Panda Wins Five Stars for Safety

SYDNEY – Dec 20, 2013: Fiat’s iconic Panda has received an early Christmas gift in the form of a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Fiat Panda, which was introduced to the Australian market in October and is a finalist in the 2013 Wheels Car of the Year awards, achieved an overall test score of 32.78 out of 37.

Panda features extensive passive and active safety features to back up the five-star rating, including six airbags, ABS anti-lock braking, Brake Assist System (BAS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and anti-whiplash head restraint system.

Low Speed Collision Mitigation, which applies the brakes if it detects an obstacle in the vehicle’s path, is available on selected models.

Veronica Johns, CEO and President of Fiat Chrysler Australia, said the five-star safety rating underlined the small car’s impeccable safety credentials.

“Panda customers always knew they were driving a car full of character and fun – this news reaffirms that they are driving an incredibly safe one as well,” Ms Johns said.

New Fiat Panda is the third generation of Italy’s best-selling car.

Four Panda models are available – Pop, Easy, Lounge and Trekking.

Entry level Pop model comes with a 1.2-litre FIRE engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission and has a drive away price of just $16,500.

Easy comes with the award-winning 0.9 TwinAir engine and with either a five-speed manual or five-speed Dualogic transmission.

The Lounge model also features the 0.9 TwinAir but with additional equipment and five-speed Dualogic as standard.

The 4x4-inspired Trekking model features a 1.3-litre MultiJet turbo diesel engine and a five-speed manual transmission.