Fiat PANDA RANGE
If The Latest Panda Can Reprise Half The Success Of The Original,
Fiat Will Be Counting Their Blessings. Andy Enright Reports
Despite their ongoing efforts to convince us that they can build a wide and varied model range, its an inescapable fact that Fiat are still largely associated with tiny citycars. From the diminutive Topolino through models like the 500, Uno and Cinquecento, Fiat have proved masters at making tiny cars with enormous appeal. Originally introduced in 1980 and still produced in Italy until September 2003, the Panda has been one of Fiats more enduring successes, notching up over four and a half million sales. The latest version hopes to continue in this vein.
It didnt have the easiest start to life. Originally slated to be called the Gingo, it seems
Renault have done Fiat a huge favour by insisting they ditch this awful moniker because it sounded too similar to their Twingo - a car that competes for the same market share. Quite why Fiat wanted to ditch the Panda name is a little baffling as its still remembered by most as a car that was inexpensive, rugged and ahead of its time; qualities youd think Fiat would like to associate their latest offering with. Although the Panda was last sold in the UK in 1995, it retains a strong identity and this will help kick start sales of the latest car.
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Unlike some of Fiats recent offerings that have featured rather challenging styling, the design of the Panda is straightforward, and appealing. It does feature a few stylish touches however, including the profile of the glazed area that arches back to a neat quarter window which in turn butts up against an enormous vertical rear light cluster. The Panda also features well-defined hips that taper forward and integrate with the front wheelarch and headlight areas very slickly. In being able to integrate a good deal of stylish features without the car looking bitty, the designers should be applauded.
Originally designed by Bertone and finished with the help of Fiats in-house design staff, the achievement is all the more laudable for the fact that the Panda is a five-door car. Its often the case that such small cars look great with three doors but as soon as the stylists try to cram five doors into a short body length, the cohesiveness of the lines go out of the window. Not so with the Panda. The interior design is clearly
Fiat, with a high mounted gear lever and a no frills look to the fascia.
Although its obviously built down to a price, like its predecessor this becomes an integral part of the cars charm. Unlike the original Panda, however, youre not in the lap of the Gods if the worst comes to the worst. The current Panda might have shaved a few Euro off the production costs when specifying materials and luxury appointments but Fiat have responsibly insisted that the car is fitted with a decent complement of safety kit.
"The Panda name is associated with a car that was inexpensive, rugged and ahead of its time"
Structural solidity is the first factor in this equation and the Panda features body structures that at first cushion impact and then direct energy away from the rigid passenger compartment. Its also the first car in this class to offer no fewer than six airbags as standard on some models. You can choose no fewer than six airbags if you wish, although driver and passenger airbags are standard on all models. Even the 1.
2-litre Dynamic model is fitted with anti lock brakes, and brake assist at no extra cost. Youll find £25,000 executive cars that will require you to tick the options box for some of these features, so to find them in a £7,000 citycar is a testament to Fiats commitment to safety. Two petrol engines are offered, opening with the entry-level 1.1-litre for those on a tight budget.
Few will regret shelling out a few hundred pounds extra for the more powerful 60bhp 1.2-litre 8v unit which looks set to be the most popular engine option. Also bound to be much in demand is a 70bhp 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine that returns quite astonishing fuel figures.
Finally, at the top of the range, theres an appealing 4x4 version. Whereas conventional Fiat common-rail diesel engines fire two squirts of fuel into the combustion chamber for each cycle of the cylinder a small pilot shot followed by the full injection of fuel, Multijet adopts an altogether more sophisticated approach. Depending on variables such as engine temperature and throttle opening, Multijet can fire anything up to five injections per cycle. The amount of fuel entering the engine doesnt exceed first generation common-rail, but it can be tailored to burn more efficiently which in turn purports to decrease noise, vibration, carbon dioxide emissions and overall fuel economy.
Impressive stuff. Despite measuring only 3540mm from bumper to bumper, the Panda offers a decent amount of interior space, helped by a generous height of 1530mm and that wheel at each corner design. Room up front is fine for two big adults, but rear legroom will naturally be a little pinched if four burly blokes squeeze in. Still, for two adults and two children it works very well.
Luggage space is adequate, access to the hatch being helped by a very low loading sill. A split folding rear bench helps when transporting long or bulky items. A three door version is set to follow the mainstream five-door model displaying Fiats ambitious plans for the Panda model range. Here in the UK, it has replaced the ageing Seicento model but in Europe, the Panda is tasked with replacing both the Seicento and the original Panda, so its a hugely significant car for a company which has seen some rather worrying figures appearing on its balance sheet of late.
The Panda is such a convincing proposition as an inexpensive utility vehicle that it will probably only reinforce the perception that Fiat is a manufacturer of great small cars. Lets hope it doesnt become a victim of its own success.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Fiat Panda range
PRICES: £6,595-£9,195 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 1-2
CO2 EMISSIONS: 114-156g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2 8v] 0-60mph 13.5s / Max Speed 96mph [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2 8v] (combined) 51mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver and passenger airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Height 3540/1530mm
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