Fiat is going to be halting production of its Panda SUV as well after halting the production of 500e a due to poor sales. Well, we are not really sure if it is due to poor sales. The Panda was doing quite well actually at the start of the year but it looks like Stellantis is having a tough time making things work out for them.
Fiat will pause work at the Pomigliano d’Aco, Pratola, Serra and Termoli plants starting from November 11, 2024 and this pause in work might extend to weeks. The CEO, Oliver Francois cites the reason for the halt in production due to “tough market conditions”.
The Panda has actually not been that bad of a sell for Fiat. Even though the car came back in 2011 and Fiat plans to run this model till 2027. This year, there was a 21% growth in sales year-over-year and the production was increased by 20% to meet demand.
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Stellantis says that they are facing “path requiring difficult choices and offering no easy solutions”. Earlier, they halted the production of the 500e due to poor sales. The EV market has come crashing down and the development and productions costs of EVs are eating manufacturers up. Fiat will come with a better hybrid version sometime next year to meet the demand for ICE vehicles.
Fiat is also struggling with their ageing lineup in the European market. There are not many new cars on sale. The Panda is nearly 13 years old and with the 500e production stopped there is only the Grande Panda and the 600 which are relatively new to the market.
Stellantis is not only struggling in Europe but also in America and other major markets as well. Even in India, their growth has not been the best and they have been struggling with their sales due to age old products and no new vision for the country in sight.
