Baby Fiat as cute as a Panda

Great Scott - there's a Panda!

Talk about popularity; more than 6-million of these cuddly motorised cuties have been sold since Fiat launched the first Panda more than 20 years ago. Also in South Africa the Panda has a fair following although not in the sort of volume to make the market- leaders look over their shoulders nervously.

A rare breed

But the fact that one doesn't see a Panda around every corner adds to its appeal and Panda owners are crazy about the little Fiat. I always look out for similar models whenever I am testing a car and during the week that I had fun scooting around the Peninsula in our test car I didn't see a single other Panda on the road.

Neat and everything in its place... though that gear shift...

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But its attraction is much more than just novelty appeal because the Panda has more than enough other pleasing characteristics to get doe-eyed about. We loved its jazzy two-tone interior design and funky connectivity options (including a central mounting on top of the facia to slot in your Tom-Tom satnav, Bluetooth, and USB port), the handy high-positioned gear lever, electric windows and leather-stitched steering wheel.

Thank goodness for the digital clock - or you'd hear it

What was also immediately noticeable was the excellent cabin insulation with virtually the only audible intrusion being the crispy tone of its exhaust when you pour on the coals. Another likable feature of the car is the easy access via wide-opening, yet light, doors, generous head space, and airy feel to the cabin. Even with four biggies on board there is none of the claustrophobia that you get in some other small cars. Safety features are also impressive and include four airbags and ABS brakes.

Drive it sensibly and it will sip only about 6.24 litres/100km.

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I was pleasantly surprised by the confident manner in which the Panda conducted itself with a ride which is better than the hippety-hop affliction most small cars suffer from. In spite of its boxy, upright profile it also handles cross winds reasonably well and it's also not inclined to excessive lean through the corners unless you push harder than the Average Joe would do in a car of this nature.

Fast enough to land you in clink

The normally-aspirated 1.2 engine churns out 51kW and 103Nm (which Fiat claims is good enough for a top speed of about 160km/h) which feels a tad sleepy initially but if you keep the revs up high it actually trots along quite enthusiastically with the exhaust singing pleasantly cheeky, crispy tunes.

The little 5-door MPV’s strong appeal to small families will no doubt be its spacious interior and flexible packing space.

It wasn't all that happy with the up and down roads that lead in and out of Hout Bay, particularly when heading into a howling South-Easter, but then most juniors in this class have to be pedalled quite hard up Suikerbossie Hill.

Where I think the Panda might battle a bit is up on the thin air of the Reef, particularly with four or five up, but for day-to-day commuting or on duty as a mum's taxi on the school run the boxy Fiat's performance is more than adequate.

Take it easy and feel the difference - a heavier wallet

Drive it sensibly and it will sip only about 6.24 litres/100km. Factor in a three-year/100,000km maintenance plan and you can almost accept its price of R10 short of R160,000 which puts it way above competitors such as Kia Rio 1.2 ( R152,995) and the Citroen C1 Seduction (R125,400). Other competitors also include VW Polo Vivo, Renault Sandero, Chevrolet Aveo, and Ford Figo.

You can boost storage space by sliding the back seats forward or folding them down.

The Panda Lounge version is richer in features than most others in this class are but whether this justifies its price tag is a matter of debate, particularly considering that two less expensive Panda versions are available at R143,990 and R154,990.

Looks, performance and price aside, the little 5-door MPV's strong appeal to small families will no doubt be its spacious interior and flexible packing space (which can easily be increased by sliding the back seats forward or folding them down).

Of course it won't be Italian if it didn't have a few quirky features; for instance a handbrake lever that looks as though it would be more in home in an aircraft and a stubby gear lever that is positioned high up on the instrument panel instead of the usual place on the floor between the front seats.

The cabin is also nice and funky with two-tone seats, but the lighter grey in our test car already showed sticky-finger scars that just couldn't be cleaned away. With children as regular luggage, pretty doesn't always translate to practical.

Fiat has always been good when it comes to small city cars (albeit on the pricey side in this country) and although the Panda doesn't score as many points on the small-and-cool scale as the Champion of Cool Fiat 500, it is, in many ways, in a sexy class all of its own - which makes it as delightful as a fresh-from-mama's-oven Pizza alla Casalinga.

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