It’s not often that you can bag a bargain on a brand-new model but Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is pleased to announce reductions of up to £61 a month on the all-new Fiat Panda.

Boasting a revamped style inspired by the original Panda of the 1980’s, the new Fiat Panda is smoother, sleeker and more distinctive than ever before, sporting an all-new Fiat ‘face’ along with the traditional Panda outline we’ve learnt to love.

Three new trim levels are available including the entry-level ‘Pop’ which features electric windows, central locking and power steering; the mid-spec ‘Easy’ which adds air conditioning, remote locking and an upgraded stereo; and the top-of-the-range ‘Lounge’ which boasts heated electric mirrors, front fog lights and 15’’ alloy wheels.

Changes have also been made under the bonnet with three engines are available from launch including two petrol units – a 68bhp 1.2-litre and 0.9 litre two-cylinder turbo 84bhp TwinAir – and a 74bhp 1.3-litre turbodiesel.

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is pleased to announce savings of up to £61 a month across the all-new Fiat Panda range.

Prices now start from just £123.95 + VAT a month for the Fiat Panda 1.2 Pop. Standard features on this model include:

• Radio/CD with MP3 Playback

• Body Colour Bumpers

• Electric Front Windows

• Cloth Upholstery

• Central Door Locking

To find out more about the Fiat Panda and to get an instant quotation on any model in the range, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

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Saturday May 5th sees the annual Italian Car Day return to the grounds of ‘the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit’ at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey.

Last year saw more than 2,000 Italian cars assemble on the grounds – with no less than 240 Ferraris – and this year looks like featuring even more.

Event organiser Phil Ward of GB Promotions says: “The greatest thing about the event is that it welcomes Italian car enthusiasts and owners, regardless of whether they own a famous historic racing car, the latest road-going Ferrari, a much-loved classic or the smallest, most affordable modern Fiat on the market. Anyone who turns up in an Italian car – or motorcycle – forms part of the display, rather than being merely a spectator.”

Last year, 5,000 visitors enjoyed the privilege of viewing some of the most stylish and classiest cars that have ever existed; something that is obviously to be expected from the country of style. Ferraris, Maseratis,  Lamborghinis, Abarth, Bizzarrini, De Tomaso, Innocenti, Moretti, Siata… and so many many more will be on show. The many Italian car club members will be showing off their cars with pride; buffed and bolstered ready for display with a beaming owner stood next to them or in the cockpit. And there’ll even be a few Italian brands that many will not have heard of (I’ll not spoil that surprise for you.)

“In addition to the vast displays of exotica and ‘obscurati’, there is always a good, solid turn-out of classic and modern Alfa Romeos, Fiats and Lancias, so no one need feel outshone when they turn up in their Italian pride and joy and park up with similar models,” adds Phil Ward.

And there’ll be the good and the great too, from Ferrari Enzo, F50, 288GTO and 275GTB, through to the ex-Rob Walker Ferrari 250 SWB that Sir Stirling Moss drove repeatedly to victory in his heyday!

And the fun isn’t just confined to walking around looking at the big, bold and beautiful. Although Brooklands has actually been closed for racing since 1939, there is still a spectacular museum there and a large area of the original banking that has survived since the halcyon pre-War racing times, and the ‘test hill’ and the Mercedes-Benz World test track will be used to run selected Italian cars during the day.

How the event has moved on since its inception in 1986 with 85 people and a champagne picnic back at Syon Park. Moving to Brooklands in 1996, it has become the UK’s largest gathering of Italian cars and the biggest event of the year to be held there.

“We remain true to our original aim of providing a real enthusiasts’ event, with a low entry price, to cater for everyone who owns – or simply admires – Italian cars and motorcycles,” concludes Phil.

Pre-booking and early arrival is advisable for fast-track entry and you can buy tickets from www.brooklandsmuseumshop.com or by ringing 01932 857381 Ext 268. Advance tickets are available until midday on Tuesday 1st May 2012 and are cheaper in advance. You can get a £32 family ticket (2 adults and 3 children aged 5-16) too!

Pardon the pun, but full (Italian) marques to the organisers.

Pandas aren’t the most reproductive of creatures, with the female having a 2-3 day reproductive cycle once a year, a gestation period of 95-160 days and one cub at a time. But thankfully Fiat are able to reproduce a lot quicker and a lot more than one at a time.

Launched and on sale from February this year, the new (third generation) Fiat Panda is bigger, roomier, safer and more fuel efficient than its predecessors. Europe’s best-selling supermini, it’s the latest version of a well loved car that’s become legendary for its use of space, compact dimensions, fun style and functionality ever since its original launch in 1980..

