts of music power) that optimises the sound to the shape of the car for effective spatial sound distribution - and a two-channel amplifier subwoofer box (80 Watts of music power) with a twin coil speaker for deep, powerful bass notes.

The agreements with Electronic Arts and Interscope are part of a wider Fiat strategy to involve itself in art, sport and fashion - and now also entertainment and music. The common aim of the various initiatives is to win over young customers aged between 18 and 35, who make up a demanding, well-informed and forward-looking customer segment.