The small Panda SUV 4×4, the undisputed icon of Fiat, has left its price list and probably won’t have a “real” successor. One more reason to rediscover its beautiful story.
Unlike the Fiesta, which Ford had announced the end of its production next summer with a very romantic mini-video that went viral in the space of a few hours, the Fiat Panda 4×4 has disappeared from the price list of Turin houses in total silence.
The “Pandino” dates back to almost 10 years ago, but the myth has much more distant origins. In 1984 he ventured off-road for the first time, showing off fatigue resistance and mobility, achieving great success, which today has turned into adoration.
The story of a legend
The first Fiat Panda 4×4 debuted in 1983, at the end of June. Conceived to all intents and purposes as a small SUV, it is powered by the same 965 cc Autobianchi A112 4-cylinder in-line engine. The vehicle’s advantage of being able to go anywhere is also due to the reliable all-wheel drive system manufactured by Steyer-Puch in Austriawhich supplies the Turin company with complete transmissions (clutch, gearbox, drive shaft and rear axle parts).
However, in the absence of a real gearbox, the Panda 4×4 boasts its own characteristics: on the so-called ‘Primino‘, a first gear ratio short enough to tackle even the toughest climbs with ease.
Based on an updated version of the Panda”Supernova“, remained in the Fiat price list from 1986 to 2003 with a new style in 1991, Fiat launched a special limited edition SUV in September 1985. In sale only 5,000 specimensthe new Panda 4×4 was slightly modified inside and, at first glance, immediately recognizable due to the additional driving lights, the decorative stripes on the sides and the luggage rack.
The stylistic “refresh” of the 1991 Panda also affected the 4×4 version, immediately recognizable by the large “Panda 4×4” lettering right on the sheet metal tailgate. A lighter, more advanced and more efficient FIRE engine finally made its debut under the bonnet, in production since 1985 and first installed in the Autobianchi Y10.
New 1108 cc and 50 HP engine, the new 4-cylinder foregoes carburettor power in favor of the latest Bosch electronic fuel injection system and features an exhaust system with three-way catalytic converter.
The versions “Basic” And “St” of the Panda 4×4 are flanked by the elegant Val d’Isere (reserved for the French market), Trekking And Country Club. At the beginning of 1995, the power of the 1100 increased by 4 bhp, but performance remained almost unchanged: the top speed in fifth gear was around 130 km/h.
A myth that is renewed
In 2004 they presented the Fiat Panda 4×4 second generation model. The car always rests on a reinforced and raised platform to offer greater traction on the most “difficult” surfaces, being able to count on a constant four-wheel drive system.
Under completely normal conditions, traction is exclusively on the front wheels, but as the front wheels lose traction, torque is gradually transferred to the rear wheels without the need for driver intervention. Available two engines: 60 bhp 1.2 petrol. and, since the end of 2005, a 69 bhp 1.3 multijet diesel.
With the Fiat Panda Cross the Turin-based company approached the world of SUVs for the first time. The mechanics are the same as the normal Panda 4×4, completed by a redesigned front bodywork, reinforced sides with a plastic protection, and a rear part also with circular lights and plastic protective bands. The only engine available is a 69 bhp 1.3 turbodiesel. Standard equipment is completed by manual climate control, electronic stability control and alloy wheels.
One last heir
The current generation of the Panda 4×4, on sale since 2012, continues the Fiat tradition of small SUVs, started by its more distant ancestor in 1983. All with the aim of improving the qualities of a great climber and off-road manoeuvrability. The permanent all-wheel drive system is electronically controlled and features an ELD electronic limited slip differential.
Much appreciated by audiences and critics, in 2012 the British magazine Top Gear ha named her as best SUV of the year.
