The new Panda
incorporates technology that would normally be found in
bigger cars and with its accessibly both in terms of its
price and its running costs, Fiat hopes it can be a
family's "main car" especially in such uncertain
economic times.
Specifically the new Panda offers technological
solutions which are straightforward to use and satisfy
both the concrete needs of everyday mobility as well as
the growing social awareness of the environment and
safety issues. These include Start&Stop, Gear Shift
Indicator (GSI), ecoDrive and the ECO mode of the
TwinAir engines. These acronyms are now part of the
standard terminology that Fiat has contributed to create
and develop and which are now grouped together in "Air
Technologies". Aside from these standard features, the
new Fiat is also equipped with two highly valuable
devices which buyers would only expect to find on cars
from superior segments, namely: "Low Speed Collision
Mitigation" and "Blue&Me TomTom 2 LIVE".
As confirmation of the protective spirit of the new
Panda, "Low Speed Collision Mitigation" will be
available upon request by the end of the new car's first
year. It is an innovative braking system which detects
obstacles in the vicinity - at speeds of less than 30
km/h - and brakes automatically.
The small Fiat also proves confident in its natural
habitat: the city. This is obviously thanks to its
compact size, to the range of engines and to the
suspension layout, in addition to devices which change
life on board a car. These include the Dualdrive
electric power steering with "City" function fitted as
standard which lightens steering and proves ideal in the
city and for parking manoeuvres.
In addition to its lively spirit, a true "city car" also
needs to afford low fuel consumption and to respect the
environment. In this context, the new Panda is
unrivalled, owing to the implementation of a large
number of systems designed to increase the vehicle's
dynamic efficiency: from Start&Stop to the Gear Shift
Indicator (GSI), ecoDrive and the ECO mode of the
TwinAir engines. Technical words which are now part of
the standard terminology that Fiat has contributed to
create and develop and which are now grouped together in
"Air Technologies", the new brand that identifies the
low environmental impact technologies which team
eco-friendliness with driving satisfaction.
Communicating and travelling: this is what the new Panda
promises and delivers thanks to the multi-award-winning
platform, Blue&Me in its latest version, the "Blue&Me
TomTom 2 LIVE", which teams the benefits of a built-in
live infotainment system with those of a portable
navigation system.
So, with the new Panda, Fiat aims to raise the stakes
further to prove that it is leading the technological
evolution of the super-compact segment, where a large
part of history carries its name: from the first 600 to
the 500, from the 126 to the first Panda, from the
Cinquecento to the Seicento, from the second generation
Panda (2003) to the new 500 launched in 2007.
Panda is protective
LSCM (Low Speed Collision
Mitigation)
The "Low Speed Collision Mitigation" system entails
innovative active safety contents capable of recognising
obstacles in front of the car and of braking
automatically when the driver fails to avoid them.
Depending on certain parameters (road surface
conditions, dynamics and trajectory of the vehicles,
position of the obstacles and condition of the tyres),
the intervention of the LSCM system can avoid impact
completely ("Collision Avoidance") or minimise the
consequences of a possible impact ("Collision
Mitigation").
The sophisticated device of the new Panda offers two
additional functions: Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
and Prefill. The former, while respecting the driver's
wishes and leaving full control of the car in his/her
hands, is triggered by emergency braking after carefully
assessing the position and speed of the obstacles, the
speed of the vehicle (below 30 km/h), lateral
acceleration, the steering angle and pressure on the
accelerator pedal and its variation. The Prefill
function, on the other hand, prefills the braking system
in order to allow prompter response both when the
Automatic Emergency Braking system is triggered as well
as when the driver brakes.
In detail, the system consists of a laser sensor fitted
in the windscreen, a user interface and a control unit
which communicates with the ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) system. Based on the same principle as those
used in astronomy to measure distances between
satellites, the laser sensor detects the presence of
obstacles in front of the vehicle when certain alignment
conditions be present: the overlapping of the car and
obstacle must be more than 40% than the width of the
vehicle while the angle of impact must be less than 30°.
The control unit of the LSCM system is designed to
activate automatic braking, following a request by the
laser sensor, in addition to being designed to request a
reduction in the torque towards the engine control unit
if the accelerator pedal has not been released. Lastly,
the control unit keeps the car braked for 2 seconds
after stopping, to allow the driver to resume normal
driving safely. The goal of the LSCM system is to
guarantee maximum safety in all conditions of use, so in
certain conditions (unfastened seatbelts, temperatures
of ≤3°C, reversing), different triggering logics are
activated.
