• Panda should prove efficient
• Fairly high insurance grouping
• Good MPG around town

What are the running costs?

The mild hybrid 1.0 performs very well here. You should easily see over 50mpg from this engine without trying too hard. Older models used a more basic 1.2-litre petrol which was similarly efficient.

The Panda ought to make a great first car, but insurance groups are relatively high, with the lowest currently available being a Group 6. That’s not as useful as rivals in Groups 2 or 3, like select variants of the VW Up.

Servicing and warranty

Fiat offers three years or 60,000 miles of warranty for the Panda. That’s not as good as the five, seven or 10 years you’ll get with a Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto or Toyota Aygo respectively.

Servicing should be straightforward, though – Fiat dealers are reasonably-priced and routine servicing won’t break the bank.

Reliability

• No burning reliability issues
• 1.0-litre engine is new and unproven
• Hardwearing construction

The Panda’s mechanicals have, for the most part, been around for a long time – the underlying platform dates right back to the Mk2 model of 2004. That means that almost all of the kinks have been worked out and the five recalls since launch have all been relatively minor, affecting only a few cars.

Our Fiat Panda owners reviews are glowing, with the majority being a full five out of five stars.