No-one buying a supermini today is prepared to give up the comfort he would find on a bigger car: in almost two thirds of cases, such cars are the second or even the third household car. Customers are therefore used to comfort standards typical of higher segment cars and tend to use these as a benchmark. 

In the New Panda's case, we needed to reconcile the dinky external dimensions with ample passenger room even for tall people. The result is a surprisingly big car: available interior volume is 2.49 m3, one of the best results in the category. This has also been achieved without affecting the luggage capacity that stands at 206 litres (with fixed rear seat). This sets the New Panda at the top of the supermini segment not to mention the fact that the carrying capacity reaches 236 litres in the version with sliding seat. 

The front seats, for example, score outstandingly well for all percentiles on the SAE scale (1-99). In practice, this means that people of all sizes can be seated in comfort. Plenty of space is also available in the rear, where even the tallest passengers can be seated in great comfort. 

The overall vehicle passenger room coefficient is more than 68%, one of the best results in the mini category. The front passenger room is one of the best in its segment with 1346 millimetres (shoulder room). Yet passenger room is about more than mere figures. It means in-car wellbeing. This is why the New Panda designers devoted special attention to passenger posture and seat configuration. And the seats deserve a special mention. 

The seats were produced in accordance with principles developed by Prof. Dal Monte, head of the Biomechanics Department at the CONI Sport Medicine Institute and represent a factor of primary importance when it comes to comfort and safety. This specific part must absorb kinetic energy acquired by the body due to the effect of cornering stresses and also accelerating and decelerating. The front seats come in two types: with a fixed cushion, standard on Actual, Active and Dynamic versions; with a height adjustable cushion (for the driver) and with a compartment beneath the seat (for the passenger), standard on the Emotion version (an option on the Dynamic specification). The configuration of both seats is optimized for antisubmarining (to prevent the body sliding forward beneath the seat-belt in case of head-on impact). The front seats are extremely comfortable and offer an outstanding postural angle due to their special pattern of padding. Moving backwards, the rear seats come in three types: 

- one-piece with two and three seats; 
- split with two places; 
- split and sliding with two places. 

All the rear seats come with a one-piece cushion with antisubmarining function plus a backrest that folds down to create a big load compartment (up to 775 dm3). The structural dimensions of the seats also ensure maximum occupant safety because they are sturdy enough to resist all types of impact and prevent luggage flying forward. 

Versions with split and split/sliding rear seats come with a backrest split 50:50. This solution allows even better use to be made of the passenger compartment interior. This seat is also very versatile because it can be operated with great ease from inside the passenger compartment and also from the rear part of the luggage compartment via independent strips. On Dynamic and Emotion versions, these two seats can also be fitted with ISOFIX attachments to carry children aged up to 10 in safety. The sliding seat backrest may also be adjusted to three positions. 

A specific response to every need

It is no exaggeration to claim that anyone can find a New Panda that ideally suits their requirements and tastes. Customers can choose between: 

- three engines (1.1 8v - 1.2 8v - 1.3 16v Multijet); 
- two gearboxes (one a manual 5-speed and one a Dualogic transmission with sequential automatic operation or automatic operation in Economy mode); 
- four specifications (Actual, Active, Dynamic, Emotion); 
- 11 body colours; 
- three different interior cloth trims (two shades are available: yellow and blue). 

All in all, a range that offers everyone their ideal vehicle equipped with all the devices that are currently available for a car. Even those that were, until recently, reserved for cars of higher segments. 

The extremely high number of possibilities is borne out by the fact that the same specification can come with different standard equipment items according to the destination market. 

The Actual and Active versions are very far from being utility cars with the following supplied as standard: driver's airbag, tinted windows, heated rear window, rear wiper and twin door mirrors adjustable by hand from inside. In addition, the Active version fits integral wheel trims, adhesive liners on the door pillars and a passenger-side mirror. 

The Dynamic specification adds: special trim, painted windows and grille, facia compartment, ABS, Dualdrive, central locking and twin front airbag. As an alternative, the Dynamic specification offers three packs with remote control and active handle on the tailgate, roof bars and black strips, plus: radio CD player, steering wheel controls, hi-fi with subwoofer, foglight and electric mirrors (Hi-Fi pack); manual climate control system and courtesy mirror on the driver's side (CLASS pack); Skydome electric sunroof, foglight and courtesy mirror on the driver's side (SKY pack). 

Lastly, those who seek the ultimate in terms of equipment can opt for the Emotion version that offers the following extras: special cloth trims, alloy wheels, roof bars, black side strips, automatic climate control system, radio CD player, electric door mirrors, height-adjustable front seat, rear head-restraint, remote control and active handle on the tailgate. Lastly, a commercial New Panda version is due to go on sale from September in Poland and the following month in Italy. 

This vehicle offers the original design and handling of a supermini coupled with all the practicality and load capacity (up to 1000 litres) of a higher category model. The New Panda Van is ideal for light transport because it not only offers plenty of space but is also destined to assume a leading role in the small light commercial vehicle segment. 

The roomy load compartment offers an effective length of 1150 mm, and effective height of 1000 mm and a width that ranges from a minimum of 1020 mm (between wheelarches) to a maximum of 1220 mm. Load volume is 1 m3 while payload is 505 kg (including driver). 

The load compartment is separated from the passenger compartment by a steel partition and covered in a black washable mat. It is fitted with 4 hooks for securing loads. The partition also meets the toughest safety requirements set out in DIN 75410 Standard Part 2 specifications. 

The rear side windows and back window are darkened to keep transported goods away from prying eyes. This also makes the van look more attractive. The compartment is very regular and so accessible that it makes loading and unloading operations easy under all conditions. This is also helped by the rear side doors and a ground clearance of 560 mm. 

The New Panda Van comes as standard with ABS and EBD, driver's airbag and normal-sized spare wheel. Customers can choose between two power units: the 54 bhp Fire 1.1 8v and the 70 bhp 1.3 Multijet. The ride settings of the commercial vehicle differ from that of the car with suspension stiffness and shock absorber settings both being different. 

Small size, exclusive equipment and superlative engines make the New Panda Van the ideal workmate for urban transport in heavy traffic with stop and go driving patterns.