Fiat Panda: Worse Than Average

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Fiat Panda: Worse Than Average
Fiat Panda: Worse Than Average

Video: Fiat Panda: Worse Than Average

Video: Fiat Panda: Worse Than Average
Video: Fiat Panda. Top Gear на русском (Джеймс Мэй). 2024, March
Anonim

The Fiat Panda is a space saver and has practical qualities. But can it also be recommended as a used car?

With eight years of construction, the current Fiat Panda is one of the longest-serving car models on the German market. And even at the premiere in 2012, the technology of the small car was not necessarily brand new. Not so bad: The Italian easily compensates for this with practical qualities, optional all-wheel drive and low prices. Especially used, it is cheap to have.

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The panda is not only short (3.70 meters), but also unusually narrow (1.67 meters). Because it is also comparatively high (up to 1.66 meters), it offers a lot of space for a small car. Depending on the version, four to five people fit in, the 200 liter luggage compartment is sufficient for weekly shopping and can be expanded to around 800 liters. The body of the little Italian is no longer as angular as it was when it premiered 40 years ago, but it offers an overview that is almost as good.

Modern interior

Thanks to its colorful and lively design, the interior looks surprisingly modern - even eight years after the premiere. The core processing is also decent. One of the weaker sides of the Panda is its driving behavior, which is mainly determined by the high body that sways significantly when cornering.

The Panda offers an unusually extensive range of drive systems for a small car. The undemanding base engine is a 1.2-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with 69 hp, which feels as tough as it sounds, but is sufficient in the city. Noticeably faster, but also significantly more expensive for a new car are the 0.9-liter three-cylinder turbos, which were available with 78 hp, 85 hp and 90 hp during the previous construction period. The natural gas version of the engine with 80 hp or 70 hp is interesting for those who drive a lot. The same applies to the 1.3 liter diesel with 75 hp (Euro 5) and 95 hp (Euro 6).

Diesel with all-wheel drive

The two diesel engines can be combined with a mechanical and very powerful all-wheel drive that can handle more than wet meadows. The technology is also available for the 0.9-liter gasoline engine. In all Panda variants, power is transmitted by manual transmissions with five or six gears. There is no automatic.

Thanks to numerous discount campaigns, the Panda was at times the cheapest car on the German car market. The basic models are accordingly poorly equipped. The second stage, "Pop", still shows large gaps, above which it becomes acceptable ("Lounge" / "Easy") if at least radio and air conditioning are on board. The list of options for the small Fiat is not too long, but it does have some interesting optical extras - in the “Trekking” line, for example, the Panda appears as a micro SUV. There is also a third seat in the rear, a panoramic roof and an emergency brake assistant at special points. ESP anti-skid protection is featured in most variants, plus four airbags. Otherwise there is a big gap in security systems. In 2014 it was still enough for four stars in the EuroNCAP crash test,In 2018, it was zero in a follow-up test according to stricter rules.

Neglected by keepers

The panda shares the fate of all cheap cars - it too is often neglected by its owners when it comes to maintenance and repairs. Be it for lack of money or lack of love. This is clearly reflected in the HU statistics: According to the “TÜV Report”, it is worse than the average in almost all areas. Even young models show weaknesses, from the chassis to the brakes to the tightness of the engine and exhaust system, which become worse with age. The ADAC also reports a relatively large number of starting difficulties due to weak batteries. Part of the savings on the purchase price should therefore be set aside for repairs.

The Fiat Panda offers the best space among the small cars in the lower price segment. Then there is the friendly design and, above all, the low prices. There is quite a large range available for less than 2,000 euros, even very good models with little mileage and a lot of equipment never cost more than 15,000 euros. The all-wheel drive model, which is comparatively rare and expensive in Germany, is particularly interesting for buyers with a corresponding need. (SP-X)

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