Autocar - First for car news and reviews

What is it?

It’s the new Fiat Panda 100hp, and there aren’t enough cars like it in the world. At risk of sounding like a miserable old duffer, mainstream cars are typically nowhere near as much fun as they used to be. That they’re stronger, safer and more refined is beyond question. It’s just that they’ve lost much of their excitement along the way. So the arrival of the Panda 100hp is rather refreshing, because it’s a wee bundle of fun.

What’s it like?

Great t...Read the full article

Blimey Autocar, have you really only just got round to testing properly this little gem?

A genuine fun small car which, as you described, is a welcome fun blast from the old school past! 

The only reason I didn't buy one was down to the width of the cabin.  I am quite broad shouldered and where I have to have the seat positioned, my shoulders hit the B pillar.  Other than that, great car.

Personally I am at a loss as to what all the fuss is about regarding its sister car, the 500.  Save yourself a good couple of quid and buy this little pocket rocket.

The MD of a company I do a little business with has one of these for his wife. Only things is she never actually gets her chance to drive because he insists of taking it first, leaving her with his new Brera V6.

He let me have a crack in it, what a fantastic little car. The thing that is really right about this car is it's looks. it does not rely on big wheels and large spoilers, yet it looks more sporting than alot of other so say other sports cars. Fiat really knows how to do small cars better than most others.

fully agree.  the 500 is nothing more than a fashionable, but heavier and less fun to drive version of the 100HP.

if you want fashion get the 500.

if you want to enjoy driving, get the 100HP and save a packet in the process.

I'd love one as a runaround.

Autocar:

mainstream cars are typically nowhere near as much fun as they used to be. That they’re stronger, safer and more refined is beyond question. It’s just that they’ve lost much of their excitement along the way.

Couldn't agree more.  In fact, I'd have to say that this sums up just about all cars in the last ten years.  Refinement, perceived quality, interior space and safety have all taken massive steps forward, however the increased weight has really taken a lot of the fun out of driving cars.  Thankfully, the old school cars like the Panda allow drivers to enjoy the art of driving and become involved in the experience of it, rather than being isolated from it with sound deadening and soft touch plastics.

I Have just bought one,with 21000,on the clock,its sheer fun to drive.I am  very impressed with the build quality/paint work,(electroclash grey)which suits it admirably,I paid £4.47p extra on my insurance,over my Panda 1.2 litre.Have managed to eek out 49.7 m.p.g.as well.As my back up car for my Nissan Leaf,its ideal.The brakes,take alot of getting used to though!

Brilliant little car. I've run a few standard Pandas as hire cars over in Italy and found them a hoot to drive. 100hp version sounds like about as much fun you can have with your cloths on.

Just out of interest what's it like on longer motorway cruises? The standard 1.2 petrol and 1.3 Multijet Diesel are both surprisingly refined at 140-150kmh on the Autostrada. I've heard the 100hp is a bit undergeared and noisey.

The new Panda is set to have the TwinAir unit slotted under the hood. Should be interesting...

Fidji:

The new Panda is set to have the TwinAir unit slotted under the hood. Should be interesting...

The new Panda will be much improved no doubt. As far as drivers who enjoy driving are concerned though it will be a pale shadow of the current Panda in the same way the current BMW 330i is a pale shadow of the E36 328i I drove back in 1997.

The current Panda has been around for a while, and although it has just three EuroNCAP stars, it's rock bottom prices, pure simplicity and rugged reliability have won it many fans. I do hope that the upcoming Panda sticks to these principles, as basic city cars are hard to come by these days, and that is why the Panda sold by the million. I know the access to the TwinAir engine is good, but that little motor's expensive, and the cheaper 1.2 would probably make the better choice, the TwinAir being the better option in the 500. It's a shame the 1.1 was axed; it was dirt cheap, and was actually quite clean. It did originate from the Uno, but it is still very capable by today's standards.

Fidji:

The current Panda has been around for a while, and although it has just three EuroNCAP stars, it's rock bottom prices, pure simplicity and rugged reliability have won it many fans.

Always been a fan of Giugiaro's penultimate creation - a rugged wee fighter, capable of traversing most terrains. Am running a lowly dust covered version all over southern Spain at the moment, Malaga, Cardoba, Seville, Coin, up and down mountain roads - Nirvana: not a single instance of traffic congestion anywhere, not even in the cities - but ... it falls backwards going uphill unless I rev the nuts off it.

Would prefer the 100 hp.