WILD AT HEART (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_fiatpanda4x4_2013

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 70

The third generation version of Fiat's Panda 4x4 was very much the people's off roader. As a car that can shrug off the worst of British weather while still looking good in any social setting, there's little to touch this little Italian contender. Affordable, fun to drive, eco-friendly and remarkably assured off the beaten track, it's an almost unique proposition if you need something very small that's also very capable.

Modelsword count: 11

5dr citycar (0.9 petrol / 1.3 MultiJet diesel [4x4, Cross 4x4])

Historyword count: 270

Weight isn't only the enemy of efficiency and performance. It's also the enemy of 4WD capability. Ironic isn't it that the more money and technology that's poured into large and apparently capable off roaders, the less use they often are when conditions are soft and slushy. Those living in some of Europe's toughest mountain regions know this all too well. Which is why their day-to-day transport needs are so often covered, not by huge Land Rovers or Land Cruisers, but by this car, the Panda 4x4. Though a tiny but loyal band of rural midwives and vets swear by this allroad Panda, it has sold here in vanishingly small numbers since its original launch way back in 1983, mainly, it must be said, because previous versions were pretty crude. Buyers didn't care that this was one of the cheapest ways into 4WD motoring you could get if the end result was thirsty, noisy and about as comfortable as a woodcutter's cart. This MK3 model, launched in 2012, was much better, though from launch, Dacia's Duster usurped it as Britain's least expensive 4x4. In response, Fiat has brought us a car that, while still smaller, lighter and nippier than any other vehicle fit for muddy duty, was in this form better equipped, smarter, safer and much cheaper to run. And yes, still cute. There was an engine choice between a 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol unit and a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel (sold until 2019). A more extreme-looking Cross version arrived in 2015 to slot in above the standard 4x4 models. The Panda 4x4 was eventually deleted from the price lists in Spring 2022.

What You Getword count: 283

So it's a Panda - but perhaps not quite as you know it. There are skidplates, a raised ride height, roof rails and a general feeling of purpose that all fit in with this car's wider off roading remit. Without making it feel as ridiculous as some SUVs often seem when your journey takes you through the urban jungle. As well as revised bumpers, there are bespoke door handles and mirror fairings as well as protective side strips, black side skirts and wheel arch mouldings to better show off the burnished 15” alloys. Look a little more closely and you start to pick up this car's infamous 'squarical' design theme, with rounded rectangles in vogue everywhere from the headlamps to the front air intake, from the wheel arches to that trademark extra third rearward side window. At the wheel, you perch high-up in the kind of position you'd expect a miniature People Carrier to provide, complete with brilliant all-round visibility that makes even this slightly larger MK3 model easy to place in the tightest city streets. And rear seat space? Well, we can't off hand think of many other citycar-sized hatchbacks that even attempt to carry five people in the way this Fiat tries to do. Can it do exactly that? If the journey's short, the people aren't too portly and you've paid extra for the sliding rear bench seat that maximises legroom at the expense of luggage space, we'd say just about yes. Which in a car this tiny is no small accomplishment. Out back, the 225-litre boot isn't bad - and if you've got the optional sliding rear bench and push it right forward, you can increase the figure to 260-litres.

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