posted 6 years ago

The Panda has been around for over thirty years and in 2011 the city car entered its third generation. A 4x4 version came onto the market last year as did a two-wheel drive Trekking with 4x4 looks and traction technology for those wanting more than a normal Panda.

What is the spec like on the Panda Trekking?

Over the standard Panda the Trekking has body coloured 4x4 look bumpers with a black skid plate, black wheel arches and side skirts and roof rails giving it a rugged look. With a Sicilian Orange paint job it really does stand out on the roads and although you may recoil at the colour, I did the same, I actually really liked it by the end of my time with the car.

Fiat have kept the interior really simple with squircle shapes featured on the dials, steering wheel and the black gloss finish centre console. I love the attention to detail with ‘Panda’ lettering covering the interior door panels. The orange colour makes its way into the interior by trim panels on the doors and on the headrests.

The front seats are comfortable although the rear bench seat is a bit too upright and would struggle to seat five.

Standard equipment on this Trekking included: 15” alloy wheels with mud and snow tyres, an external temperature sensor, the Fiat Blue&Me 2 Bluetooth and USB system, height adjustable steering wheel, electrically adjustable, heated door mirrors, a Fix&Go tyre repair kit, daytime running lights, air-conditioning,front foglights, electric front windows and a radio with CD and MP3 player.

What’s it like to drive?

The test car we had came with the 85hp 875cc engine, which might sound small and powerless but this is the award-winning Fiat TwinAir, which has a top speed of 106 mph and using a smooth six-speed manual made light work of getting to 70mph.

It’s fun to drive although the TwinAir engine can be quite noisy at times, something you either love or hate. It is a very economical car emitting just 105g/km of CO2 and has a combined mpg figure of 61.4, helped by the added Eco button and Start&Stop which will try to achieve these figures.

It works well as a nippy town car, with Dualdrive power steering the City button will make it extremely light, so ideal for whizzing in and manoevring into car parking spaces.

One benefit is the Traction Plus which makes it drives just as well out in the countryside and the suspension gives it a comfortable ride on diverse road conditions. Steering is responsive and the Fiat Panda Trekking is a solid, sturdy ride with equipment including Hill Holder.

Safety equipment includes driver and passenger front airbags, front anti-whiplash head restraints and window airbags.

Fiat Panda Trekking price and verdict

The Fiat Panda Trekking starts at £12,495, with extras such as the Sicilian Orange paint costing £290 and the side airbags an extra £200. When I first drove the second generation Fiat Panda back in 2004 I was really surprised at how well it drove and remember raving about it to people. Fast forward ten years later and the Trekking is no different, it is a great car for the price, very practical and the ideal vehicle for families not looking for the usual crossover model.

Motoring.co.uk likes on the Fiat Panda Trekking:

Steering

Fuel economy on TwinAir engine

Interior details

Motoring.co.uk dislikes on the Fiat Panda Trekking:

Rear bench seat