Fiat Panda
The charismatic, diminutive little Panda has developed a cult status over the years.
Northern Italy is a steep and difficult area to be in when the winter sets in. The Alps can be a hostile and challenging environment for cars, but there’s one car you see an awful lot in that area and it’s the Fiat Panda – a small, lightweight 5-door hatchback with an elevated ride height and optional all-wheel drive.
In Italy the Panda has a cult following and is admired for its deceptive toughness and durability. The Fiat Panda has been built since 1980 and now into its third generation, and since its introduction nearly 40 years ago millions of them and been produced.
Where previous Panda’s have been powered by petrol or diesel, stricter emissions regulations mean the current Panda range only uses petrol – a 1.2-litre, 69bhp unit in the base model Panda’s and the 0.9-litre ‘TwinAir’ 2-cylinder unit with around 84bhp. The latter is a very impressive little engine, capable of over67mpg on a combined cycle in the front-wheel driven Panda models, and 57mpg in the ‘4x4’ all-wheel drive versions. The Panda’s lightweight assists with not only the efficiency but also the speed, while not a fast car the 11.2-seconds from a standstill to 62mph is good for something with such a small engine. A 5-speed manual gearbox is the sole option in terms of transmissions.
In many ways the Panda is a bit old-school in its simplicity and capability. This is a car designed to cope with a tougher life and the all-wheel gives it genuine capability in tough conditions and off-road. The interior is a reflection of that with a functional and comfortable approach above any sense of glamour, an example of this is the absence of a touchscreen infotainment system. Bluetooth, DAB and the ability to make and receive phone calls is still a part of the system though. The usual safety system such as ABS and ESP are present in all models, and in some models a Drive Select System for selecting different terrains for off-road use, and adaptive cruise control can be specified.
Charming, tough and remarkably good value for money, the Fiat Panda is an often underrated car that can cope with more than its looks suggest.