The rugged Fiat Panda
Cross has collected an off-roading honour in the UK in
the "Junior Crossover" class in Total Off Road
magazine’s 4x4 of the Year awards.
Launched in July 2005,
however the Panda Cross 4x4 didn't arrive in the UK
until 2008 due to the tiny SUV's four-wheel-drive
platform not being engineered for right hand drive, the
highly capable car has continued to be a favourite not
just among customers but with media experts as well.
Total Off
Road’s judges praised the
Panda’s styling, handling, ease of controls and its
punchy 1.3 16v MultiJet turbodiesel engine. The car’s
crisp steering, ride and brakes were also highlighted by
the magazine’s testers, as the Panda Cross beat 11 other
vehicles in this class to the title.
“The Panda Cross has
loads of style but plenty of substance too,” say the
awards’ judges. “It’s great fun in town, a rough diamond
on B-roads and pretty acceptable on the motorway. And it
can do remarkable things off road.”
“The Panda Cross is
one of a long line of Pandas that have surprised and
delighted customers for years,” says Elena Bernardelli,
marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK and
Ireland. “I am pleased that it is still collecting top
honours – it certainly deserves them.”
As with any Panda, the
Cross’s fuel consumption and emissions are low. It
returns 42.1 mpg in the urban cycle, 67.3 mpg
extra-urban, and 54.3 mpg combined. The CO2 figure is
136 g/km. Standard equipment in the UK includes ESP with
Hill Holder, air conditioning, alloy wheels,
radio/CD/MP3 player with steering wheel audio controls,
and electric power steering. The Panda Cross costs
£13,695 on-the-road in the UK.
