Fiat to move Panda production to Poland - media

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is considering shifting manufacturing of its Panda city car to Poland, media reported. The company wants to move total Panda production to Poland where labor costs are cheaper and in turn increase the production of upscale models in its Italian factories. Panda is mostly manufactured in Pomigliano near Naples. Fiat wants to free-up the factory manufacturing capacities in order to start producing Alfa Romeo brand cars, which benefits strongly from its “Made in Italy” label. The final decision will depend n sales figures. Shifting the Panda to Poland would be Fiat’s latest move of a mass-market car to a cheaper production site outside western Europe. The Tipo sedan and hatchback are built by a joint venture in Turkey, while the 500 is made in Poland and the larger 500L variant in Serbia. Fiat owns two factories in Poland, in Tychy and in Bielsko-Biała.