Production of the stylish...
Production of the stylish family car has now begun at the blue oval"s Genk factory in Belgium. Incredibly, the four-door saloon, five-door hatch and load-lugging estate variants are all built on the same busy production line - alongside the Ford S-MAX people carrier and Galaxy MPV.
The impact research...
The impact research, conducted using the three-door model, even saw the newcomer awarded an impressive three stars for pedestrian protection. Also on the firm"s stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show was a new variant of the Panda 4x4. It features the 70bhp 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine, which promises improved performance and economy. The model currently comes with a 1.2 petrol unit only, but the oil-burner could arrive early next year.
A facelifted Idea compact-MPV was unveiled, too. It has revised headlamps and a new front grille. A 90bhp version of the 1.3 diesel and leather trim are available for the first time. Page 35: Grande Punto diesel first drive