Fiat Panda | Hybrid-City-Car | Fiat DE (2024)

FAQs

Is A Fiat Panda A Good car? ›

Is the Fiat Panda a good car? The Fiat Panda feels like a very back-to-basics car compared to its rivals. Its simplistic engineering means this city car is very cheap to buy, run, and maintain. However, it's now feeling very dated, and a zero-star Euro NCAP safety rating is disappointing.

The body design is based on Fiat's 'squircle' theme (squared-off circles), which informs the interiors too. The trim can feel a little cheap and plastic, but the Panda is renowned for its affordability, so you get what you pay for. It also comes in a range of colours – the Italian blue is particularly eye-catching.

Fiat Panda Engines

The Panda's engine range starts off with the 1.2-litre petrol, a low-powered, four-cylinder unit that's modestly economical, and whose main virtue is its low price.

The much-anticipated revived Fiat Panda will arrive next year as a “less is more” crossover to take on the Dacia Sandero, boss Olivier Francois has all but confirmed to Autocar.

The estimated lifespan of a Fiat Panda is 162,000mi, before reaching the life expectancy upper limit. Fuel type is a major factor when looking into a vehicles lifespan/life expectancy.

Compact, lightweight and amazingly responsive, the Fiat Panda Cross is one of the best cars for snow. This rugged version of the best-selling Fiat Panda hatchback beefs things up with a four-wheel-drive system and impressive off-road capabilities.

Fiat Panda

Compared to the other models in Fiat's range, the Panda scores the best on the ReliabilityIndex with an impressive 58. To make things even better, the Panda has a similarly affordable average repair cost to the 500 at around £300.

The Fiat 500 feels more agile thanks to its lower centre of gravity. It handles windy roads better and is a lot of fun behind the wheel, despite not being overly powerful. The Fiat Panda, meanwhile, struggles to tackle corners at higher speeds due to its slightly bigger body and higher sides.

If you buy a Panda for virtually exclusive use in the city then a petrol engine is likely to be your best bet. However if you also intend to use the car out of the city then you should consider the diesel – even though the diesel is likely to represent very small sales in the UK, primarily because it's more expensive.

The third generation Panda debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011, was designed at Fiat Centro Stilo under the direction of Roberto Giolito and remains in production in Italy at Pomigliano d'Arco.

Which country made Fiat Panda? ›

In Sicily, and the rest of Italy for that matter, the Fiat Panda is still a regular sighting — a national treasure affectionately referred to by its inventor, the world's most renowned car designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, as “the fridge.”

According to RepairPal, FIAT ranks 18th out of 32 car brands with a 3.5 out of five reliability rating. The average annual repair costs total $538 for this import brand. Repair shop visits total 0.2 annually, with a 17% chance of a severe repair.

Fuel consumption is excellent, and the engine performance adequate, at least off the motorway. I have driven BMWs for the last 30 years or so, and I actually enjoy driving the Panda. It has excellent visibility, a high-ish driving position, and very simple easy-to-use controls. The clutch is very light, too.

A Hyundai i10, KIA Picanto, Suzuki Splash or Vauxhall Agila. All have high driving positions and all have proper folding rear seats, which the Panda still lacks. The rear seat of the Panda slides, but does not double-fold to leave a flat floor. Our Fuel Cost Calculator shows you which will be the best choice for you.

Panda is equipped with a 1.0 GSE 70HP mild hybrid powertrain for a more respectful approach to mobility - ready and open for new adventures. For this FIAT classic, less is more! With its mild hybrid engine Panda means lower CO2 emissions and reduced running costs.

Compared to the other models in Fiat's range, the Panda scores the best on the ReliabilityIndex with an impressive 58. To make things even better, the Panda has a similarly affordable average repair cost to the 500 at around £300.

FIATs can be expensive to maintain, mainly due to their import status. Owning one for a year can cost you between $500 and $600. However, FIATs are smaller vehicles, so there aren't as many components to maintain as on a larger vehicle.

Fiat Panda's have a excellent reliability rating of 852/999. The score was a mathematical result of the average score of every Fiat Panda that has had a registered MOT. Fiat Panda's reliability review's are reflected in the score. Click here to see how we calculate each score.