Fiat Pandina: Last Facelift for the Little Bear

The Panda remains one of Fiat's cornerstones. The original model alone was built over four million times between 1980 and the end of 2003. Then came the four-door successor from Poland, which was produced for "only" nine years, before the now third generation arrived in 2012, which is built in the ex-Alfa-Sud factory in Pomigliano d'Arco near Naples. In Italy, the "Youngtimer" is still a top seller, as most Italians want small, simple, and affordable cars. For CEO Olivier Francos, the Pandina is "a nod to Italians' love for the Fiat Panda," as the Frenchman colorfully puts it.

Anyone expecting an electrification or powertrain update will be disappointed: it remains with the 48-volt mild-hybrid internal combustion engine with one-liter displacement and 70 horsepower. Nowadays a rarity: it comes with a manual six-speed gearbox! The Panda is still highly valued, particularly among pizza and care services.

Advantage Panda: It stays slim and compact

The dimensions also remain identical: the Pandina is refreshingly 3,686 mm short, 1,643 mm wide, and 1,551 mm high. But as the Hyundai group has recently upgraded i10 and Kia Picanto, Fiat had to respond with the "Methuselah" in their lineup. This means six airbags, enhanced (now also mandatory) driving assistance with lane-keeping and emergency braking aids, and a drowsiness warning. For the Panda, traffic sign recognition, high beam assistant, and cruise control sound like high tech. These features can now all be purchased at a low cost (partly as a package), but they still make it more expensive.

Visually, you can identify the "little one" inside by the digitalized central instrument and the new infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, and of course, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are onboard. The seats are made with Seaqual yarn, which is typically derived from old fishing nets. An Italian company is also behind this. To further highlight the panda theme, the dashboard features white with black operational zones.