Few ever denied that the Fiat Panda was a good car for the youth of South Africa, it’s just that Fiat never really managed to get the pricing right.
The little tyke always hovered above its entry-level comrades, never quite making enough economic sense. It’s as if Fiat never realised that most youths don’t have lavish mansions in Sandton. Until recently, the 1.2 Dynamic model cost R127 012, which really made it seem out of its depth in an ocean of cheaper and more substantial cars suchas the VW Polo Vivo, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and friends.
It might be late in its life cycle, so late in fact that its replacement has already been unveiled overseas, but Fiat has finally decided to price the Panda at a realistic level and hence we have the Panda Young (at R99 900) and its slightly better specced sibling the Young+ that you see here, for R106 900.
Best of all, even the most demanding youths will not cry poverty when glancing over the spec sheet, with standard kit on the Young including air conditioning, central locking, trip computer and front electric windows and the Young+ adding alloy wheels and a CD/MP3 sound system.
More importantly, in our book at least, is that, unlike its rivals at this price level, Fiat has not skimped the most basic of safety features, with both models packing dual airbags and ABS brakes.
That’s not to say it’s the safest budget beater on the block though, its three-star EuroNCAP rating being below par in this segment - a testament to this car’s age.
Yes, there’s some irony in this Panda’s new nomenclature because it’s a relatively old design that lacks the modern look and feel of fresh-out-the-box alternatives such as the Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10. Not that the Panda’s exterior design has dated too badly and, granted, it does have a distinctive, almost SUV-like flavour that won’t be mistaken for anything else on the road.
We can’t say the same of the interior, though, where its rudimentary shapes, hard and grainy dashboard plastic and all-grey colour scheme makes it look a decade behind the far smarter cabins you find in those aforementioned rivals.
It makes good use of its space though, with generous head room and as much rear legroom as you’d expect in a city car.
And while the cabin might look out of date, build quality is surprisingly good, the solidly assembled and strong materials making it seem game for years of abuse.
We hope the same applies to the Panda’s 1.2-litre eight-valve petrol engine because given its diminutive outputs of just 44kW and 102kW, it’s going to have a life of hard labour. It clearly lacks sparkle, our Gauteng 0-100km/h acceleration time of 16.8 seconds illustrating this all too well, but the little engine - with its accessible torque peak - has a willingness that makes it feel surprisingly sprightly in most situations.
If I had to describe the driving experience in one word, it would be cheerful. The ride is bouncy but it’s damped well enough to absorb most of the road shock and the car may have grown up dreaming of body roll but it hangs onto corners for dear life. The little Fiat is entertaining in its own strange way.
Fiat claims fairly respectable fuel-consumption of 5.6 litres per 100km for the Young, which may be a ambitious considering how hard the little engine will work.
This figure could be lowered in the all-new Panda that’s due next year.
VERDICT
You may want to hold off on this realigned Panda given its imminent replacement.
But if you’re one of those that find the next model’s styling too soft or you’re worried that the new one might command a chunky price hike, then the current Panda Young is a fair deal for the price. - Star Motoring