Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but Fiat's not impressed. The Italian auto giant took Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors to task over their GWPeri, a virtual clone of Fiat's new Panda.
Certainly, the cars have their differences (notably in the front fascia and C-pillar treatments), but they do appear to be remarkably similar. So similar, in fact, that an Italian court ruled to block the GWPeri from European sale.
Claiming the GWPeri is simply a "Fiat Panda with a different front end," the court imposed a €15,000 ($23,761) fine for the first GWPeri to be imported. If Great Wall continues to ignore the court, it'll be penalized €50,000 ($79,198) for each GWPeri it sends to the European Economic Community.
Similar litigation, also filed by Fiat, is pending in Chinese courts. In the meantime, Great Wall says it plans to appeal the Italian judgment.
Source: Automotive News