▁generation . ▁In ▁its ▁development ▁phase , ▁the ▁P anda ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁called ▁" G ingo ", ▁but ▁Ren ault ▁object ed ▁because ▁it ▁sound ed ▁too ▁close ▁to ▁their ▁Tw ingo . ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁generation ▁replaced ▁the ▁old ▁P anda ▁after ▁ 2 3 ▁years ▁of ▁production . ▁Like ▁the ▁smaller ▁F iat ▁Se ic ento , ▁the ▁P anda ▁was ▁manufact ured ▁only ▁in ▁T ych y , ▁Poland , ▁by ▁F iat ▁Auto ▁Poland . ▁ ▁The ▁high - b od ied ▁P anda ▁takes ▁sty ling ▁c ues ▁from ▁mini ▁MP V s ▁and ▁mini ▁SU V s , ▁especially ▁the ▁second ▁generation ▁F iat ▁Mult ip la . ▁The ▁P anda ▁won ▁the ▁European ▁Car ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁award ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁P anda ▁includes ▁an ▁option ▁for ▁split ▁rear ▁seats , ▁which ▁makes ▁the ▁P anda ▁a ▁four - se ater . ▁Since ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁all ▁P andas ▁are ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁A BS , ▁E BD ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁front ▁air bag . ▁The ▁g ear - le ver ▁is ▁located ▁high ▁on ▁the ▁central ▁dash board , ▁which ▁is ▁designed ▁to ▁make ▁changing ▁g ears ▁more ▁comfortable ▁than ▁with ▁a ▁conventional ▁floor - mount ed ▁g ear st ick . ▁ ▁Fin an cially ▁trouble d ▁F iat ▁needed ▁the ▁new ▁P anda ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁success , ▁and ▁it ▁sold ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁units ▁by ▁October ▁ 2 0