Fiat Panda Cross

Anyone who has ever been to the Italian Alps will know that there’s a much sought-after little car that rules the icy mountain roads – Fiat’s original Panda 4x4.

The city car hasn’t been sold in all-wheel-drive form in the UK since the mid-Nineties, but it didn’t go out of production until 2003, and its durability and unbreakable traction whatever the weather made it a huge hit. The Italian firm will be hoping its latest rugged Panda will enjoy similarly long-lived success.

While the petrol-powered Panda 4x4 has been with us for a while, the new Panda Cross has only just joined the range. Set apart by unique styling, the small off-roader is only offered with a 70bhp 1.3-litre diesel – and that means great economy and low emissions.

A combined figure of 54.3mpg is frugal, and in our tests the Cross achieved 40.3mpg. Official CO2 emissions weigh in at 136g/km, while the actual output we calculated during the Fiat’s time with us was 188g/km. This is impressive stuff, but go for the standard front-wheel-drive diesel Panda, and Fiat claims combined economy and emissions of 65.7mpg and 114g/km. So how does the 4x4 justify its dirtier figures?

Certainly not with strong straight-line performance. Even though the 145Nm of torque arrives at only 1,500rpm, the Cross could never be accused of being fast. We took a leisurely 17.2 seconds to get from 0-60mph, making this one of the slowest new cars on sale today.

In reality, this means you need to press the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor simply to keep up with traffic. And when the road goes uphill, you had better be ready to make a swift downchange.

But don’t think that stops the Fiat from being fun. On the contrary, the Panda Cross left us wearing a bigger grin than any other model in this group. Navigating the narrow lanes of the North York Moors, the car’s 1,611mm width helped it squeeze past stubborn sheep and oncoming traffic, while the supple suspension meant it bounced happily over the bumpiest of roads.Head off the tarmac, and the Cross feels truly unstoppable. The tiny tearaway tackled the muddiest tracks we could throw at it with ease. There’s even an electronic differential lock for amazing traction when the going gets really tough.

Back on the tarmac, the Fiat is a capable motorway cruiser as long as you’re prepared to work the engine hard. That’s the only way to keep pace with outside lane traffic.

And the Cross’s cabin is a pleasant place in which to spend time. The interior is carried over from the standard model, but earthy colour schemes give it a more utilitarian feel. Given the Fiat’s size, few will have practicality complaints, either.
Priced at £11,995, the Cross costs £2,000 more than the 1.2-litre petrol Panda 4x4. However, it does come with much more distinctive looks and a performance advantage. This SUV is so characterful, we defy anyone not to fall for it.