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Fiat Panda


much. The engine suited the car and the good power


spread meant it could pull 4th gear at 30mph, even up a significant hill. It gathered speed in a relaxed fuss-free way and bowled along splendidly at 50mph in top, showing just under 2,000 rpm on the tacho.


Calling a car 'Panda' makes it obvious that someone at Fiat has a sense of humour and understands that cars can be fun, even though they have a serious job to do. The Panda's literature is wonderfully tongue-in-cheek too. You might expect them to focus on the car's good value, or even on its sensible shape, but Fiat take a very different approach and gamely describe a Panda as "The perfect guilt- free indulgence".


This might raise a few eyebrows but undaunted


by this hyperbole Fiat go on to describe the 'high- specification' 'Eleganza' as "pure concentrated essence of luxury". Some might laugh at the copywriter's temerity, especially as a Panda is one


of the least-expensive new cars you can buy, but others will simply smile, feel happy, and start thinking about how nice it would be to own a new Panda. Leaving the brochure to one side and looking at


the car, the question is: how does it measure up? The answer partly depends on how you drive, and partly on which model you go for - there's a lot of choice when you buy a Panda. Two wheel drive? Four wheel drive? Petrol?


Diesel? Not to mention the various trim levels, and the fact that the petrol engines range from a 54bhp 1100 to a sporty little 100bhp 1400.


Price very much depends on which model you go for, but even the most expensive (the diesel-


powered 4x4 'Cross') could hardly be termed unaffordable, while the entry-level model has recently been on offer at under six grand.


We tried a mid-range model, a 'Dynamic' with a


1248cc diesel engine. This comes with the basic 'luxuries' of life, such as air conditioning (which the entry-level model lacks) but it misses out on some of the 'indulgences' (such as a height- adjustable driver's seat) that are standard on the more-opulent Extravaganza.


From outside the car the 70bhp diesel engine


did sound a bit like a tractor when idling, but it was fine from the inside and when cruising along hardly a sound could be heard! Even when revved hard (4000rpm) it remained civilised; we've heard louder engines in cars costing twice as


If you find parking hard work, press the 'city'


button and the steering gets even lighter, so you can twirl the wheel with hardly any effort!


Bad points? Well, strong winds blew it about a


bit and if you tried to corner hard, the result was body roll and tyre squeal, which might alarm nervous passengers. However, if you wanted to drive a Panda like that, you'd buy the 100bhp model, wouldn't you?


The ride comfort was better than many small


cars, it was very easy to drive, it coped fine with bumpy bends, and the high roof and highish seats were user-friendly. We certainly enjoyed this Panda and it also averaged over 60mpg - something most owners would welcome these days!


Teme Valley Times


Aug/Sept 2010 19


Central England’s


Italian Specialist


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