Since its commercial launch in early 2025, the Fiat Grande Panda is accumulating all the signs of a popular success: over 15,000 orders in just a few weeks, with an appealing neo-retro style and attractive prices. But on the production side, the Stellantis still stalling. The latest twist: an administrative error forced forty Italian workers to pack up and leave Serbia in a hurry.
Reinforcements sent in to keep pace
Remember: last April, faced with a shortage of local workers at its Serbian plant in Kragujevac, Stellantis began seconding dozens of Italian workers from its sites in Melfi, Modena and Atessa. The aim was to support the local workforce and reach the production rate of 500 vehicles per day by spring.
But the reality is quite different. Despite these reinforcements, output is still plateauing at around 150 to 180 units a day, far short of the initial target, even though the manufacturer recently planned to open a third shift to try and keep up with demand.
When bureaucracy sabotages production
Just as the factory was beginning to find its feet, an unexpected grain of sand came into play: a blunder in visa management. According to Milano Finanza, some forty workers from Melfi, who had been seconded to Serbia for several weeks, were forced to rush back to Italy. The reason? Administrative errors that prevented the issuance of long-term residence permits. Once they had passed the legal 90-day deadline without a suitable residence permit, these workers risked becoming... illegal.
As one of the workers put it: "Catastrophic organization... nothing was clear: passports, deadlines, documentation... We found out almost overnight that we had to return". Most of them had even rented apartments on site, and now find themselves paying an extra month's rent for nothing.
A blow for Stellantis
Stellantis confirmed the administrative hiccup, citing a "resolvable bureaucratic problem". But the damage is done. Not only were these workers among the first to be seconded, and therefore the most experienced to train the local workforce, but their hasty departure comes at a time when the plant is still struggling with delivery delays, especially for hybrid versions.
The calendar gets even darker as the summer vacations approach: the Kragujevac plant will close its doors from August 2 to 17. Some are hoping for a return of Italian workers after this forced truce, but nothing is guaranteed.
Popularity on the skids
All this casts a shadow over the Grande Panda wager. Presented as FiatIt was supposed to relaunch the brand in Europe thanks to a simple formula: good equipment/price ratio, attractive looks and large-scale production. But without a sustained rate of production, the promise of a popular Fiat accessible to all was crumbling day by day.
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its hard to believe how badly managed Stellantis is. For a car as vital as the Grande Panda to still not be in full production is absolutely unforgivable. In Ireland it was supposed to arrive in May, now pushed out to this month, but we can only hope at this stage.
Bald ist es soweit, Fiat wird in den kommenden Monaten als Marktführer in Italien abgelöst! Toyota ist knapp auf Platz 2. Wie unfähig ist man bei Stellantis dass man nichts mehr auf die Beine stellt. Traurig. Der Markt ist vorhanden, aber keine passenden Produkte.
A farce. Production lines must be opened in Italy as a matter of urgency, even with the lead times involved. As we've seen since the collapse of a railway station, there's nothing currently working in Serbia.
What a joke. And meanwhile, factories in Italy have been underproduction for years...
What's more, this plant was supposed to be used as a back-up for the production of the Citroën C3, and the incompetence of Stellantis' management is going to require Filosa to slam its fist down on the table, because the more it advances, the more it regresses, which is a disgrace for this global giant.
I almost want to say... well done! I hope good lessons will be learned!!! To want to run after the profit at all costs, here is how one sabotages a car which would have all its chances! All the more so as, in the meantime, Italian factories are idling!
Es wird viele bisher zufriedene Fiat-Panda - Fahrer wirklich freuen, wenn der Neue "Grande Panda" in höheren
Stückzahlen am Markt auftaucht.
Auch die Hybridversion erscheint vielversprechend. In jedem Fall ist der Grande Panda ein liebenswürdiges
Auto mit interessantem Styling und mit einem Interieur, welches Funktionalität, Witz und Charme zeigt!
Solche Autos in moderater Preisregion
braucht der Markt heute wieder und gerade die Marke FIAT ist am Kleinwagensektor kompetent wie kaum jemand Anderer. Auch die lange Tradition spüren Interessenten in jedem Fahrzeug. Viel Erfolg und baldige höhere Produktionszahlen!
How bad they are. In every stage, from management to production. From marketing to salers. From strategy to customers, this company (Stellantis) is out of the game.
Wahouhhh! Europe is beautiful! The Italian government, which must be understandably furious, must quickly regain full control of Fiat!
Italy in full boom and industrial success in all branches will surely react!!!
Merci Thank you merci a vous et à Tous
I wanted to try a Grande Panda before ordering it, but it's impossible !!!!
So I went for the cheaper and better-equipped MG3!