SIX million and counting. It’s a number that bears testimony to the global success of the Fiat Panda since the first generation rolled off the factory production line in Pomigliano d’Arco near Naples. From that start in 1980, the third-generation Panda (second in South Africa) continues the lineage and introduces a new design language to the car’s many fans. The styling theme has been totally revamped, switching from mainly round design elements to what Fiat calls the squircle – a blend of square and circle (basically a rounded-off square). It’s a signature that has affected every feature, from the headlamps to the instruments, vents, steering wheel … the whole lot. Fortunately, the designers kept the wheels and tyres circular, with the wheel bosses left to do the squircle thing.
It’s all very tastefully done, though. That said, some fellows on the CAR team did not like the unusual titanium-coloured rough finish on parts of the facia. This is in contrast to the rest of the interior finish, which is in shiny black, though there are other options available, including body-coloured trim.
Another small point of criticism is the seat material, which is very light in colour and prone to soiling. While the seats have also been subjected to the squircle treatment, with red, grey and white embossing, there are slightly subtler design elements on the facia top and door sills. Look closely and you’ll notice tiny embossed letters – P, A, N and D … and A – in differing sequences, including mirrored.
As a clever touch, if you fold the front passenger seat flat, its plastic backing becomes a tray for the driver to rest anything from a cup of coffee to a laptop bag on. Useful too because the cupholders – three rear, one centre and two in the front door pockets – are on the small side.
Feature-wise, the higher-specced Lounge model offers 15-inch Alfa-esque alloys, front and rear foglamps, Blue&Me Bluetooth and a USB port, roof rails, body-coloured door handles and side mouldings. These are in addition to the standard features on both versions that include four airbags, a trip computer, one-touch front electric windows, a leather-stitched steering wheel and gearknob (also squared off) and steering controls. There’s also a facia-top mounting for an optional TomTom navigation and infotainment screen. This would be especially useful if Fiat introduces the 4×4 model to our shores. Incidentally, not many people know that, in 2004, a Panda 4×4 was the first 4×4 city car to reach Mount Everest’s base camp at an altitude of 5 200 metres.
With a car of this size, interior space is always something of a compromise and decent leg space for the driver necessitates moving the seat further back (keep in mind that the steering wheel adjusts only for rake). The clutch-foot rest also robs you of extra space and might’ve been a better idea to delete. Rear legroom seems better than in the previous generation, but is still marginal for adults. Naturally, the boot lacks depth, but it makes up for this with height; subsequently, luggage space is up from the previous Panda’s 184 to 192 dm3. Utility space has remained unchanged at 832 dm3. As with the previous model, the section of the rear seats facing the boot aren’t carpeted.
Owing to its short wheelbase, the old Panda suffered from a predictably choppy ride. And, although the new wheelbase is up by only 1 mm and the total length stretched by 115 mm (mainly for increased front-end collision safety), the ride has been much improved, as has overall quietness. Does the extra 74 kg that the new car weighs compared with our 2008 test unit – a second-generation 1,1-litre Panda Active – consist of NVH dampening material? It would certainly explain the improved sound levels.
Not expecting much get-up-and-go from a 1,2-litre, eight-valve engine producing just 51 kW, we were reasonably impressed with the nippiness of this car. Zero to 100 km/h comes in at 15,16 seconds, accompanied by mild induction roar that provides a pleasantly sporty – and, yes, somewhat misplaced – feel. The steering has the familiar City mode button to lighten the effort needed for parking, but it isn’t really necessary; the normal mode has just the right amount of feel and, for an electrical setup, is definitely of above-average quality. Handling is quick and nippy without the car having to resort to rock-hard suspension to control body lean. Another enjoyable driving aspect is the gearshift – the lever is well positioned and slick to use.
The braking system uses ventilated discs in front and drums at the rear, the latter which could be responsible for a poor average stopping time from 100 km/h of 3,27 seconds. It’s a frugal fuel user, however; the 1,2 averaged just 5,90 litres/100 km on our 150 km fuel route. The fuel tank is small at 37 litres, but the range is still good at over 600 km.
Lastly, sweetening the financial prospect is a standard three-year/100 000 km maintenance plan and warranty.
Test Summary
The Panda needs that maintenance plan. At R159 990, the Lounge isn’t cheap. At R143 990, the 1,2 Pop has most of the luxuries at a more palatable price.
That aside, CAR’s testers have long been impressed with Fiat’s small cars (even the Uno had its moments) and thoroughly enjoyed the Panda. That’s saying something, particularly given the fact that three of these testers are around 1,8 metres tall. While we might have expected the super-cute 500 to have completely usurped the Panda’s mojo, this is definitely not the case. The Panda holds onto its own in the marketplace, firmly planted in its own piazza, surrounded by a large circle of friends.
