Fiat’s stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month will include two models of particular interest to the South African market – the third-generation Panda and revised Punto. Both will make their way to South Africa over the course of the next 12 months.
The all–new Panda boasts a much curvier exterior than its boxy predecessor, as well as an updated interior and two new two-cylinder engines. It’s bigger Punto sibling has been around a while and has been freshened up a bit for 2012 with smarter chrome cladding up front in favour of the black plastic used before, as well as a few other minor details outside and in.
In terms of powerplants offered for international markets, the Panda will feature five petrol engines, two of which will be dual-fuel units capable of running on petrol/methane or LPG, and a diesel. The petrol range will comprise a 0,9-litre TwinAir in both normally aspirated and turbo guises (48 kW and 68 kW respectively), a 1,2-litre Fire petrol with 51 kW on tap, a 59 kW TwinAir Turbo Natural power (petrol/methane) developing 59 kW and a 51 kW 1,2-litre EsayPower petrol/LPG unit. A single diesel, a 1,3-litre Multijet II unit developing 55 kW will also be offered in certain markets.
Engine and specification-wise, there’s not much else known about the duo, except that the ground-breaking Twin-Air engines may not make it to our market due to the low quality of fuel available here.
What Clynton Yon, Manager: Communication & Institutional Relations at Fiat Group Automobiles of Fiat South Africa , could tell us though, was that the Punto could arrive on local soil as early as the last quarter of this year. We’ll have to wait for confirmation of right-hand drive production for the Panda, so mid-2012 sounds about the right time for its arrival.
Keep an eye out for updates on the Fiat Panda and Punto as the Frankfurt Motor Show beckons.
