Fiat may enter the microcar ring with a four-seater sub-Panda
This time next week, those of us fortunate enough to go to Frankfurt will likely be passed out after a long day of press conferences, caffeine crashes and schnitzel binges. Two of the more compelling concepts we expect to see in Germany include the Volkswagen City Expert and Toyota's Endo microcar, both of which will likely see production in an effort to provide diminutive, low-cost transport across the globe. Fiat apparently wants in on the action too.
According to Automotive News, Fiat may be developing its own sub-compact runabout, based off the Panda and 500 platform, only with 300mm lopped off. Able to seat four, the concept will be powered by a 65 HP, 900cc two-cylinder engine, but it won't make its debut until sometime next year.
The article also sheds light on both the VW and Toyota vehicles, with the former coming in at about 3,400 mm and the latter stretching a full 3,150 mm. Skoda and Seat, affiliates of Volkswagen, are likely to get their own versions later, both powered by either a two- or three-cylinder engine that lies flat underneath the rear seats. Expect to see variants of the City Expert in both Tokyo and Los Angeles later this year.Whether or not either of automaker can make a profit on these vehicles is a question that has sparked debate among analysts, but regardless, expect Toyota's Endo to make it to production in 2009 and VW's City Expert around the same time.
[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Barney 12:13PM (9/03/2007)
Everyone is getting on the econo car bandwagon. The years of the
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Barney 12:20PM (9/03/2007)
Sorry! I'm trying a new browser and it ain't working. ---The years of gluttonous cars may have reached a peak. Hopefully the quality doesn't die as well.
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SPG 1:52PM (9/03/2007)
I just can't think of a Panda I've really liked.
However if they imported these to Canada I would actually like to see them parked along the streets in the Granola belt.
Somthing to break up the sea of Corolla's, SL1's, and ten year old basic Protoge's.
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rgseidl 2:10PM (9/03/2007)
"Gluttonous" cars have not yet reached a peak because the rich keep getting both richer and more numerous. A man will part with his money for a car that gets his heart racing, which basically means plenty of acceleration and high top speed.
It is much, much harder to make a profit on an econobox. Indeed, some are sold at a slight loss merely to entice first-time buyers to the brand in the hope that they will trade it in for a more profitable model later in life. Ferdinand Piech, chairman of the board at VW, indicated in a lecture I attended last year that profitability starts with the Golf - i.e. they break even or lose money on the Polo and Fox models.
The new City Expert will be offered with a two-cylinder engine in emerging markets (read: Eastern Europe, South America, perhaps China, India and others) to achieve profitability through very high sales volume right away. A more expensive version featuring a beefier engine etc. will be offered in Western markets.
Toyota and Fiat both have more favorable cost structures than VW. They and others will join in the race to win market share in the rapidly emerging - and mobilizing - economies. By 2050, the total number of cars on the world's roads is projected to reach 2 billion, approx. 3x the current total. Let's hope there will still be enough fuel for them all to go somewhere.
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Barney 5:34PM (9/03/2007)
There will always be a desire for lot's of HP and the fun it derives. However, the average car and average driver doesn't want a car just for fun. With all the money going into oil exploration, the motive is not to reduce it's consumption. Governments and wealthy companies make to0 much money to stop now. The consumer will, as ever, pay more for less but still consume.
Don 2:58PM (9/03/2007)
Cool little idea...but I don't think the 2-cylinder, 900cc engine will make it overseas if we ever get the Panda.
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