Fiat leads the way with Panda Waze
June 22, 2018
When the most popular model in the Fiat range meets the world’s most social navigation system, the result is the Panda Waze. This technological integration seeks to use the smartest solutions to simplify and improve life at the wheel, while being affordable for all.
The new Panda Waze special series is the first city car in the segment to integrate the popular Waze navigation app with the Panda Uconnect app, allowing them to be used simultaneously, switching between the functionality with just a touch on a smartphone display. Developed by Mopar, FCA’s after-sales products and service provider, this integration allows drivers to focus on driving and still safely enjoy a vast array of complementary services.
The new Panda Waze is a meeting of two vast communities: the 7.5million Fiat Panda owners, who have chosen the car since its launch in 1980, and more than 100million connected Waze users worldwide, who actively collaborate by sharing real-time traffic information for the smartest possible travel.
Waze is the navigation app that lets drivers avoid jams and save time during the daily commute and beyond. Millions of motorists, united in a vast community, cooperate every day to report traffic conditions in real time – enabling the Waze navigation app to find the best routes. The app recommends the fastest route based on data provided in real time, by more than 100 million people. From traffic information to details of petrol stations with the lowest prices, Waze is a reliable travelling companion for surviving the daily urban adventure.
Waze navigation is integrated in the Panda Uconnect app – available on both Android and iOS platforms – which allows the driver’s telephone to be used as an extension of the car, interacting directly with the device display to access all infotainment functions: switching radio stations, selecting playlists, adjusting the volume, managing calls and texts, and checking your diary or the weather in real time.
The Panda Uconnect app talks to the on-board infotainment system, which includes Bluetooth 2.1 technology, audio streaming and the voice recognition function and handles data reading via USB and MP3.
The Panda Waze integration allows the apps to be used simultaneously: with Panda Uconnect on the smartphone, Waze navigation appears in a box on the screen, with route instructions and the estimated time left to destination. The reverse is also possible, with the Waze app in the foreground and Panda Uconnect as an icon on the screen. If fuel is running out or low tyre pressure is detected, an alert will appear on the smartphone display and the user can decide to select one of the best-priced petrol stations or choose from the nearest workshops offered by the Waze app; just select the destination of choice and Waze will suggest the best route for getting there.
The Panda Uconnect app also features the My Car functionality for checking the car’s parameters, including scheduled services, consulting the owner handbook, as well as direct calls to Fiat Customer Care. Drivers can also set an Object Reminder function to prompt them not to leave things in the car when getting out.
The new Panda Waze features the Cross look and will appeal to anyone who wants their car to provide maximum connectivity and a distinctive style, at an affordable price.
On the outside, the Panda Waze is identified by the Waze logo below the A pillar, while its urban, dynamic personality is also underlined by black side mouldings, mirror caps, roof bars and door handles. Externally, the look is completed by 15-inch wheels with black covers.
The same youthful, dynamic imprint is found on the inside, where the new seat upholstery complements the new titanium grey dashboard. Bluetooth radio, dashboard smartphone holder, steering wheel controls, manual air conditioning, six airbags, ESC with Hill Holder, tyre pressure sensor, remote central locking, body coloured bumpers, front head restraints with whiplash prevention system and adjustable height steering wheel are all included as standard.
The Panda Waze, which will be in Fiat dealerships from August, is available exclusively with the 1.2-litre 69hp petrol engine.