Latest first drives Fiat Panda (2012-) Jan 2012
It’s become a cliché, but Fiat is synonymous with small cars. From the original 500 ‘Topolino’ to its current equivalent, plus the Uno and – of course – the Panda, the Italian manufacturer generally does miniature motoring very well. More than 6.4 million examples of the first and second generation Panda have found homes, and replacing something so successful requires a delicate touch.
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The Fiat Panda is due on sale in late Spring
What’s new?
Perhaps it’s no surprise that the new 2012 third-generation Panda looks broadly similar to the car it replaces. The overall shape, with its distinctive third side window, is much the same, but the corners are more rounded and dimensions are slightly increased in every direction.
Aerodynamics are improved in the process – which should help save fuel – but there is also some clever thinking at work. The headlights, for example, have moved higher up in an effort to place them out of harm’s way in the event of low-speed parking nudges.
Under the bonnet Fiat carries over a revamped version of the familiar 68bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine and the latest 74bhp variant of the 1.3-litre Multijet II turbodiesel. Joining them in the Panda for the first time, however, is the much more radical 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol.
This two-cylinder engine first saw light in the Fiat 500 last year, and will soon appear in the Punto as well. Available in the Panda in 84bhp Turbo guise, it is both the most powerful engine in the range and the cleanest. With its unique Eco mode engaged, Fiat claims just 95g/km CO2. The diesel offers more miles for every gallon, though.
A non-turbo TwinAir with 64bhp makes its debut in European Pandas, but this hasn’t yet been confirmed for the UK.
Read our top 10 tips for buying a supermini.
The Panda is bigger than before
What’s it up against?
Competition in the city car/supermini sector continues to get increasingly fierce, as carmakers respond to the downsizing trend amongst buyers.
To this end, the new Panda faces tough competition from the likes of the Volkswagen Up (not to mention its Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo clones), as well the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto. Less practically-minded rivals include Fiat’s own 500, the Ford Ka and the Toyota iQ.
Why buy one?
The new Panda is not only spacious and remarkably practical for its size, Fiat has also added a dash of extra style. The interior is dominated by a 'squircle’ theme – that’s a square with rounded corners like a circle – and has a pleasingly cohesive air as a result.
This is a fun and friendly car, and wears its identity with pride; much of the interior plastic is grained with the letters P, A, N, D, A – which sounds naff but is actually neatly executed. And, like the VW Group offerings, there is now also an optional automatic city braking function that aims to avoid or reduce low-speed accidents.
Furthermore, Fiat’s small engines have a decent reputation for fuel economy, while the previous Panda was easily one of the company’s most reliable models.
The interior design is a vast improvement over the old Panda
What’s its Achilles’ heel?
We don’t yet know what it is going to cost, but with an expected base level around £8,500 the Panda may be in danger of pricing itself out of the market compared to some of the competition – strong and established following or not.
It also doesn’t quite match the solid engineering feel of the new VW Group rivals, and although willing, it isn’t quite as sophisticated to drive. The forward visibility is slightly compromised by the angle of the windscreen pillars, too.
The previous Panda’s reliability was in part due to its assembly in Fiat’s highly regarded Polish factory (where the 500, Ford Ka and now the Lancia/Chrysler Ypsilon are also made). The new version will be built in Italy, and although Fiat has just spent €100 million renovating this facility, it remains to be seen whether it can produce cars of similar quality.
Finally, and importantly, the Panda’s four-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating seems unimpressive these days. UK specification hasn’t been finalised yet, but in Europe Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is only optional.
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The third-generation Panda goes on sale in February 2012
How much will it cost?
UK pricing has not been confirmed, but there are strong suggestions the new Panda will start at around £8,500 for the basic 1.2 petrol, with the diesel and the TwinAir turbo representing more expensive options up to around £12,500.
When can I buy one?
The new Panda goes on sale in February 2012, with the first cars expected to arrive in April or May.
Top choice
Unless you do a lot of miles, it will take a long time to get back the inevitable price premium on the diesel in fuel savings, and the costly TwinAir is yet to impress us with its real-world economy. So while both of these offer extra torque (pulling power) that will help get you moving when fully laden, our initial instinct is to go for a version of the lower-cost 1.2-litre petrol.
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