Fiat Panda 4x4 Antarctica Takes Centre Stage In The Torino-Sochi Project

LONDON – Jan 27, 2014: The 'Panda to Sochi' tour officially set off earlier this week from the Mirafiori Motor Village in Turin. Taking centre stage in this project is the Panda 4x4 Antarctica, the limited-edition model that celebrates the 30th anniversary of this top-selling, multi award-winning* 4x4 model, with more than 500,000 examples built since the original car was launched in 1984.

The ‘Panda to Sochi’ project stems from a collaboration between the FIAT brand and the multimedia publisher Vice Media, which targets young metropolitan people who not only love new fashion, sports and music trends, but are also interested in the world of art and culture.

This also makes the project an ideal platform for other prestigious brands involved in the cross-continental adventure: - Nokia, Nitro Snowboards and Beats by Dr. Dre.

On hand at the 'Panda to Sochi' launch ceremony were some of the stars of the FIAT Freestyle Team, Stefano Munari (snowboarding) and Stefan Lantschner (BMX), as well as Markus Keller, the famous Nitro team rider who will alternate places with freestyle skier Dmitri Sartor during the trip. They were joined by Gersin Livia Paya, editor of Vice, who completes the team that will travel to the Casa Italia in Sochi (Russia).

Using the Nokia 1520, with its 6-inch super-sensitive full-HD display, Gersin will tell the story of the journey in real time, with images and videos taken using the 20 MP Pureview camera and shared through social media, while the HERE maps will guide the team to their destination.

The team will visit 16 different European locations en route – including some unexpected stops – to Sochi with the aim of capturing the most peculiar aspects of the local cultures. A team of outstanding photographers and videographers will also immortalise the crew's tricks and manoeuvres in a few characteristic locations like Dracula's castle in Transylvania and the Potëmkin Stairs in the Ukraine, or at other spectacular geographical sites like Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva. The group will also have the chance to meet and interview athletes and trendsetters of the towns they go through.

The centrepiece of the adventure between Turin and Sochi is the FIAT Panda 4x4 Antarctica. Designed to stand out from the crowd, the Antarctica is only available in white with a black roof, orange detailing, diamond-finish 15-inch alloy wheels and special badges.

Inside, the FIAT Panda 4X4 Antarctica features grey and orange upholstery with numerous additional standard features such as dark-tinted rear privacy glass, a height adjustable driver’s seat and three-passenger rear seat with 60:40 split/folding backrests.

As with all examples of the FIAT Panda 4X4 sold in the UK, the Antarctica edition also features air conditioning, ESC stability control, an electronic locking differential (ELD), specially tuned suspension, mud-and-snow tyres and rugged bodywork protection all as standard.

Powered either by FIAT’s award-winning 85hp 0.9 TwinAir petrol engine or a 75hp 1.3-litre MultiJet II turbo diesel engine, the FIAT Panda 4X4 Antarctica offers a unique combination of exceptionally low running costs and genuine off-road capability which is unmatched by any competitor vehicle.