In the city car class, the Panda Multijet faces little competition. Most cars in this sector are petrol-powered: few buyers spending around £7000 reckon a diesel’s better fuel
consumption and lower CO2 outputs are worth a £1000 premium. The only similar-sized oil-burning rivals are the £9095 Citroën C2 1.4 HDi and the soon-to-be-replaced £8765 Volkswagen Lupo 1.7 SDi. Step up to superminis and there are cut-price offerings such as the £8125 VW Polo 1.9 SDi or the £8695 Hyundai Getz 1.5 CRTD, but at £7895 the Panda is the UK’s cheapest diesel.
The Panda also has the world’s smallest common-rail turbodiesel engine. Shared with the Vauxhall Corsa and Tigra, the 1248cc dohc unit features all-alloy construction and Multijet direct injection. By dividing each injector into several smaller units, the Multijet provides more accurate fuelling to improve performance and refinement without increasing fuel consumption.
With 69bhp, the 16-valve diesel is the most powerful engine in the Panda range, outgunning the 54bhp 1.1- and 60bhp 1.2-litre eight-valve ‘FIRE’ petrols. The Multijet also has strong torque, its 107lb ft beating the Lupo’s 84lb ft and coming closely behind the C2’s 111lb ft.
The diesel Panda sits on the same chassis as its petrol siblings, with MacPherson struts up front, a torsion beam at the rear and coil springs all round. The front wheels are driven through a modified version of the 1.2’s five-speed manual transmission, with taller ratios for the first three gears