The Panda only scored three-stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, which is disappointing for a modern car. Nonetheless, all models have twin airbags and ABS, plus more expensive versions get side airbags and stability control too.
With such a small body it’s little surprise that luggage space is tight – the Panda has a boot capacity of slightly more than 200 litres, which although small is still more than a MINI. The boot area can be expanded by dropping the rear seats, boosting space to 861 litres, but most models only come with a folding rear seat – there’s no 50:50 split unless you go for the Eleganza trim.
In the city, the Panda is a trusty companion and perfectly suited to scurrying through the rat race. A ‘City’ button on the dashboard makes the steering even lighter for tight slow speed manoeuvres and parking.
Euro NCAP Rating
The Fiat Panda (04-11) was tested by Euro NCAP in and received the following safety ratings:
Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. The safety ratings are determined from a series of vehicle tests, designed and carried out by Euro NCAP. These tests represent, in a simplified way, important real life accident scenarios that could result in injured or killed car occupants or other road users.