Good chance you will never see a unit on our roads
Coming with new features for MY2021, the Fiat Panda is still available as a 4×4 with the Fiat 0.9-litre 85hp Twinair engine. The rest of the range is available with the brand’s 1.0-litre mild hybrid unit with 70hp that debuted earlier in 2020. Sadly, there is still no Fiat dealer in Malaysia and no sign of a possible dealer arriving in the next 4 to 5 years. This is why older Fiat models are still very treasured in Malaysia and their numbers are dwindling due to rust and lack of parts.
Over the past few years, there have been some adventurous private car importers bringing and selling the cute Abarthmodels with some success, like the Abarth 695 Tributo XSR and others.
Panda Life range
The new Panda Life range offers an affordable car packed with smart solutions. The entry level Panda model provides body-coloured bumpers, 14-inch steel wheels, air conditioning and DAB radio with MP3 compatibility and USB connectivity.
The Panda City Life builds on this with front fog lights, new front bumpers, a brand-new insert in the side skirts and 15-inch dark metal alloy wheels. Various black exterior elements, including the roof rack, side protection, door mirror housings and external handles, complete the look.
Inside, two-tone grey seats and an anthracite-coloured dashboard complements the exterior, while leather steering wheel and audio controls, manual air conditioning and Uconnect system complete with DAB radio, Bluetooth and smartphone mount installed on the dashboard complete the standard specification.
The Panda Wild 4×4 tops the Panda Life range with the same exterior and interior features as the Panda City Life, but adds all-wheel drive, rear differential gear locking, and front and rear skidplates.
Panda Sport
The Sport model joins the Panda line-up for the first time. It is instantly recognisable thanks to new 16-inch alloy wheels, red brake callipers, darkened rear windows, and body-coloured door handles and door mirrors. A new dedicated matt grey paint is available exclusively on Panda Sport with the option to choose glossy black roof top and door mirrors.
Inside, a titanium-coloured dashboard, door panels in eco-leather, black roof and new seats with dark grey upholstery, red stitching and eco-leather details and techno-leather steering wheel with red stitching, complement the exterior styling.
Panda Cross range
The Panda City Cross provides a robust exterior look coupled with features never-before-seen on Panda. On the outside, LED DRL headlights, black door mirrors, handles, roof rack and side sills, 15-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers and skidplates complete the look, while a new ceramic blue pastel paint is available for the first time. Inside, new blue and black two-tone eco-leather upholstery on the door panels and seats with silver stitching and fabric side panels finish the look. Automatic climate control is also standard.
The new line-up is completed by the Panda Cross 4×4. Building on the Panda City Cross, the Cross 4×4 receives all terrain selector with three modes (Auto, Off-road, Hill Descent Control), all-wheel drive, rear differential gear locking and rear parking sensors. The standard specification is completed with red front tow hooks, electrically adjustable and heated body-coloured door mirrors, front and rear bumper with silver skid plates, silver side mouldings and roof rails and dark tinted rear windows. Inside, the new dashboard is made from processed waste wood, while the new black and grey two-tone seats feature fabric in the centre panel made from at least 37 per cent recycled material.
The new Mild Hybrid engine is now available across the 4×2 line-up
Launched in February with the Panda Hybrid Launch Edition, mild hybrid technology is now available throughout the 4×2 Panda line-up, providing all the benefits of efficient, compact, lightweight and accessible hybrid driving.
The mild hybrid petrol engine pairs the new Euro 6D Final-compliant 70hp 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engine from the FireFly family with a Belt-integrated Starter Generator (BSG) electric motor. The latter recovers energy during braking and deceleration, stores it in a lithium battery with a capacity of 11Ah, and uses it at a peak output of 3.6kW, to restart the engine in Stop&Start mode and assists acceleration. The transmission takes on the new 6-speed gearbox, designed to further optimise the engine’s range of usage.
The new Fiat Panda range will be available to order from early November priced from £11,895 OTR for the Fiat Panda 1.0-litre 70hp petrol model.
