New Fiat Panda facelift gains Sport model as part of nip-tuck
The Fiat Panda has been overhauled for 2020, with a new infotainment display part of the package alongside a new look trim structure
The Fiat Panda has been given a mild facelift for 2020 with the updated version of the brand’s rugged city car landing in UK showrooms this November, priced from £11,895.
Alongside a slightly updated exterior design, the Panda gains some important new technology updates and a new look trim structure, with the arrival of a new Sport model part of the shake-up.
The Panda gets newly designed bumpers and a refreshed colour palette as part of a range of minor design updates, while the interior is now home to a dashboard and seats trimmed with recycled plastic materials.
The biggest change comes in the form of a revised trim structure with three ‘ranges’ now part of the Panda family: Life, Sport and Cross.
The Panda Life range kicks off from that £11,895 price tag with body-coloured bumpers, 14-inch steel wheels, air conditioning and a DAB radio system with MP3 and USB connectivity. Power is provided by the Panda’s new 1.0-litre three-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine developing 69bhp - one of two engines available across the Panda line-up.
From £12,595 is the Panda City Life, also with the 69bhp 1.0-litre mild hybrid engine. It builds on the entry-level Panda Life with front fog lights, new front bumpers and side skirts and 15-inch alloy wheels. Inside it features two-tone grey seating, a leather steering wheel and a Uconnect infotainment system with Bluetooth.
The Panda Wild 4x4 is next up the rung with the same exterior and interior features as the City Life, but with an 83bhp 0.9-litre TwinAir two-cylinder turbo engine, four-wheel-drive, a rear locking differential and front and rear skid plates. It’s priced from £16,295.
Buyers looking for a hot Fiat Panda haven’t been offered one since the 100HP variant of the second-generation model, but the new Sport model is just a new trim, and not a genuinely warmed up version of the firm’s cheapest car. As such, it’s also powered by the new 69bhp mild hybrid three-cylinder petrol engine. It gains newly designed 16-inch alloy wheels with diamond cut effect, red brake calipers, tinted rear windows, body coloured door handles, and a new matte grey paint exclusive to Sport models, available with contrasting black roof and mirrors.
Inside, the Panda Sport is fitted with a titanium coloured dashboard, door panels in eco-leather, it gets a black headliner and the sportier looking seats are trimmed in dark grey with red stitching. The steering wheel is trimmed in leather and also gets red stitching, while the Panda Sport is priced from £13,295.
The new-look Panda Cross range begins with the £13,995 1.0-litre Panda City Cross. It features new LED daytime running lights as standard, black door mirrors and handles, roof rack and 15-inch alloy wheels. Fiat has added a new blue colour to the palette, while inside black and blue two-tone eco-leather upholstery is applied.
The new £17,995 Panda Cross 4x4, like the City Wild 4x4, uses the 0.9-litre TwinAir turbocharged two-cylinder engine developing 83bhp. The Panda Cross gets a slightly more sophisticated off-road system with a terrain selector with three modes - Auto, Off-Road and Hill Descent Control - while it also receives rear parking sensors. Red tow hooks protrude from the front bumper, the mirrors are heated and electrically adjustable, while inside it gets a dashboard made from processed waste wood, and black and grey seats trimmed in recycled material.
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