Vučić in Kragujevac: Dreams fulfilled, 2,000 people will work here VIDEO

During the tour, the President of Serbia asked how fast the new panda can go, and received the answer that the maximum speed is 150 kilometers per hour. Vučić then got into a new car and drove off.

"Even I had enough room inside," said Vucic when he came out.

"Our dream has come true," said Vučić, looking around the new vehicle. He pointed out that this is a big day for Kragujevac, Šumadija and the whole of Serbia, and that it is very important for the growth of Serbia's GDP.

"I'm almost certain that it will be a very successful model, I don't know why, I'm not an expert, but I feel it," added Vučić.

The ceremony in Kragujevac is attended by the highest representatives of the Stellantis company.

"Fiat came here in 1950 and we have an obligation to continue investing here. Stellantis has done what it said it would do. We have reached the start of production of the grande panda," said Carlos Tavares, Chief Executive Officer of Stellantis.

"We are preparing for a future model, because if this model doesn't do a good job, we won't have the next model on the market, and we want to always have hardworking workers here making cars. The workers here know that they have a secure job if they are hardworking and diligent. No, you cannot live and have a decent salary without hard work. That's why this is our fight for the next fiat," explained Vučić.

"Take domestic cars, what is made in Serbia, in Kragujevac, that also applies to the Government of Serbia. 2,000 people will work here, with families, that means 7,000 people will depend on this," he emphasized.

"We are late in installing electric chargers at the stations. Because in 5 years there will be nothing but electric cars in Europe. This is a huge opportunity for us, we are the only one in the region that has an e-car factory," said the President of Serbia.

"Serbia gave subsidies of 48 million euros so that you would have a job here. But that's why Serbia will have a GDP growth of 0.5 percent from this alone. They will create the conditions for a 2% higher salary for all of us. I say this only so that you understand the importance of this factory to us", he pointed out.

"The state has done everything it could to keep Stellantis here, because that will attract other investors," added Vučić.

"We are returning Kragujevac to the big industrial doors. Long live Kragujevac, long live Serbia", Vučić concluded his presentation at the ceremony on the occasion of the new model.

On Fiat Grande Panda

TANJUG/ RADE PRELIĆ

The new model is made in two versions - electric and hybrid, and from Kragujevac it will arrive first in Europe, then in the Middle East and Africa.

The "panda" from Kragujevac belongs to the B segment cars under four meters in length and is the first in a series of models of a new family that will launch a new model every year until 2027.

At the celebration of 125 years since the creation of the Italian car manufacturer Fiat in Turin, on July 11, the new model "Fiat grande panda", inspired by the model from the 1980s, was officially presented, which will be produced at the Stellantis factory in Kragujevac, Serbia, both as electric and as hybrid, the company announced earlier.

As stated, "Fiat grande panda" marks the return of the Fiat brand to the global market, and the new car has been developed on the basis of three key pillars: Italian design, global platform and local relevance.

The announcement states that sustainability, inclusivity, simplicity and beauty are the values ​​that brought this project to life, while the design was inspired by the iconic "panda" from the eighties of the last century, the "blue ladies" of the automotive industry, as a car that is socially acceptable for everyone.

The price of the "fiat grande panda" model, as stated, starts below 25,000 euros for the fully electric version. Thus, the basic model with electric drive, as stated by some specialized domestic media for motoring, could cost around 18,000 euros in our country, with announced state subsidies for the domestic model of 7,000 euros.