Taking Italian cars to a new level

So to the Panda, which I really liked. The design has kept all the character of the outgoing model, on sale since 2003. This new Panda is only the third one in 31 years and Fiat bosses hope it will help banish the reputation of iffy reliability in Italian cars for good. The above picture was taken in a whole new department at the Pomigliano plant just outside Naples, where the Panda is now being built (previously it was in Poland). It’s essentially a quality control division, which Fiat has had before but never to this sort of standard and attention to detail. The plant, formerly the home of the Alfa 159, has been given a massive and hugely expensive overhaul to bring it into the 21^st century. Staff have also undergone a major retraining programme. If anything is going to help save the Italian economy it’s initiatives like this. The Panda goes on sale in the UK from late February. The issue is going to be finding customers; back in 2003 Hyundai and Kia were nowhere. Now, cars like the excellent i20 and Rio are going head to head with the Panda and have a headstart.