Review Fiat Panda hatchback

"The all-new Panda has grown in size but retains the proven formula of 'simple is best'." Larger and more spacious, the latest Panda features more rounded styling than its predecessor and is designed to be the most practical and versatile version yet. Offered with a fantastic choice of petrol and diesel engines in either two, three or four-cylinder layout, the Panda is highly economical and offers great no-frills transport. The cabin is stylish and reasonably well made and although rear passengers get slightly less legroom than in the Volkswagen up! or Kia Picanto, unique features such as the folding front seat do make up for it. The Panda is also great fun to drive around town and if you opt for one of the twin-cylinder TwinAir models, owners are exempt from paying Road Tax. Drive 3.8 /5 The Panda is nippy and fun to drive around town Where the old car would bounce around on bumpy roads the new Panda is much more capable. Revised suspension settings have also improved the handling and reduced the amount of body roll in corners. The TwinAir petrol engines feel nippy and are keen to rev - suiting the Panda's character, especially around town. All the available engines struggle to keep up with faster traffic on motorways however. Comfort 3.3 /5 Front passengers are well accommodated The new Fiat Panda's cabin is more spacious than ever but offers less rear legroom than the Volkswagen up! or Kia Picanto - even with the sliding rear seats fully adjusted. The cabin remains light and airy however due to the high roofline and slimmer front seats. Reliability 3.3 /5 The Panda is based on the Fiat 500 platform Fiat doesn't have the best reputation for reliability in the UK but since the introduction of the 500, Fiat is fighting back. The all-new Panda shares its underpinnings with the Fiat 500 and as a result should prove less troublesome than its predecessor. Build quality both inside and outside is higher than ever before. The Panda also comes with four airbags, ABS with Brake Assist, Isofix child seat attachments, rear headrests and daytime running lights, all fitted as standard. Practicality 4.5 /5 The Panda's interior is very well thought out The new Fiat Panda is even more practical than the old model. The dashboard houses a large main storage area plus a glove box and two cup holders. Two doorbins and a further cubby located in the centre console provide useful areas to store phones, wallets and everyday clutter. The front passenger seat also folds forwards to create a useful table. The rear seats feel quite basic but do slide forwards and backwards to either free up more boot space, (up to 225 litres) or more legroom. Folding the seats flat provides 870 litres of luggage space. Value for money Full UK prices and specifications are yet to be announced Running costs 4.6 /5 Fiat's new TwinAir engines are very impressive The two TwinAir petrol engines both produce less than 100 g/km of CO2, meaning that owners are exempt from paying Road Tax. The 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine is the most fuel efficient however, returning up to 72.4mpg but producing slightly more CO2 at 109g/km. All Multijet and TwinAir engines come as standard with Stop/Start fuel saving technology. Low insurance groups and small maintenance costs mean that all Panda models are highly cost effective.