In this country, Fiat is offering to replace undelivered Fiat 500s with Fiat Grande Pandas.

In Algeria, the industrial transition initiated by Fiat and Stellantis takes a surprising turn for thousands of customers. While some orders for Fiat 500s, whose local production has been halted, have never been honored, an unexpected solution has just been officially confirmed: these undelivered vehicles can be replaced by the new Fiat Grande Panda, produced locally at Tafraoui, near Oran.

This information has been confirmed by the El Baraka Algérie bank, Stellantis El Djazaïr's partner in car financing. When asked about the fate of Fiat 500 orders placed via bank credit but still awaiting delivery, the bank cleared up any ambiguity: these files will automatically be switched to the Fiat Grande Panda, due to go on sale next February. This solution only concerns customers who have already begun the financing process. It aims to avoid outright cancellations, while enabling Stellantis to maintain commercial continuity.

A transfer subject to customer agreement

Contrary to what one might imagine, the model changeover will not be unconditional. Each customer concerned will have to be contacted individually to give his or her explicit agreement to replace the Fiat 500 with a Grande Panda. Another key point remains to be clarified: the price. The Fiat Grande Panda will be sold at a higher price than the Fiat 500, which has been assembled in Algeria until now. Customers will have the choice of accepting the new financial conditions or opting out.

Confirmation of a transition already announced

This announcement did not come out of the blue. Last autumn, Stellantis made it official phasing out of Fiat 500 production at the Tafraoui plant. More than 50,000 vehicles had been assembled there since December 2023, mostly Fiat 500 hybrids for the local market. But the model had reached the end of its life cycle. The 500 produced in Algeria no longer matched the Group's medium-term ambitions. The Grande Panda, which will also be produced locally, was the natural replacement. It now remains to be seen how the Algerian public will welcome this new model, destined to become the face of Fiat in the country for years to come.