Panda is respectful
Start&Stop
All TwinAir petrol engines and the 75 HP 1.3 MultiJet II
offer the Start&Stop device as standard. It switches the
engine off temporarily and then restarts it in order to
reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Specially
designed for driving in the city, the system
automatically switches off the engine when traffic
conditions require the vehicle to stop (red lights,
tailbacks and temporary stops, for example), keeping all
of the functions that guarantee comfort and safety on
board active (lights, climate control system, radio and
windscreen wipers). Switching off the engine when the
car is stopped prevents consuming fuel needlessly (up to
-15% over an urban cycle), reduces emissions and
improves acoustic comfort. The device can be
activated/deactivated using the button on the dashboard.
Gear Shift Indicator (GSI)
The Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) device is a genuine
"co-pilot" which discreetly suggests to the driver the
best time to change gear in order to minimise fuel
consumption. For example, the GSI may suggest shifting
up, by means of an indication on the control panel, to
allow the engine to run at a lower speed or to downshift
to make best use of the available torque.
"ECO" mode
To underscore the eco-compatibility qualities of the
revolutionary 85 HP 0.9 TwinAir Turbo engine, cars which
are equipped with this afford the opportunity to select
an ecological operating mode by pressing an "ECO" button
on the dashboard. This selection consists in a specific
mapping which, by reducing the torque by 45 Nm (from 145
to 100 Nm), allows a less high-performance drive which
focuses on minimising consumption (in addition, the
invitations by the Gear Shift indicator to switch to a
higher gear are multiplied).
eco:Drive
The eco:Drive system is an easy to use "zero cost"
solution that supports the driver in improving his or
her driving efficiency and reduces fuel consumption and
emissions. Indeed, eco:Drive is the first and only
system able to offer drivers customised tips based on
their driving style.
Using the eco:Drive application, available for download
free of charge on the Fiat website teamed with the
Blue&Me system, users can collect their driving
information and store them on a USB storage device. When
the USB storage device is inserted into their PC, the
eco:Drive system sends the data to the Fiat server,
which processes it to measure driving efficiency based
on four parameters: acceleration, deceleration, gear
shifts and speed. The scores allocated for each of these
four areas contribute to the definition of the eco:Index
that summarises driving quality with a score from 1 to
100. eco:Drivers receive personalised tips on how to
improve their performance in each area and consequently
their eco:Index. They can follow their progress in time,
set goals and check their savings through an application
on their own PC.
All eco:Drive users are part of eco:Ville, an on-line
community that receives data on all the savings made
through the commitment of eco:Drivers. To date,
approximately 64,000 users have saved a total of 4,300
tonnes of CO2 by improving the efficiency of their
personal driving styles.
Available on a broad range of Fiat Group Automobiles
cars and commercial vehicles, the software offers
specific features to evaluate savings associated with
the use of Start&Stop technology and CNG. In addition,
eco:Drive Fleet is also available, a dedicated fleet
version that allows companies and fleet managers to
control fuel consumption and CO2 emissions - and
consequently costs - for their company fleet. With
eco:Drive, Fiat therefore set out to think not only of
its own products but also its own users by encouraging
them to help reduce automotive transport-related
emissions.
Panda is confident
Dualdrive electric power steering system
with "city" button
The new Panda offers Dualdrive - the electric power
steering system featuring two user-selected operating
logics - as standard on the entire range. Electric power
steering makes it possible to adapt the steering
response to the car's speed: the faster you drive, the
more assistance is reduced and the effort on the
steering wheel increases, thereby guaranteeing a more
accurate drive.
Another innovation amid
the electric power steering devices, the system fitted
on the new Panda offers customers an extra opportunity:
to choose between two different calibration programs.
The former assures maximum feeling between driver and
car, and is therefore ideal on mixed extra-urban roads.
The latter, which is selected by pressing the "City"
button in the middle of the dashboard, lightens steering
and is ideal for city driving and parking manoeuvres. To
guarantee maximum customer safety even when driving on
roads at high speed with the "City" device enabled,
above 35 km/h, the two programmes have the same degree
of power assistance and therefore ensure a steering
wheel "response" which is appropriate for high speeds.
Panda is ingenious
Granted many prestigious
international awards, the Blue&MeTM system is the most
popular infotainment device, as demonstrated by the more
than two million units sold world-wide. The new Panda
will feature both the first level Blue&MeTM (including
hands-free with Bluetooth interface and sophisticated
voice recognition, USB Port, MP3 player and SMS
interpreter) as well as the latest development of the
device, "Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE" - upon request.
All the strong points of the
Blue&Me system
Blue&Me is the result of the collaboration between Fiat
Group Automobiles and Microsoft. The partnership signed
in July 2004, with the long term aim of designing
innovative telematic systems for cars, has given rise to
a product that is now established in the market - with 2
million devices sold - that makes use of technology that
is fully integrated in perfect harmony with the user as
the name suggests.
