New Fiat Panda and Tipo Garmin Editions mapped out

• Each buyer gets a Garmin smartwatch
• Exclusive Foresta Green paintwork
• New 1.5-litre mild-hybrid engine for Tipo

Fiat is no stranger to collaborations with other brands; recent examples include the yacht builder, Riva, the AIDS charity (RED), and even Gucci. However, the brand’s latest partnership aims to be a tad more adventurous, as it has teamed up with tech company Garmin to debut the lifestyle-oriented Fiat Panda and Tipo Garmin Editions.

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The Italian manufacturer is yet to announce pricing for these new special editions of the Panda and Tipo; however, we expect the new Garmin Edition cars to cost around the same as the similarly limited-production (RED) models – £15,765 and £23,605 respectively.

Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the Garmin Edition cars is their exclusive Foresta Green paintwork. This earthy tone is contrasted with light grey trim pieces and bright orange accents along the cars’ bumpers and rubbing strips. Both models also receive splashes of orange in the interior, including for the pinstriping on the upholstery. Of course, there are also plenty of model-specific ‘Garmin’ badges scattered around each car to inform the unwitting passerby what they are looking at.

While it is common to expect a gift of a bunch of flowers or a tank of fuel when you take delivery of a new car, the new Fiat Garmin Editions take things a step further as each owner will receive their own Garmin smartwatch. This digital timepiece boasts a claimed battery life of up-to six days and can act as a pedometer, a heart rate monitor and even a GPS.

The Fiat Tipo Garmin Edition introduces a new engine into the range: the previously-announced ‘Firefly’ 1.5-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid unit. This produces 128bhp and is significantly punchier than the 99bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder that is currently used in the rest of the Tipo lineup.

As you’d expect from a new special edition model, there is plenty of standard equipment.  This list includes black 17-inch alloy wheels, LED front and rear lights, plus a seven-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster. Buyers that are not taken by the car’s featured green paint also have the choice of four other shades: Gelato White, Colosseo Grey, Maestro Grey and Cinema Black.

Just like other models in the Fiat Panda range, the Garmin Edition of the rugged city car uses a frugal 69bhp mild-hybrid engine. Although 0-62mph takes a tedious 14.7 seconds, the tiny engine should feel peppy enough on tight city streets and is inexpensive to run.

Standard equipment for the Fiat Panda Garmin Edition includes 15-inch matte black alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning, and a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. 

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