I’ve always been a fan of the Fiat Panda, especially since the company managed to engineer a very spacious cabin into a very compact body, but also made it look good. Cute, if you will. But, unfortunately, outside of continental Europe and especially in South Africa, the Panda has never managed to live up to the sales success that one would expect from a compact MPV. The company hopes that the latest generation, officially unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, will change this.
The new car is sleeker than the Panda it replaces and is attractive but, I have to say, couldn’t manage to draw a crowd to the Fiat display at the show. The car blends with the background and, if it wasn’t for the fact that they had five or six examples on display, I would have missed it all together. But, I am sure the new car will be more popular than its predecessor.
The front-end has rounded features and could still be described as cute and while it may not be able to compete against the Fiat 500 in terms of premium-quality finishes, the Panda certainly won’t back down in the design-stakes. It has got neat detailing, but is perhaps just that little bit too bland.
Now in its third generation, the Panda has made a leap in terms of comfort, technology and safety equipment.
As before, it makes maximum use of interior space and, despite its compact dimensions, offers enough room for front and rear passengers. I could easily slide into the backseat and had more than enough room for a car in this segment. The driver’s seating position will feel familiar to current Panda owners – being somewhat SUV-like in the seat’s pitch. Gladly, it is not a cramped cabin and feels relatively spacious.
The new facia design is extremely neat and the use of squared-off dials and instrumentation looks very good. This theme is continued in the design of the audio and ventilation controls as well as the trim on the seats. The design manages to distract your attention from the generous use of hard plastics throughout the interior, but overall the cabin looks and feels at the upper end of its segment.
New to the range is an 0,9-litre TwinAir turbocharged petrol engine (named International Engine of the Year in 2011) and the 0,9-litre TwinAir petrol engine, both equipped with a start/stop system in order to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. A revitalised 1,2-litre Fire completes the range of petrol engines available.
Also in the range is the 1,3-litre Multijet II (also with stop/start as standard) and, later on, the range will be extended with the addition of a 0,9-litre TwinAir Turbo Natural Power bio-fuel engine (running on petrol/methane) and 1,2-litre EasyPower (petrol/LPG) engine.
At its launch, the new Panda is available with front-wheel drive, but a 4×4 will also be introduced at a later stage and will offer four engines, three trim levels, 10 body colours, four different interiors, two hub caps and two 14- and 15-inch alloy wheels, for a total of over 600 combinations. Clearly, individuality will form a major part of the new car’s appeal.
Safety is ensured with four airbags (front and window), ABS with brake assist, front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiter and Isofix anchorages.
Fiat Auto South Africa could not confirm local availability or details on the model line-up of the new car in South Africa, but production of the new Panda starts near the end of this year, so expect it in local showrooms before or during the second quarter of next year.
For a full report on the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, be sure to get the November issue of CAR magazine.
