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Fiat Panda, Italian for Monster Truck [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Budget, Etc., Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Humor, Off-Road

No, this is not some creation from the backwoods of Georgia. Fiat actually partnered with Mercurio Cinematografica to wed a Panda 4x4 with a Jeep CJ7. The result is the plucky face of the Panda astride a set of 59-inch tractor tires. The whole contraption sits 12.8 feet tall and took just over two weeks to build from start to finish.

We imagine driving this thing is a bit like trying to coax a jello mold down the road. There's no word on whether engineers kept the Panda's engine and transmission or abandoned them for the AMC bits. Our money's on the latter. Fiat says the hardest part was getting the brakes, steering, clutch and accelerator controls to cooperate with the archaic bones below.

So, why build it? Fiat is currently in the midst of an advertising campaign that highlight's the Panda's attributes, and building a Big Foot version of the little hatchback was the easiest way to show off the vehicle's off-road prowess. You can watch it play in the snow in the video below.

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Fiat Panda, Italian for Monster Truck [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer to return

George Kennedy — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Dodge, Jeep, Rumormill, Off-Road, Fiat

Big changes are in store for the Jeep brand, bringing in models from both the Dodge and Fiat brands, according to an Automotive News report. In addition to new powertrains aimed at improving fuel economy, it appears that Fiat models will underpin new vehicles that will replace some less-capable offerings from the iconic off-road brand.

The biggest change is the yet-to-be named Fiat model that is likely to be based on the new Panda 4x4. According to AN, it will be built alongside the Fiat 500X in Turin, Italy. No name has been given to this model, but it has been confirmed that it will have at least one trail-rated variant.

Elsewhere in the lineup, the Dodge Durango three-row SUV is set to be replaced with an all-new full-size model, possibly called the Grand Wagoneer. This model would compete with the Chevrolet Suburban. The Grand Cherokee, meanwhile, will get the much-anticipated 3.0-liter diesel engine (we also hope it may wind up in the Wrangler).

The standard Cherokee name is likely coming back as the moniker to replace the Liberty. It could be powered by a new 3.2-liter V6 and underpinned by a Fiat platform that it would share with the Dodge Dart - the first Jeep to do so. This new model would come in early 2013 as a 2014 model.

Jeep's soft-roading crossovers, the Compass and Patriot, are set to receive a new six-speed automatic transmission, replacing the CVT currently under the hood. Only one of these nameplates is likely to survive past 2014.

Jeep has been reached for confirmation or denial of this report, but declined to comment on future product.

Jeep Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer to return originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat previews new Panda 4x4 ahead of Paris

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Off-Road, Fiat

Not a Kung-Fu panda, but a "Super Panda." That's what Fiat is calling the third-generation, four-wheel-drive A-segment five-door hatch, which is apparently "ready to tackle mountain mule tracks and the urban jungle with the same cool." If that sounds like your kind of beast, this 4x4 wears all manner of elements to let others know you mean business: black trim and skirting with contrasting skid plates front and back, different fog lights, 15-inch alloys on chunky tires, and the muffler has been raised so that it's tucked within the bodywork.

The six-speed transmission has a low-range first gear. Power is routed to all four wheels, permanently, with an electronically-controlled coupling managing the differentials, with an Electronic Locking Differential further managing the spin at each wheel by applying the brakes when slip is detected. The suspension is MacPherson up front and ditches the semi-trailing arms for a torsion beam at the rear.

Both available engines improve on the previous 1.2-liter Fire that had 68 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque, with the new 1.3-liter, 75-hp MultiJet II diesel bettering torque by 30 percent and the 0.9-liter, 85-horsepower TwinAir Turbo raising that number by 40 percent. Both are fitted with start/stop.

The new Panda 4x4 has also got more colorful, with Toscana green metallic and Sicilia orange joining the exterior palette, and three-color seats placed inside. The cabin also gets more eco-leather detailing, remote central locking, rear headrests, a CD and MP3 player and more storage, since you never know what you'll find on those mule tracks.

When the it is introduced at the Paris Motor Show next month it will be joined by two more additions to the Panda line: the Trekking and Natural Power times. Trekking gives the front-wheel-drive Panda the look of the 4x4 and Fiat's Traction+ system that works off the electronic stability control programming to provide better grip. The Panda Natural Power uses the 0.9-liter TwinAir Turbo adapted to run on gasoline and methane. There's more info to feed your Panda fix in the press release below.

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Fiat previews new Panda 4x4 ahead of Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat unveils another special little Panda

Noah Joseph — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:07:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Fiat, Specialty

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Fiat Panda 4x4 Glam edition

You might think that Mercedes and McLaren have been busy churning out new editions of the SLR supercar like madmen (you know, aside from winning the world championship), but they're just taking a page out of the Fiat playbook. The Italian automaker has once again unveiled a new version of its diminutive Panda.

Called the Glam Edition, the special version starts with the Panda 4x4 and updates it with a new pearl white paint job complimented by aluminum roof rails and a new set of 15" alloys, but the Panda 4x4 Glam differentiates itself further inside with denim-style upholstery that should bridge the gap between the hip Diesel edition 500 and the maternal Panda Mammy. We've got more images in the gallery below, but something tells us this isn't one of those European hatchbacks we'll be pining for Stateside.

[Source: Fiat]

Fiat unveils another special little Panda originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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