Vehicles: What does it take to make a Panda Cross? No, not a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. ‘Cross’ is the moniker for the latest and most upmarket version of Fiat’s Panda 4×4
Fiat’s mini off-roader has been around for the past 30-odd years. Progress has taken it from a simple utility vehicle designed to hoist Mama and livestock over the Italian hills and far, far away, to something a little more sophisticated — yet it’s still, by some distance, the smallest, cheekiest 4×4 around.
The latest Cross version hikes up the range again, although the more basic Panda 4×4 goes on unchanged: we looked at the latter earlier this year alongside the larger, equally budget-priced Dacia Duster. Check out how diminuitive Italian fared against feisty Romanian in profi 03/14.
So what’s new on the Cross? This Panda gets a little more ground clearance from bigger tyres, improved attack angles for easier offroad frolics, better underbody protection and three-mode Terrain Control with a hill descent function. That’s all good, as we had found clearance (or a lack of it) to be a problem. Engine options stay the same — a 1.3 MultiJet II diesel or a 900cc TwinAir Turbo petrol — though both gain a little more power. And the price has floated higher by two grand, settling at £16,945 for the five-speed diesel and £15,945 for the slightly stronger- engined, six-geared petrol. An auto isn’t offered.
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