SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.
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Posted: 18 September 2017
The numbers
Price: R 199 900
Engine: 875 cc, chain driven SOHC, eight valve, inline twin cylinder, turbocharged
Power: 63 kW at 5500 rpm
Torque: 145 Nm at 1900 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds
Maximum speed: 177 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 6.2 l/100 km
Tank: 37 litres
Luggage: 225 – 870 litres
Warranty and service plan: 3 years / 100 000 km
It is said that the more things stay the same, the more they change. Fiat’s third-generation Panda is like that.
It looks just as it did in 2013 when we drove a 1.2-litre Lounge version, but with one obvious change. That car had 15” alloy wheels as standard equipment. The new one comes with 14-inch steel rims although you can upgrade to alloys for R3000. Or go bigger and fit 15-inch, but that little extravagance would cost R4500.
A peek inside reveals that the mirror on the driver’s side sun visor has gone, the front passenger seat no longer folds flat and the electric door mirrors became manual. The CD player is history and there is a new bracket with USB charging socket on top of the dash. It’s adjustable to take almost any cellular phone so that, once you’ve downloaded Panda Uconnect, all your favourite applications interact seamlessly with the car. You can even look up, from inside your home or office, when the next service is due and where you left the vehicle. Now that’s potentially scary but we’ll let it go…
Unseen new kit includes a completely different engine (more later), tyre pressure monitoring, hill holder, rear parking sensors, autolocking on the move, automatic stop-‘n-start and VDC. That’s the safety function that helps keep the car under control when surfaces get slippery or you enter a corner a little injudiciously. It applies gentle braking to whichever wheels need disciplining until things are under control again. Caveat: Laws of physics naturally apply, so if you do something really bone-headed you will still come off second best. Just saying …
A negative side effect of all this good stuff is that the car gained 35 kilograms but the new engine compensates for that. In place of the 1200 cc, naturally aspirated FIRE motor of 2013, Panda now has an 875 cc, turbocharged powerhouse. It puts out 63 kilowatts (+ 12) and 145 Nm of torque (previously 102) and rather than four cylinders, this one has only two. And, where other makers operate their engines’ variable valve timing systems mechanically, Fiat’s TwinAir does it hydraulically.
Because it’s Italian and mostly a young people’s car, Fiat dialled in some engine growl. We found it quite pleasant, but aren’t sure we could live with it every day until the payments are complete. That’s for you to decide. Other new items are City steering that increases electrical power assistance for use in tight places and the Eco function that softens accelerator response so you will (hopefully) use less fuel.
It works fine in urban surroundings but is a little too strong to live with on the open road. Translation: The car feels lazy when there are inclines to deal with and if you’re at the youthful end of the spectrum, you might not appreciate it in town either. What remains true is that this is a small and free revving engine that, despite its maximum torque kicking in ‘way down at 1900 rpm, is best driven briskly. To enjoy-a the aria, you must-a let the fat lady sing, no?
Apart from that it still has four airbags, ISOFix baby chair mountings although the new iSize units will fit (read about that here), powered windows in front, ABS brakes with EBA and EBD, fabric covered seats, a pair of fog lamps in front and a single unit behind. Brakes and suspension stay the same, while luggage room and fuel tank remain as before. For driving impressions and general information, read about the 1200cc Panda Lounge we drove in 2013, but please note that certain features and options no longer apply.
As we said back then, Panda may not be perfect but it’s as practical as pasta, is solidly built and pretty well equipped. It’s also easy to see out of and it turns on a pie plate. You don’t have to be a Millennial to love it either.
Test unit from FCASA press fleet
Read about the 2017 Panda Cross here
Read the 2017 Panda range launch report here
We drove a Fiat 500, with the same engine, in 2021
We rovePlease note that the alloy wheels are optional extras
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This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8