There is a rush to get a city car at the moment, seemingly for dads rather than mums, with mums grabbing the SUVs for the school run (but there’s always room for the advertisers’ favourite – the career girl) so having five doors and a flexible interior will obviously help. And can you guess what the new Fiat Panda has?

There are 3 engine sizes available – the 0.9-litre TwinAir Turbo, the 1.2-litre Fire EVO II and the 1.3-litre MultiJet 2 – all designed to give low carbon dioxide emissions, frugal fuel consumption and great performance.  The TwinAir Turbo and MultiJet come with Start&Stop (which switches the engine off when traffic requires the vehicle to stop, while keeping all functions such as lights, climate control and the sound system operating. When it’s time to move off again, releasing the brake pedal (Dualogic) or operating the clutch triggers the engine to fire up) and a Gear Shift Indicator (GSI), which suggests to the driver when to change gear in order to achieve the best economy.

Those all-important MPGs? 54.3 to 72.4, depending on the model. A City car certainly engine and performance-wise.

Later this year, the new Panda will become available with Fiat’s Dualogic Transmission. This is an automatic gearbox that can also be used as a manual. And because the software that tells the gearbox when to perform automatic changes is economy orientated, it saves fuel too.

It’s bigger than its predecessor; not so much that it loses its small car appeal, but enough to make it more comfortable to get passengers in the back and more boot space.

And don’t worry about safety. Up to 6 airbags (4 as standard), ABS anti-lock brakes, optional ESP (Electronic Stability Program), and an active anti-whiplash head restraint system will ensure that if anything were to happen, the threat of injury would be minimized. As an option, the new Low Speed Collision Mitigation system, which reads the road ahead and applies the brakes automatically if it detects an obstacle in the car’s path, is available.

Every Fiat now offers the Blue&Me connectivity system which allows owners to sync music players and mobile phones with the car, enabling hands-free control with either voice activation or steering wheel-mounted buttons, and the Panda has the latest Blue&Me TomTom2 LIVE as an option.

It wouldn’t be the Fiat Panda without silly names for its trim levels: they’ve even made sure of that little detail with Pop, Easy and Lounge.

Has all this sold it to you yet? Do you want to rush down and test drive one now?

Let me give you another reason to maybe at least consider it.

Teamed with Blue&Me is Fiat’s widely acclaimed eco:Drive system that enables users to download information about their driving to a USB stick. This can then be uploaded to their computer and by accessing Fiat’s eco:Drive website, acceleration, deceleration, gear shifts and speed are analysed to give drivers a personal eco:Index of between 1 and 100. The eco:Drivers then receive tips on how to improve their performance and can become part of the eco:Ville on-line community. This has so far enabled 64,000 users to save 4300 tonnes of CO2 by improving their driving styles.

And no doubt caused a heck of a lot of arguments to be settled in homes about who is the best driver too!

You know it is you. Don’t you?

The popular supermini sector gets some new competition this month as the all-new Fiat Panda hits UK showrooms.

Inspired by the original, functional Panda of the 1980’s, the all-new Fiat Panda has been revamped for 2012 boasting smoother edges, a sleeker upright tail and all-new Fiat ‘face’, without losing the basic Panda outline that we’ve learnt to love.

Under the bonnet, three engines are available from launch including two petrol units – a 68bhp 1.2-litre and 0.9 litre two-cylinder turbo 84bhp TwinAir – as well as a 74bhp 1.3-litre turbodiesel.

The Panda’s trim levels have also been simplified with three models available including the entry-level ‘Pop’ which features electric windows, central locking and power steering; the mid-spec ‘Easy’ which adds air conditioning, remote locking and an upgraded stereo; and the top-of-the-range ‘Lounge’ which boasts heated electric mirrors, front fog lights and 15’’ alloy wheels.

The all-new Fiat Panda has been added to the Nationwide Vehicle Contracts website with prices starting from £149.95 + VAT a month for the Fiat Panda 0.9 Twinair Pop. Standard features on this model include:

• Radio/CD with MP3 Playback

• Electric Front Windows

• Body Colour Bumpers

• Cloth Upholstery

• Central Door Locking

To find out more about the Fiat Panda and to get an instant quotation on any model in the range, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

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Based on the Fiat Ducato 35 Van 2.3 Litre 130 MultiJet II LWB HR (L3H2), but with a number of attractive additional features, the new special series Ducato Tecnico offers customers great value for money.

In fact, a lot of its standard equipment is normally available as extra cost options on other vans. And that’s not forgetting that the Ducato already has an already comprehensive normal standard specification.

