Driven: Fiat Panda 4x4 Multijet Climbing (2006)
Gretings, petrol heads!
Today I’m going to report my test drive of a car I like since it was first launched, back in 2003: the Fiat Panda. I immediately connected with its cuteness and honest simplicity; it’s a basic car which does not pretend to be more than that. It has charisma. I cannot avoid smiling when I see one of these things, especially in yellow. I actually prefer it to the 500, for me the latest fashion-victim…
Even so, some bits did not appeal to me. For a start, the tall interior centre console is not pretty, it looks like a concrete block fell through the windscreen. Petrol engines were also weak, the less bad being the ooooooold 1.2-litre 44 kW/ 60 PS (even Fiat recognized its fuel consumption is lower than its hopeless 1.1 brother’s…).
Another option was the 4x4 variant, with slightly modified bodywork, a simple four-wheel-drive system and taller suspension. It added genuine off-road ability with almost the same road performance of the front-wheel-drive versions, but the party-piece was, definitely, the younger looks.
The engine range saw a big improvement with the Diesel 1.3-litre Multijet. With more torque and only marginally heavier, together with a close-ratio gearbox, performance is decent most of the time, especially noticeable in road-use, along with very low fuel consumption.
So, when my cousin called me and asked what I thought of a used Diesel Panda 4x4, I immediately told him to go for it. As an urban commuter in a small countryside village, it’s about as good as you can get. My disappointment came when he said it was white. A fridge? Oh dear… Well, nowadays it’s a fashion color again (I’m still old-fashioned…).
However, first real impressions were astonishing. Live, the white bodywork in conjunction with several gray plastic inserts, together with the green-yellow interior (I forgot to ask the color, as I’m slightly colorblind) and alloy wheels, create a big laugh! For me it looks terrific, as for most people who see the car.
It comes well equipped, with air-con, alloys, board-computer and radio with CD-player. Interior design shows a bit it’s age, but it’s remarkable that a car which as covered 123k kilometres (77k miles) in three years hasn’t got a single noise coming from the trim. Impressive, especially when you notice that plastics are hard and appear to be cheap.
Comfort is also good. It’s roomy, noise insulation is adequate and the tall suspension absorbs potholes well – remember it’s a very short chassis. The seats could do better with some lateral support, something you miss more when cornering on a high driving position.
And, speaking of cornering, how does it drive?
For a start, I don’t like a high driving position. This, together with the absence of lateral support from the seats, creates a lack of confidence on me. No, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to corner on its roof, but it doesn’t inspire too much confidence. Even so, I felt brave enough to push it a bit (not too much), and it behaved like it should: predictable handling with final understeer. And it doesn’t corner on its side either, very nice when you remember the good comfort.
The steering is a letdown, being far too undirect and somewhat vague, but the same cannot be said to the brake and clutch pedals: as good as you can wish for, with virtually no dead course! I wish my smart’s brake pedal felt like this… Brake power is also good, as you have disk-brakes all round.
The gearbox, placed on the centre console, comes handy and has a soft feeling, but the shifter could ask for a shorter movement.
Gear ratios are very short (from first to fifth) and that, together with low weight and good torque, creates a nice response from the engine, most noticeably mid-range performance (a clear peak at 2500 rpm). On the road, overtaking until 100 km/h (62 mph) is not out of question (with two occupants, anyway) and performance always feels brisk.
But, were it really shines is at the urban jungle: compact dimensions, comfort, great visibility all-round (there is plenty of glass), responsive engine and low fuel consumption means this car is unstoppable! Add an omnipresent smile on your face (everybody’s face, if I’m honest) and a lot of practicality (the boot looks bigger than the official figures might suggest) and you have a brilliant daily partner.
Verdict: cheap, fun, practical and small, all together in a well built package.
Vital data:
Engine and transmission:
1251 cc, inline-4 cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder, turbo (diesel)
70 hp (51 kW)/ 4000 rpm
145 Nm/ 1500 rpm
Red line: 5000 rpm
5-speed manual transmission
Dimensions and weights:
Length/ width/ height: 3538/ 1589/ 1601 mm
Empty weight (incl. driver): 1035 kg
Boot: 206 litres
Petrol tank: 35 litres
Tyre dimension: 185/65 R14
Official performance:
Top speed: 150 km/h (94 mph)
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 18 seconds
Fuel consumption (urban/extra-urban/average): 6,7/ 4,2/ 5,2 l/100km (42/ 67/ 54 UK mpg)
2000 rpm, 5th gear: 78 km/h (49 mph)
2600 rpm, 5th gear: 100 km/h (62 mph)
Driven: September 2009
Main equipment: air conditioning, dual front airbags, radio with CD-player, alloy wheels, trip computer.
