Test Drive Fiat Panda since 2003 Hatchback

All photos Fiat Panda since 2003

Bear in the city

What associations do you have with the word panda? Most likely, you will introduce a cute animal family of raccoon, melancholy eating leaves of a young bamboo. Especially strange that under the name is a little yurt Fiat Panda in Europe in Europe of the year 2004.
The purpose of our test was surprisingly easy to understand what the Europeans choose, because the competition car is held with us.
Only for the city
Panda appearance is typical for the design concept of the brand of recent years. Everything is very simple: the hood and body, seeing Mikrovan, though very micro. A bright lemon car with the same upholstery of the seats immediately touched us on a positive wave. The design of Panda can be quite calm, in his appearance there is no publicity of the public, as sometime Ford ka. It is not in Italian pragmatic, from all external attributes, only a large emblem on a falseradiator grille can be distinguished. By and large, if it were not for the letters of Fiat, the bear would have completely walked for a car from the country of morning freshness. Calm design slightly dilute narrow trunk vents and rear lights with a small break.

Is it really so boring? Not at all! Oddly enough, Panda is exactly what is needed by Europeans. They, as people pragmatic, are ready to pay for a practical and convenient car with low fuel consumption and are still attempting to shock the surrounding design of their car. Therefore, happiness smiled with the little Italian, and he is completely calm for his future.

Inside Panda is more interesting and more fun. The seats are covered with an embossed material under the color of the semantic load body. This solution does not carry, but significantly revives the interior. The main element of the interior is the central console. It contains the entire affordable owner of the Panda toolkit. Climate control handles are combined into two layers, and the function keys in a convenient unit. At the tille of the central console, the lever of the 5-speed gearbox is located, on the sides of which the windows keys are on duty. The devices although not the largest, but are well read through a large digitization, and the route computer is always in the center of the driver's attention. The quality of finishing materials can be raised well, especially against the background of the descendants of the Panda Fiat 124 descendants. In any case, in an inexpensive European standards, we did not find indecently large gaps between the details of the hard plastic and the notorious burrs. True, the management bodies of the same stove work sufficiently rude, and the buttons of the windows are hard. But to sit behind the wheel of Panda convenient: thanks to the fact that the car is high, even the driver in 190 cm does not feel the pressure of the ceiling, on which, by the way, there is no handrail. The rear seat with a continuous back is equipped with optional head restraints that, if necessary, are almost completely removed into it. Naturally, the number of head restraints (three) in the back seat of a small car is not equal to the number of potential adult passengers on it. In principle, you can sit together, but only if the driver and front passenger will be sighted. The trunk of Panda is small, that for the city car is the norm. The seat folding in equal proportions, the option, so the use of a bear as a light truck can be immediately forgotten.

The glazing area of \u200b\u200bthe car is quite large enough, but almost cosmetic rear-view mirrors perform as a spoon, and from here some problems with orientation in space.

But, in the end, this car is for the city, and we are simply obliged to check whether it is comfortable in the city jungle, as his namesake in the forests of Western China.

About the motor and not only
In Russia, the European favorite is offered with a 1,200 cubic gasoline engine. See and with a capacity of 60 hp, but in addition to the traditional mechanical gearbox, you can order a car and with a machine gun. The engine works quietly, does not annoy the vibrations and outsiders, and the Italians worked on sound insulation of the cabin well. True, the gear shift mechanism is in charge with sufficiently informative gas and clutch pedals. Still, relatives with Alfa Romeo play their role. In the process of overclocking the motor continues to work as quiet as idling. And even in the upper range of revolutions in his voice there are no unpleasant metal notes. Panda is not the fastest car, up to 100 km / h. It accelerates as much as 14 s, thereby proving its direct appointment of a leisure and comfortable ride in urban mess. And turn the motor on such a car more than meaningless.

The steering control with the electric powerful has two modes of operation, which can be conventionally called the city / route. In the first mode, at a small speed, the steering wheel can be turned with a little finger, which, of course, is good when parking and maneuvering, and in the second case, the steering wheel becomes rustic, although the second mode has not adds the reaction mode. Turning the piloting skills to Panda inappropriately also because the car is strongly cubed and demonstrates a tendency to drift. Still, after all, our high and narrow bear fruit is far from maps. But nevertheless, thanks to a small dimensions and a light steering wheel, it is quite convenient to move around the city on it.

Speaking about the comfort of movement, it is impossible not to mark the work of the suspension. Front on a small car installed McPherson racks, and a semi-dependent beam with a stabilizer is installed. And the Panda suspension absorbs all irregularities and potholes with the same pleasure, with which the real panda absorbs bamboo sprouts. As a result, it turns out that Panda is generally a good car, even very good, especially for those tasks that he is called to perform. And now the moment of truth comes: the potential buyer goes to the salon. How much to take money? Well, let's consider.

In the basic configuration, the car costs 9135 euros, that is, almost 12 thousand dollars! It is impossible to say that the buyer receives little car for this money. If you do not pay attention to the size of Panda, its basic equipment is quite extensive. It includes a driver's airbag, front electric windows, radio training and other pleasant things. It is happening to the owner to be a smoker, his destructive addiction will cost an additional 20 euros for the cigarette lighter, and the air conditioner will drip the cost of the car more hundreds of six in European currency. Next, the price list begins to take the three-digit numbers, it is necessary to pay for everything, including moldings on the doors and adjustable to the height of the driver's safety belt. It turns out a very impressive figure, and even in the euro.

But if you refuse the imaginary benefits of civilization in the form of an air conditioner and from some trifles, then you can fully enjoy communication with this cute car.

So why exactly Panda, according to our colleagues, has become a car of the year in Europe? Unlike other competitors, he creates a good mood, like a lot, which is connected with Italy, and with pandas. This choice is rather emotional. In addition, the car is unpretentious and not overloaded with electronics and wires. He has a modest appetite of only 7.1 liters per 100 km in the city cycle, and at the current cost of fuel in Europe, this is hardly the main argument. Plus, the small fuel consumption implies a small amount of harmful emissions that in today's Europe is also relevant. Especially since its decision, European journalists took EUROnCAP crash tests, in which Panda received only 3 stars.

Some technical features FIAT PANDA
(manufacturer data)
Dimensions, mm 3538x1578x1540
Base, mm 2299
Pitch in front / rear, mm 1366/1357
Engine type gasoline row 4-cylinder
Working volume, cube. CM 1242.
Max. Power, hp / rpm 60/5000
Max. Moment, nm / rpm 102/2500
Transmission mechanical 5-speed
Tires 175/70 R13
Max. Speed, km / h 155
Overclocking time 0100 km / h, from 14
Fuel consumption (EU), l / 100 km 7.1 / 4.8 / 5.6
Tank volume, l 35
Fedor Oldin
Photo by Alexander Vasilyev