The Tecnico throws in manual air conditioning, front foglights, Blue&Me with controls on the steering wheel, eco:Drive Professional software, TomTom predisposition on the dashboard, TomTom Live navigator, Start&Stop, special wheel trims and reverse parking sensors: all, as I said, as standard.

Cue ad with a strapline: so much more for your money as standard. (That’s not it; I was just speculating!)

Available in Tiziano Red and White and, for £100 extra, Metallic Aluminium Grey, the van comes with a comprehensive three-year warranty and roadside service package, made up of a two-year unlimited mileage manufacturer warranty, a third year dealer warranty with a mileage limit of up to 120,000 miles (60,000 miles on passenger variants registered for hire & reward usage) from the date of first registration, and three years’ AA assurance cover which includes Roadside Assistance, Home Start, Relay, Relay Plus & European cover.

No wonder Fiat Professional UK are proud parents. “In these times when customers are seeking out extra value in their purchasing decisions, the new special series Ducato Tecnico provides customers with great value for money and also with the perfect business van to meet their requirements,” says Sebastiano Fedrigo, Director of Fiat Professional UK.  Probably spoken with a beaming “That’s My Boy” smile.

And soon to come… The Tecnico special series will also become available on the Ducato 30 Van 2.3 litre 130 MultiJet II SWB (L1H1).

The award winning bit?

That’s a car thing, but still, it’s an award for Fiat.

It goes to the Fiat 500. A big seller since its UK launch in January 2008, now it has been named Used Car of the Year at the glittering AM Awards in Birmingham. And special mention was made of the speed at which 500s are sold on as used vehicles.

“Single handedly re-invigorating the Fiat brand since its introduction to the market in 2008, the popularity of the Fiat 500 has not waned, enjoying massive popularity on the used market,” says Jeremy Bennett, editor, AM. “Demand for the car is still strong, ensuring 500s only share brief encounters with dealer forecourts before being whisked away to customers looking for fun in a cute and funky little package.

“With part-exchange values at £4,500 to £5,500 after three years, depending on the model, the 500 depreciates extremely slowly for a small car.”

More smiles from Fiat Group Automobiles UK as they picked up the award, but thankfully not delivering an Oscar-winning speech. “Fiat 500 has been a wonderful success story for us over the last four years or so, both as a new buy and as a used car,” says Jonny Miller, group remarketing manager, Fiat Group Automobiles UK. “Its ‘must have’ looks, reliability, character and fuel efficiency, have all helped to ensure its residual values are kept high, which is good news for owners and dealers.”

From new van to old(er) cars, looks like Fiat are onto a winner all round.

After wowing visitors at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, the all-new Fiat Punto is finally available to lease with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts with prices starting from just £149.95 + VAT a month.

Featuring a revamped style with body coloured bumpers, updated dashboard inserts, new seat fabrics and a range of new exterior colours – most notably the bright Verde Lime bodywork with black roof – the new Fiat Punto offers more personalisation and choice than ever before, making its mark in the competitive supermini sector.

The MY 2012 Fiat Punto line up now comprises of three trim levels, Pop, Easy and Lounge, along with a new GBT trim which gains sports suspension, a rear spoiler and side skirts.

But it’s under the bonnet that the new Fiat Punto receives the most changes, with the introduction of a new two-cylinder TwinAir engine (as seen in the Fiat 500 city car), delivering 84bhp engine and emitting just 95g/km of CO2.

The all-new Fiat Punto is now available to lease with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts with prices starting from just £149.95 + VAT a month for the Fiat Punto 3 Door 1.2 8v Pop. Standard features on this model include:

• Automatic Start/Stop System

• MP3 Compatible Radio/CD Player

• Electric Front Windows

• Cloth Upholstery

• Body Colour Bumpers

To find out more about the all-new Fiat Punto range and to get an instant quotation on any model, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts today on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Like this deal? Join our mailing list to receive weekly emails with our latest car leasing offers straight to your inbox!

If you’re in the market for a sporty supermini, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 8V GP is in stock to lease from just £154.95 + VAT a month with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts.

Available in 3 or 5-door form, the Fiat Punto Evo is a great alternative to the Ford Fiesta or VW Polo and thanks to its fresh new look and hi-tech engine range, brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘hot hatch’.

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is pleased to offer savings of up to £26 a month on the Fiat Punto Evo with cars in stock for quick delivery.

Our cheapest deal is on the Fiat Punto Evo 3 Door 1.4 8V GP, available to lease from just £154.95 + VAT a month. A limited number of 5-door models are also available for quick delivery.

