Not a Panda to be pampered!

WILLING TWO-POT NOW HAS MORE GRUNT AND A PLEASANT, HOARSE GROWL ʂ The little Fiat is still the king when it comes to off-roading in a city car.

The history of Fiat reaches back to 1889 when the Italians produced their first car. Surprisingly, Fiat has also been involved in weapon manufacturing such as the Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914 – a standard machine-gun of the Italian Army in the First World War.

The gun was also used in limited numbers into the Second World War. Of course, that is all in the past, Fiat now only produces cars.

Having earlier had the opportunity to spend a week with their Fiat Spider Abarth 124, I was happy to fly down to Durban to drive their refreshed Panda models, including the new 4x4 and Cross versions. Starting with the standard Panda which is available in two trims, Easy and Lounge. It still boasts the same dimensions as the outgoing model. So, do not expect difference in space or anything like that to have changed, but changes there are.

Both variants come standard with 15-inch steel rims with hub caps. Inside, all four variants look almost the same. You need a very sharp eye to tell the differences. You get radio controls at an additional price on the Easy trim. However, all that can be had by default in the Lounge version.

All Panda models have space for five people with a 225 litre boot that puts it bang on with the other competitors in its segment. If you think that is not enough, you can increase the boot space by folding down the rear seats and get a full 870 litres now.

In all four models, you find an impressive two-cylinder, 875cc TwinAir petrol engine that sends 63kW and 145Nm to the front wheels via a five-speed manual on the Easy and Lounge models or a six-speed manual transmission on the 4x4 and Cross models. Power in the Cross model has been upped and it can be felt. You get the same two-pot engine, but it now churns out 66kW. I will not waste your time explaining how the standard Pandas look since it’s just a mere refresh and the changes are subtle, but the big story lies with the 4x4 and the Cross city SUVs. Starting with the 4x4, this is a car that combines small car proportions with 4x4 capabilities thanks to its heightened ride and off-road styling cues.

It is a rough looking car and, just like the Panda it is based on, it feels grown-up compared to the previous 4x4. In my view, it has no obvious competitor in the A-seg-