I stood watching as the new Fiat Panda 4x4 crept up the 45 degree incline and then stopped half way, wheels spinning as it attempted to get a grip on the slippery muddy surface. At the launch of the new 4x4 model on Salisbury Plain, journalists had been told that the new supermini would readily climb gradients in excess of fifty percent, but to watch it climb steadily up and over and then continue and complete the tough off road route, sealed my faith in its abilities. The front wheel drive Panda is light and has good traction control, which helps its off road competence but its four wheel drive system is automatic. Sensors detect when a wheel slips and directs power automatically to that wheel. It also has an extended ground clearance of 165mm and an engine sump guard.

The Panda 4x4 has undergone extreme testing in Lapland in temperatures of minus 40 degrees, in the Kalahari Desert and finally, two Panda 4x4s set out from Kathmandu to drive through the Himalayas to the Mount Everest advance base camp.

Of course, there are few of us who would buy a Panda that would expect to drive it across this sort of terrain, but the Panda has brought four by four ability to a market that previously could not afford it. Rural nurses, trainee vets and farmers wives can now purchase the car that will carry them across rough ground for a mere £9,195.

Launched in June 1983, the cute little Panda became a cult hit. The urban chic chunky exterior styling on the new model, still retains those ‘ah’ like characteristics and the range now includes three trim levels and seven versions, including the latest 4x4 and a new 1.3 16V Multijet turbodiesel version which has a combined fuel consumption of 65.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 114g/m, with an annual car tax bill of just £85.

I found the interior of the car quite spacious, with adequate room for elbows between my passenger and I. Cabin storage includes two enclosed dashboard compartments, generous door pockets, centre console cup holders and a removable rear parcel shelf. The combination of a raised driving position, height adjustable seat, rake adjustable steering wheel and generous glazing means the Fiat Panda has a comfortable, highly adaptable driving position, allied to excellent all round visibility. The optional sky dome electric sunroof also adds to the very airy cabin feel.

Standard features include electric front windows with driver’s one touch facility, RDS radio cassette with four speakers, dualdrive electric power steering, follow me home headlights, intelligent windscreen wipers, heated rear window with intelligent wash/wipe, foglights, 14” alloy wheels, body coloured bumpers and black aluminium roof bars.

Fiat has equipped the Panda with the full range of braking, traction control and stability systems available, ABS, EBD, ASR, MSR and ESP – the only car in its class to offer this system. Vehicles fitted with ESP also benefit from hydraulic brake assistance and a Hill Holder function. ISOFIX child seat attachments are included and Panda may be fitted with up to six airbags.

The new 4x4, which went on sale on 5th February and has already won the European Car of the Year 2004 is powered by Fiat’s spirited FIRE 1.2 litre 60bhp engine, which is mated, via a 5 speed manual gearbox, to a four wheel drive transmission system.

Fiat expects to sell around 10,000 units of mini sized five door Pandas in the UK this year, with at least 1000 of this total being made up of the new 4x4 model.

If you are looking for a town run about but with a four wheel drive capacity, then you couldn’t do better than the Fiat Panda 4x4 and its size and emissions content should put a smile on the faces of the anti 4x4 brigade!

By Sue Cooke