#Fiat panda manual#

They all share the same engine and five-speed manual gearbox, and while the 1.2-litre is reasonably refined, it's also very slow, making hard work of keeping up with traffic on faster roads. The Lounge spec is the only regular Fiat Panda to get a leather steering wheel, Bluetooth, Aux input and alloy wheels, so if you want a few creature comforts in your life, that's definitely the one to go for.

Unless your monthly budget is very tight, it's worth upgrading to at least the Easy model to get air-con and rear headrests. While its low entry price might make it look attractive, the Fiat Panda's Pop trim makes it of the most basic new cars it's still possible to buy, and will be too compromised for the vast majority of buyers - file under 'something to avoid'. Its 4x4 cousin, however, is still competitive, given rival off-roaders include the rather compromised Suzuki Jimny. Still, times have changed, and it's fallen behind in so many key areas that today it's a difficult car to recommend. There is no doubting the Fiat Panda's personality, and it's a charmingly honest city car that sticks to its brief. This engine is relatively cheap to run, with low insurance, and average fuel economy (Fiat claims an official 44.1mpg) but again, it's showing its age, since plenty of newer rivals are even more affordable to own. Overtaking is not advisable, and the lack of a punchier turbocharged unit in the range limits buyer's choices.

The standard car uses a basic 1.2-litre engine with 69PS that's smooth but feels very slow. It gets buffeted about easily, and wind and road noise make their presence known at a steady 70mph cruise.Ī mild-hybrid model was added to the range in 2020 to improve its CO2 emissions, but it's only available on the Panda Cross. As with other city cars of this vintage, it soon feels a bit out of its depth on the motorway, becoming slow and unrefined. It has superb visibility thank to its high-set driving position and boxy shape, softly sprung suspension that soaks up the worst road surfaces, and light controls. On a positive note, the Fiat Panda is perfectly suited to driving in congested urban streets. The load bay is quite deep but also fairly short too, so you'll struggle to fit a baby stroller in the boot while the rear seats are up. Entry-level 'Pop' trim is inexcusably sparse, and we'd recommend the Lounge trim to the majority of buyers.įitting a child seat is possible, but a rear-facing infant seat or larger toddler seat will make it impossible for an adult to sit in front of them - there just isn't enough space - and the ISOFIX anchors are well hidden. Where once its poor equipment levels and basic interior were countered by its keen pricing, it no longer looks a smart buy compared with newer, better-appointed rivals. The trouble is, the Fiat Panda is a very old design now, having first gone on sale over a decade ago. Boot space is merely average though, with a smaller capacity and less flexibility than the best cars in this class. Small and easy to manoeuvre like a runabout should be, but with a tall roofline and blocky profile that makes it feel relatively spacious inside, even with adults sat in the back. Part of the Fiat Panda's appeal is its unusual size. Rivals for the 2022 Fiat Panda include the Volkswagen Up, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto and Toyota Aygo. It was also one of the original mini-SUVs in the shape of the rough-and-tumble Panda 4x4.

#Fiat panda plus#

It's a much better car than its predecessor, with a charismatically simple interior, fun-yet-comfortable driving dynamics, plus a good dollop of practicality. Not that the Fiat Panda has too many of those undesirable qualities. Buyers on a tight budget are spoilt for choice, and will no longer accept paper-thin build quality, poor dynamics or a dodgy safety performance for the sake of good value. It's been on sale since 2012, in which time the city car class has undergone a seismic change. The current Fiat Panda we're reviewing here is only the third generation to appear in the past 40 years, so obviously it's almost as shy about reproducing as its black and white namesake.