The best-selling small car in Europe since its first full year of sales in 2004, the current Panda's life was stretched when the recession took hold of the motor industry.
The scrappage schemes in European markets helped keep it at the top of the sales ladder through 2009, but the model's sales plunged 21 percent last year when these schemes ended.
Fiat is investing €800m in refurbishing a production line at Pomigliano d'Arco in central Italy to make the car. The company had demanded a 70 percent improvement in productivity from unions at the plant or it would build the Panda outside of Italy. These 'negotiations' also delayed the development of the new car.