Based on Windows Mobile for Automotive, the device is
based on an open, constantly developing system that can
be updated and whose contents are flexible and can be
modulated. In fact, Fiat Group Automobiles and
Microsoft, with the support of Magneti Marelli, offer a
platform that can be upgraded for most mobile phones,
music players or other personal devices, with the
enormous benefit of the possibility of being constantly
able to follow market innovations and maintain perfect
integration with the car. All at an affordable price, in
completely safety and in accordance with traffic laws.
Blue&Me is an innovative electronic module which allows
pairing of up to 5 mobile phones featuring Bluetooth
that are within the system's operating range
(approximately 5 metres) with the car. The interaction
methods with the system make use of the microphone in
the roof light, the controls on the steering wheel and
the monochromatic display in the control panel.
Blue&Me guarantees maximum safety and is simple to use.
The voice command system, its full integration with the
controls on the steering wheel and with the information
in the instrument display allow the customer, with a
Bluetooth® mobile phone, to use it even if it is in
their jacket pocket or their handbag, without ever
having to take their hands off the steering wheel. Not
to mention that the highly developed voice recognition
system allows immediate interaction because no voice
learning stage is required and incoming text messages
can also be interpreted.
By connecting a digital device to the USB port or
AUX-IN, featured in the tunnel, it is possible to listen
to digital music in MP3, WMA, AAC and WAV format,
recorded on digital audio players and/or USB devices.
This system makes the
following functions available to the customer in an
efficient and intuitive way: use of their own mobile
phone in hands-free mode, without having to use the
phone itself, which can stay in a pocket or in a bag in
the boot (calling names in the phonebook using voice
control with independent user recognition); Transfer of
their phonebook to Blue&Me in the car and reading it
through the display in the control panel; Interaction
with the display using the steering wheel controls to
manage numbers called, incoming calls, incoming text
messages, refuse call, redial last number called, etc.;
Listening to a music collection stored on a USB device,
media player and last generation Apple devices, in the
most common formats (MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC). The
information about the tracks being played is available
on the on-board radio.
"Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE"
To drive in city traffic the new Panda offers the
"Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE" device that combines the
advantages of an infotainment system which is integrated
and connected to the net with those of a portable
navigator, opening the doors to connectivity.
"Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE" allows Panda customers to use
mobile phones and media players in total safety without
ever removing their hands from the steering wheel, and
provides an absolutely unique and distinctive navigation
experience, built into the dashboard and offering the
most accurate traffic information updated in real time
and real time feedback on driving style.
The default position for this PND (Portable Navigation
Device) is in the middle of the dashboard and allows the
safe installation of the specific support, in addition
to guaranteeing power to the navigation device without
external wiring. In addition, in terms of Bluetooth
connectivity, thanks to Blue&Me, phone, media player and
car information can be displayed and controlled on the
navigation device's touch screen.
"Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE" is at the cutting edge when
compared to the latest portable navigation devices
available on the market: Capacitive 4.3" HD touchscreen
display with iPhone-type HMI; Detailed maps: 45 European
countries; Best route definition: helps you choose the
best route by analysing traffic conditions collected on
a 24h statistical basis.
"Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE" is designed to receive the
information about the car, detected through connection
with the on-board network and then to provide real time
information about car use and that of the devices
connected to it: Trip computer, Fiat-customised points
of interest, phonebook display, Media Player and
eco:Drive.
"Blue&Me TomTom2", in those countries where the service
is available, also offers LIVE services in real time
featured in the latest generation TomTom portable
navigation devices: Speed camera: mobile speed camera
locations, including reports by other users, fixed
mobile camera locations and Tutor camera locations along
the trip. It helps you achieve a safe and relaxed
driving experience, while saving money; Google: local
points of interest updated by Google Local Search: to
find anything, from restaurants to flower shops. Just
type in a key word; it finds corresponding points and
allows the device to show you how to get there; Weather:
current weather forecasts and over the next five days,
making planning your trip possible according to the most
recent forecasts; TomTom HD Traffic: detailed traffic
information, queues, road blocks and works in progress
updated every 2 minutes, suggesting alternative routes
for your trip. Traffic information is collected also
using info from mobile phones and TomTom navigation
devices present along the route, reprocessed by the
TomTom station; Cost: The "Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE" device
is supplied with a year of free Live services, including
roaming and data traffic. From the second year, the
services are available for purchase from TomTom Home.
"Blue&Me TomTom2" is available in two versions (LIVE and
NON-LIVE): depending on the availability of the service
in the Country of purchase. Customers can purchase the
device only through Fiat dealers in their country of
residence. Compared with the after-market services
available in most chain stores, the "Blue&Me TomTom2
LIVE" solution offered by Fiat presents a considerable
advantage for customers in addition to the integration
with the Blue&Me hands-free system and with the car's
electronics. Lastly, "Blue&Me TomTom2" can be upgraded
by linking it to your PC with the USB cable and visiting
the My TomTom section on the website.
