There are a few items that I believe every man should own for every possible contingency: A Scorpion light tank; a flamethrower; and Semtex high explosives. Sadly I don’t have any of the three and I am far too irresponsible to own them! It doesn’t mean I don’t covet them.
The new Fiat Panda Cross could be classified as a similar contingency item. I will explain why. Fortunately it is legal to own, if you pay approx £16,000 plus to buy one; is easily available from 20th September this year in the UK; and you may be thought of, as very responsible if you drive one.
Anyway, I hear you think: Why is this Panda Cross? Is it the Kung Fu Panda to the normal Panda range? The simple answers are that: It is calm in any conditions, as the driver will be; and that it has special skills like Kung Fu Panda, which can be called on for when the going gets tough.
The car itself is a 9mm jacked up version of the standard Panda 4×4; with steel front and rear skid plates; a clever manually selectable, 4×4 and separate hill decent function or auto mode, all on one dial; Electronic Differential Lock; Electronic Stability Control, all which electric trickeries give it decent off road capabilities. It is a fully spec’ed with top Panda range audio, climate and leather bits. It has a distinctive look, due to: the higher ride; raised side lights; new grill and exterior trim and skid plates. It also has extra bulkhead sound deadening.
The whole effect is intended to make it a mini ‘budget SUV’ for SUV wannabes. With 20% of all cars sold in Europe now being SUV’s, Fiat want to tap directly into this market, and why not? BMW etc. have entered every conceivable niche including niches for niches, or so it seems. The traditional mass market manufacturers have seen market share eroded due to relying on too few models. Fiat therefore wants to brand this as an SUV and ‘thrown in’ the extra bits to convince people that it is.
One trick Fiat has missed on, is that being a small car, it is easy to park. This will deter traditional SUV purchasers of Chelsea Tractors, sorry SUV’s, as a complete inability to park, is apparently a dealer pre-requisite of entitlement to purchase. Fiat want to market it as a City car you can take on your dirty weekends! Before you get too excited, as in, with your clothes on, driving on muddy, wet, snowy or rough conditions.
It looks the part, in miniature, and ticks the boxes, but does it deliver? That is what Tartan Tarmac went to Italy to report on. Not for the food and wine and grappa, and pasta and pizza. Honestly!
The Cross comes with either of, the familiar two cylinder, Twin-Air 900cc or 1.3 diesel. Both have an extra 5bhp over the standard engines. Performance isn’t why you buy these cars. For mud plugging a torquey diesel is usually the best choice and is here. It will be more economical, quieter, useable and durable in real life ownership. It pulls like a1.6 normally aspirated petrol. It is smooth and has adequate ‘go’ on most roads. It sat at a ‘flat out’ 100mph for miles without too much aural strain. At legal speeds it is competent and adequate for what it is.
The Cross comes as standard, with Mud & Snow All Season tyres. Standard tyres are a no cost option. The M&S tyres are noisier than standard. Typically like most M&S tyres, they are more ‘squidgey’ than standard tyres in cornering and handling. If these are the only ones you will keep on the car you won’t notice it… after a while. It remains to be seen whether they will last as long in + 7c temperatures as standard tyres . Due to their small 185/65/15 size, they are cheaper than typical SUV tyres, so you could probably keep a Winter and Sumer set, unless you intend to have a lot of ‘ dirty weekends’!
The ride is very good. Flat, balanced, quiet and deals with standard pot holes and undulations easily. Off road it is composed and competent. Being on conventional springs and dampers it will never cosset like expensive electric damping on some 4×4’s. Nor should it. With 24 degree approach and 34 degree departure angle capability, 70 degree climb, short overhangs, light weight, and small size, it handled the off road test at Fiat’s proving ground and local rough tracks without difficulty.
Usually 98% of the drive goes to the front wheels. Even when manually switched onto full time 4×4 mode it cuts to 98% FWD above 30mph to improve economy. Whilst there are benefits to permanent 4×4, in stability and grip, that is always at an economy disadvantage. Due to the Cross’s lack of performance, not having that choice, is a wise move on Fiat’s part.
The interior trim is standard Panda, plus shiny and leathery bits. In short, basic, functional and built to its price point. As you pay extra for the hardware the price can seem steep for the trim. The pre-production test car had burnt orange dash surround, which didn’t match the rest of the trim colours. That may change. It should. The Cross is well screwed together and didn’t squeak or rattle over the rough surfaces. It should have a full size spare as standard. At present a space saver is an option. You can’t find a Kwik Fit, 10 miles off road! Various customization options typically found on higher segment cars, like heated front seat are available at a comparatively reasonable price.
That ‘comparatively’ is the main question here.
The chances of SUV 4×4’s, be it a Q3 or an Evoque or any other, going off road, apart from onto the pavement to park, are remote. Owners happily pay for redundant, redundant capability. In the heavier SUV’s, that also includes extra wear on suspension brakes and tyres. Additionally service costs for many premium 4×4 are high, due to captive part availability and maintaining them to achieve the redundant, redundant capability. Those wont apply with the Cross, as it uses basic Panda parts.
Want a really cheap 4×4? Buy a Dacia Duster, or a secondhand older car. If function is more important than over ANY perceived style a new Duster does both. Like the Hyundai and Kia SUV ‘s, the Duster is a truly ugly car. If perceived style is much more important than function, which it is for most peoples buying criteria, then you will need to spend about twice the Cross’s price to get the same off road ability. That to me is the key point on this car. Three years ago when we had our terrible winter, you couldn’t find a secondhand Panda 4×4 in the UK for sale. The contingency car that suddenly everyone needed. It is a niche product for those with more sense, than money. For those who wear sports clothing to do sport. For those who actually own a car they can afford and not buy a car for as much as they can pay a month, just to impress others. Whichever way bought, those premium SUV’s will loose in one to three years, the equivalent of the Cross’s total price. What you will be left with, with the Cross, is a second car you will probably just keep, for contingencies!
Charm, is an undervalued attribute. The Cross and indeed the Panda, has it. Charm, like this little car, will generally get you places that, faux style, crudeness or overt opulence, generally wont.
Come 20th September lets see if buyers agree, or if they will continue to spend significantly more to pose!
VITAL STATS:
 CAR: Fiat Panda Cross
 PRICE: £16,945
 ENGINES: 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
 PERFORMANCE: Top speed 99mph,  0-62 mph 14.3 seconds
 ECONOMY: 60.1 mpg
 CO2 EMISSIONS: 125 g/km
