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The Allgemeiner Deutscher
Automobil-Club (ADAC) carried out an original test on 241 cars in
various categories with different fuel systems. The aim:
to cover as much distance as possible on €30 of fuel.
The test was won triumphantly by the Fiat Panda Natural
Power, which covered 724 kilometres, equal to the
distance between Frankfurt and the North Sea. With the
holiday period approaching, this record achieved by the
methane-driven Fiat car shows that it is still possible
to save when you travel by car.
ADAC carried out the test on almost all known cars -
from small two-seaters to sporting supercars - revealing
once again that gas-driven cars offer the best savings.
But first of all was the Panda from the Natural Power
range, a dual-fuel (methane/petrol) product range made
up of 14 Fiat cars and commercial vehicle models able to
meet the mobility needs of a huge band of customers. It
should be remembered that with nearly 400,000 units sold
to date, Fiat leads the field in Europe for vehicles
with factory-fitted methane systems (OEM). Due to the
extraordinary growth of methane, the most eco-friendly
and economical fuel currently on sale, Fiat has been the
most environmentally-friendly of the top-selling 10 car
brands in Europe for the third year running, with an
average CO2 emission level of 127.8 g/km, compared to
the market average of 145.8 g/km (analyses carried out
by the independent institution Jato Dynamics).
Two separate methane tanks have been incorporated in the
floorpan of the Fiat Panda Natural Power using an
under-chassis installation method that is unique in the
world, to offer a total capacity of 72 litres (12 kg),
thus maintaining the roominess of the original car as
far as both passenger space and luggage space are
concerned (with a single or split rear seat, luggage
compartment capacity increases from 190 to 840 dm3,
measured up to the ceiling). The petrol tank capacity
(30 litres) offers a back-up for peace of mind even in
areas where methane filling stations are thin on the
ground.
The Fiat Panda Natural Power may be economical, but this
does not limit its speed: the 1.2 8V Bipower propels the
car up to 140 km/h when running on natural gas (148 km/h
when petrol is used). Last but not least, when natural
gas is used, the Fiat Panda Panda achieves a CO2
emission level of just 113/g/km. An innovative,
eco-friendly and economical car: the Fiat Panda Natural
Power is on sale in Italy from EUR 14,050 (on the road
price).
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