The Fiat Panda city car has debuted in Australia – 33 years after it made its first appearance in Europe.
Fiat Australia will be hoping it’s a case of better late than never, with the Panda arriving to further bolster the line-up of offerings from the giant manufacturer of small cars.
The Fiat Panda joins fellow city cars the 500 and Punto, as well as the Freemont people-mover.
Priced from $16,500 driveaway, the Panda has been positioned above both the 500 ($14,000 driveaway) and Punto ($16,000 driveaway).
The premium for the newer car seems slightly odd given the 500 is the brand’s style leader and the Punto is larger; Fiat simply says the Panda is pitched as a different concept of city car.
It says the pricing also means consumers can decide for themselves whether it’s pitched against a variety of sub-compact models, such as the Volkswagen Up, or light cars such as the Mazda 2.
The entry-level Fiat Panda Pop is powered by a 1.2-litre four-cylinder with 51kW of power and 102Nm of torque, though only a five-speed manual transmission is available.
An automatic is available for only two trim grades and matchable with just one engine in the four-strong model line-up – the Easy and Lounge that feature 0.9-litre two-cylinder ‘Twinair’ engine known from the 500 and producing 63kW and 145Nm thanks to its clever electrohydraulic camshafts.
The Easy is priced from $19,000 (before on-road costs) with the manual or $20,500 with the ‘Dualogic’ auto.
The higher specification Lounge auto costs from $22,500.
A 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, with 55kW and 190Nm, is exclusive to the most expensive Fiat Panda – the $24,000 (plus charges) Trekking.
Fiat says the manual-only Pop will still account for the vast majority of Panda sales, with the Trekking set to be the slowest seller.
The Trekking gets quasi-offroader looks via a 5cm-higher ride height and wheelarch cladding, plus a special traction control system for the front wheels.
Fiat Australia had been considering a proper AWD variant call the Panda 4×4 but seems to have gone cold on the idea.
Standard features for the Fiat Panda Pop include 14-inch steel wheels, manual air-con, steering wheel controls, electric front windows, audio with four speakers, and Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
Easy can be accessorised with 15-inch alloy wheels and adds roof rails, six speakers, a ‘Comfort’ kit that brings rear grab handles, height-adjustable seatbelts and glasses holder for driver’s side, plus rear sensors.
Lounge swaps onto 15-inch alloy wheels while extras include foglights, darkened glass, gloss black dash trim, leather steering wheel, climate control, electrically adjustable side mirrors, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, and a detection system that can automatically apply the car’s brakes if it predicts a low-speed crash is imminent.
Seat fabric designs vary between each trim grade.
All Fiat Panda models include the company’s Blue&Me connectivity system, while the car’s dash is also designed to fit an optional Tom Tom that brings satellite navigation for an extra $540.50.
The only other option across the range is metallic paint at $500.
Fiat Panda range
Fiat Panda Pop $16,500 (driveaway)
Fiat Panda Easy manual $19,000
Fiat Panda Easy auto $20,500
Fiat Panda Lounge auto $22,500
Fiat Panda Trekking manual $24,000
Fiat Panda Pop
Engine: 1.2-litre 4cyl
Power: 51kW at 5500rpm
Torque: 102Nm at 3000rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
0-100km/h: 14.2 seconds
Fuel consumption: 5.2L/100km
CO2 emissions: 120g/km
Weight: 950kg
Fiat Panda Easy/Lounge
Engine: 0.9-litre 2cyl turbo
Power: 63kW at 5500rpm
Torque: 145Nm at 1900rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
0-100km/h: 11.2 seconds
Fuel consumption: 4.2L/100km (4.1 auto)
CO2 emissions: 99g/km (95g/km auto)
Weight: 985/990kg
Fiat Panda Trekking
Engine: 1.3-litre 4cyl turbo diesel
Power: 55kW at 4000rpm
Torque: 190Nm at 1500rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
0-100km/h: 12.8 seconds
Fuel consumption: 4.2L/100km
CO2 emissions: 109g/km
Weight: 1040kg