Standard features on the the Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 8V GP include:

• Air Conditioning

• Blue & Me System

• Cloth Upholstery

• Automatic Start/Stop System

• Leather Trimmed Steering Wheel

• 16″ Alloy Wheels

To find out more about the Fiat Punto Evo and to take advantage of these super stock savings, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts today on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Like this deal? Join our mailing list to receive weekly emails with our latest car leasing offers straight to your inbox!

There has never been a better time to bag a bargain on a new convertible and the quirky Fiat 500C is no exception.

Featuring everything you love about the Fiat 500 – the glamour, the style, the state-of-the-art technology – but with the added benefit of an electric soft top roof, it’s no surprise that the Fiat 500C is one of the hottest convertibles on the road.

The Fiat 500C is also pretty nippy under the bonnet with the 69bhp 1.2 engine delivering an average fuel consumption of 58.9 MPG and CO2 emissions of just 113 g/km.

You can now save up to a further £16 a month when you lease the Fiat 500C with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts.

One of our cheapest deals is on the Fiat 500C 1.2 Pop, available to lease from just £186.95 + VAT a month. Standard features on the above model include:

• Air Conditioning

• MP3 Compatible Radio/CD Player

• Electric Front Windows

• Remote Central Locking

• Black Electric Soft-Top Roof

To find out more about the Fiat 500C and to get an instant quotation on any model, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts today on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Like this deal? Join our mailing list to receive weekly emails with our latest car leasing offers straight to your inbox!

Don’t miss out on Nationwide Vehicle Contracts super-hot offer on the super-hot Fiat Arbarth 500 with savings of up to £60 a month and prices starting from just £209.95 + VAT a month.

Forget the cute little image you have of the Fiat 500 – Abarth has taken iconic supermini and has injected some legendary Arbarth venom, turning the Fiat Arbarth 500 into a super-hot beast worthy of the UK roads.

The major changes start under the bonnet where the turbocharged 1.4-litre 16 valve T-Jet produces an impressive 135bhp.

Most of the mechanics on the car have also been uprated, with the addition of a roll bar at the rear, stiffer springs and dampers, Brembo disc brakes all round, ride height lowered by around 15mm and stickier rubber on either funky 16- or 17-inch rims.

But it’s not just the powertrain that has been given the Abarth treatment – the 500 has been completely rebranded and restyled, with all the Fiat badges chucked out and replaced by the iconic Abarth scorpion.

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has a special hot offer available on the Fiat Arbarth 500 with savings of up to £60 a month on selected models.

Our best deal is on the Fiat Arbarth 500 1.4 16v T-Jet 3 Dr, available to lease from just £209.95 + VAT a month. Standard features on this striking supermini include:

• Blue & Me with USB Port
• Hi-Fi System with 100W Subwoofer
• Front Fog Lights
• Air Conditioning
• Sports Leather Steering Wheel with Audio Commands
• 16″ Alloy Wheels

To find out more about the Fiat Arbarth 500, simply follow the above links or call Nationwide Vehicle Contracts on 0844 482 9595.

Prices based on a 4 year contract and excludes VAT, initial payment and processing fee. Limited Stock Available. Terms & Conditions Apply.

During a recent performance of Papi at the 2011 American Music Awards (AMAs) in Los Angeles, Jennifer Lopez shared a stage with the new Fiat 500.

This proud synergy of music and motor was the culmination of a collaboration between J-Lo and Fiat which was announced earlier this year. The collaboration included a placement of the new Fiat 500C in her new music video – Papi – as well as in a 30 second trailer of the video. In addition, the singer also appears in two commercials for the Fiat entitled – for adverts do have titles – My World and Elegance. One features the Fiat 500C, the other a custom Fiat 500 by Gucci.

Cool.

I suppose it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Fiat get “street cred” through association with a luminary of modern toss whereas J-Lo, presumably, will finally be able to afford that gold-plated wainscot she’s wanted ever since she was Jenny from the block.

“The Fiat brand is honoured to share the stage with Jennifer Lopez at the 2011 American Music Awards. Her drive and determination is the common thread that is shared with the brand and our philosophy of Life is Best When Driven”, says Olivier Francois, CEO of the Fiat brand.

“This appearance allows us to continue to expose the Fiat 500 to a wide demographic. These past few days have been momentous for Fiat as we have recently revealed the new Abarth 500 at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.”

More on that as and when.

You can watch J-Lo’s performance at the 2011 American Music Awards – as well as the special commercials – on Fiat’s US Facebook page.