Fiat Panda TwinAir road test

The city car market is a rather hectic place right now, and Fiat is making things even busier with the latest Panda.

The Italian company already dominates this end of the market with the incredibly popular 500. Now, with the latest Panda model and the introduction of the 500L, the firm is looking to increase its domination over the competition.

With the introduction of the Volkswagen up!, Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii, this is about to get much more difficult. With the likes of the well-established Hyundai i10 and Ford Ka also among competitors, it will take something a little different to stand out.

One of the tricks that Fiat hopes will make the Panda appeal to buyers, over its competitors, is a turbocharged 0.9-litre two-cylinder "TwinAir" engine that outputs 85bhp. The main aim of the engine is to cut running costs, but at the same time it also helps to add character to the car.

Despite its small displacement, the TwinAir engine allows the Panda to complete the benchmark 0-62mph sprint in 11.5 seconds. The main focus for the car, however, isn’t performance - it's economy and efficiency. This model emits just 99g/km, making it free to tax in the first year and exempt from road tax thereafter. Economy is a claimed 68.9mpg.

This doesn’t exactly set it apart from the rivals though. The up!, Mii and Citigo are all available with engines that offer the same low cost benefits when it comes to road tax, as well as the fuel economy benefits too. The Citigo Greentech model, for instance, emits 96g/km and is claimed to average the same fuel consumption as the Panda.

It’s the two-cylinder TwinAir engine itself which really gives the Panda the added appeal it will need to outdo the trio of cars from the Volkswagen group. The free-revving petrol engine is a huge amount of fun. It makes it incredibly difficult to drive the car in a sensible way. Instead you find yourself pushing the car even harder.

The noise from the engine just adds to this enjoyment. The buzzing sound is very audible, even at low speeds and steady acceleration. However, while this is great fun for an hour's drive, it may start to get a little tiresome over time.

Of course, the main environment for the Panda is at low speeds in town or city centres, and here it excels. The light steering, aided by the city button, makes it easy to manoeuvre in tight surroundings. A quick three-point turn, when you realise you’re lost, is simple too.

Get up to motorway speeds and the Panda is adequate, although rather noisy. The ride is rather bumpy too, while the vibrations in the cabin from the engine and road can get a bit too much. The boxy shape also means that wind noise is quite audible, though it shouldn’t ruin your time in the car.

With options fitted our car came to £13,210, which is quite pricey for a small city car. This is especially true when the Skoda Citigo is expected to cost around £7,500 when it goes on sale.

The new Fiat Panda is available to buy now. The 85bhp Lounge model we tested starts at £11,250.

Also Consider

Skoda Citigo

The little city car is set to be a big challenger to the Panda. It has a bigger boot and offers competitive running costs.

Ford Ka

Not quite as popular as the previous model, the Ka is still a competent city car. Fun to drive,and well-built.

Hyundai i10

The South Korean company offers excellent build quality along with the backup of a five-year warranty. Also offers low running costs.