Classification: 16 out of 20
Gretings, petrol heads!
Today I’m going to report my test drive of a car I like since it was first launched, back in 2003: the Fiat Panda. I immediately connected with its cuteness and honest simplicity; it’s a basic car which does not pretend to be more than that. It has charisma. I cannot avoid smiling when I see one of these things, especially in yellow. I actually prefer it to the 500, for me the latest fashion-victim…
Even so, some bits did not appeal to me. For a start, the tall interior centre console is not pretty, it looks like a concrete block fell through the windscreen. Petrol engines were also weak, the less bad being the ooooooold 1.2-litre 44 kW/ 60 PS (even Fiat recognized its fuel consumption is lower than its hopeless 1.1 brother’s…).
Another option was the 4x4 variant, with slightly modified bodywork, a simple four-wheel-drive system and taller suspension. It added genuine off-road ability with almost the same road performance of the front-wheel-drive versions, but the party-piece was, definitely, the younger looks.
The engine range saw a big improvement with the Diesel 1.3-litre Multijet. With more torque and only marginally heavier, together with a close-ratio gearbox, performance is decent most of the time, especially noticeable in road-use, along with very low fuel consumption.
So, when my cousin called me and asked what I thought of a used Diesel Panda 4x4, I immediately told him to go for it. As an urban commuter in a small countryside village, it’s about as good as you can get. My disappointment came when he said it was white. A fridge? Oh dear… Well, nowadays it’s a fashion color again (I’m still old-fashioned…).
However, first real impressions were astonishing. Live, the white bodywork in conjunction with several gray plastic inserts, together with the green-yellow interior (I forgot to ask the color, as I’m slightly colorblind) and alloy wheels, create a big laugh! For me it looks terrific, as for most people who see the car.
It comes well equipped, with air-con, alloys, board-computer and radio with CD-player. Interior design shows a bit it’s age, but it’s remarkable that a car which as covered 123k kilometres (77k miles) in three years hasn’t got a single noise coming from the trim. Impressive, especially when you notice that plastics are hard and appear to be cheap.
Comfort is also good. It’s roomy, noise insulation is adequate and the tall suspension absorbs potholes well – remember it’s a very short chassis. The seats could do better with some lateral support, something you miss more when cornering on a high driving position.
And, speaking of cornering, how does it drive?
For a start, I don’t like a high driving position. This, together with the absence of lateral support from the seats, creates a lack of confidence on me. No, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to corner on its roof, but it doesn’t inspire too much confidence. Even so, I felt brave enough to push it a bit (not too much), and it behaved like it should: predictable handling with final understeer. And it doesn’t corner on its side either, very nice when you remember the good comfort.
The steering is a letdown, being far too undirect and somewhat vague, but the same cannot be said to the brake and clutch pedals: as good as you can wish for, with virtually no dead course! I wish my smart’s brake pedal felt like this… Brake power is also good, as you have disk-brakes all round.
The gearbox, placed on the centre console, comes handy and has a soft feeling, but the shifter could ask for a shorter movement.
Gear ratios are very short (from first to fifth) and that, together with low weight and good torque, creates a nice response from the engine, most noticeably mid-range performance (a clear peak at 2500 rpm). On the road, overtaking until 100 km/h (62 mph) is not out of question (with two occupants, anyway) and performance always feels brisk.
But, were it really shines is at the urban jungle: compact dimensions, comfort, great visibility all-round (there is plenty of glass), responsive engine and low fuel consumption means this car is unstoppable! Add an omnipresent smile on your face (everybody’s face, if I’m honest) and a lot of practicality (the boot looks bigger than the official figures might suggest) and you have a brilliant daily partner.
Verdict: cheap, fun, practical and small, all together in a well built package.
Vital data:
Engine and transmission:
1251 cc, inline-4 cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder, turbo (diesel)
70 hp (51 kW)/ 4000 rpm
145 Nm/ 1500 rpm
Red line: 5000 rpm
5-speed manual transmission
Dimensions and weights:
Length/ width/ height: 3538/ 1589/ 1601 mm
Empty weight (incl. driver): 1035 kg
Boot: 206 litres
Petrol tank: 35 litres
Tyre dimension: 185/65 R14
Official performance:
Top speed: 150 km/h (94 mph)
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 18 seconds
Fuel consumption (urban/extra-urban/average): 6,7/ 4,2/ 5,2 l/100km (42/ 67/ 54 UK mpg)
2000 rpm, 5th gear: 78 km/h (49 mph)
2600 rpm, 5th gear: 100 km/h (62 mph)
Driven: September 2009
Main equipment: air conditioning, dual front airbags, radio with CD-player, alloy wheels, trip computer.
Classification: 16 out of 20
Comments