Item: Fiat Panda 2012-2024
Rating: 4

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If you want a quirky baby hatchback that can also offer genuine off-road ability, there’s only one car for the job: the Fiat Panda.

The third generation of the ever-so-cute Italian, launched in 2011, added a cheeky and cuddly look, improved interior technology and greater refinement to its famous versatility.

“The Panda is one of those cars that is exceptionally hard to be harsh to, one that revels in being what it is: a wonderfully compact, fun car,” was our summary when we road tested it at the time.

Its ease of use and classless appeal helped earn the Panda an impressive 4.5-star verdict, trouncing rivals in a segment that was then full of overachievers – the Volkswagen Up chief among them.

Fast forward to 2025 and the Panda is accessible to all, with well-used, high-mileage examples available for less than £2000. If your budget is tight, you will end up with a Panda powered by either a 68bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder or 84bhp turbocharged 0.9-litre two-cylinder petrol engine.

The 1.2 is fine if you intend to use the Panda for city hops, but it feels a bit sluggish on a rural road or motorway. It’s smooth and a little more refined than the thrummy-sounding Twinair, but then that can be comfortably driven around town and up the motorway.

A tidy Twinair with around 50k to 60k miles on the clock should set you back around £3500, but it’s well worth spending the extra cash – and some versions of the Twinair won’t cost you a penny in road tax. There’s also a 1.3-litre four-cylinder diesel, the Multijet, which has more than enough grunt and will easily manage around 50mpg.

If you’re after more fun from your city car, plus all-terrain usability, the Panda 4x4 is the one to go for, with its increased ride height, bright skidplates and chunky styling.

The 4x4 rides acceptably, thanks to its small alloys and soft springs, and because it’s primarily front-driven (power is diverted to the rear in the event of slip), it’s as fun to drive as a standard Panda, albeit with a bit more roll.

For proper green-laning, you will want the Panda Cross. It’s a proper trooper, with more prominent skidplates, a dedicated off-road driving mode that locks the differential for permanent four-wheel drive and hill descent control. A tidy, 60k-mile example will be around £2000 dearer than a standard 4x4 in similar condition.

Inside, the Panda shows its cheaper side with plenty of hard-wearing, scratchy plastics, but it’s nevertheless pleasant to ride around in, with an airy ambience.

If you’re after some modern touches, we would point you towards the facelifted Panda, which arrived in 2020 and could be had with a 7.0in infotainment touchscreen that benefits from smartphone mirroring.

That facelift also introduced a 1.0-litre three-cylinder mild hybrid. It’s easy to operate around town and the electrical system gives a bit of extra poke. Mind you, the three-pot is pretty staid and you have to work hard to get it up to speed – plus it will fall 10 short of the official 46mpg.

The 4x4 versions are even more charming inside, with colourful dashboard trim pieces and funky patterns on the seats. Space inside is best described as adequate, as the rear bench can only seat two passengers.

The boot is large enough for your weekly food shop but little more. Space limitations and material quality are easily overlooked in a car like the Panda, though.

No other city car pulls at your heartstrings in the same way or offers as much fun, whether you’re bumbling around town or tackling the rough stuff.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Used Fiat Panda 2012-2024 review

A multi-use little car that offers an enticing ownership proposition – and the option of four-wheel drive, too

Good

Spacious rear cabin

Strong engines

Tidy handling

Bad

Knee room in the front

Choppy high-speed ride

Twinair economy could be better

RELIABILITY

Is the Fiat Panda reliable?

The Fiat Panda is a robust and durable car, particularly in 4x4 and Cross form. Indeed, there are a number of known issues (see below) but these are all repairable, with parts readily available.

The Panda didn't feature in What Car?'s recent reliability survery, but Fiat as a brand did and it finished a respectable 12th out of 31 manufacturers.

Drivetrain: The rear differential on 4x4 Pandas can weep oil, typically caused by a worn or damaged seal. Severe leaks might require a new diff, but if the leak is only minor, a new seal can solve it. A diff can cost around £300 to £900 on eBay.

Oil can also leak from the propshaft where it meets the front transfer case. The seal is often the culprit and costs £20 to £40 for a new one – a complex job, though, so best done by a professional.

Brakes: Listen for any squealing noises from the rear brakes. Cleaning them and adding grease can help matters. For the worst cases, Fiat offers vibration dampers to stop the issue entirely.

Interior: The rear seats can rattle but greasing the latches can sort this out. Trim pieces and the dashboard can also rattle, but that’s something you will have to live with.

Body: The 4x4s might have tackled the odd rough track, so check the skidplates, plastic bumpers and underside for any damage. Boot mechanism and latch is known for being faulty, so check it shuts properly, else you will have to fork out for a new assembly.

Wheels: There’s plenty of tyre sidewall to protect them, but have a glance at the alloys to make sure they’re free of scuffs.

An owner’s view

Ben McCaulder: “I learned to drive in an original Panda, so I’m fond of them. My justification for my 4x4 Twinair was living in the sticks and my other cars being low-slung. It’s a great palate-cleanser. It’s a joy and more engaging than it has any right to be. While it’s cheap and cheerful, goodies like Bluetooth and heated seats make for a nice place to be.

“The official MPG is optimistic but local roads aren’t conducive to hypermiling. Servicing is cheap but I have had bills. These were all reasonable given the age and mileage – brakes, springs – and some were preventative. The only unusual one was a failed propshaft bearing. The official part is pricey but aftermarket ones are available.”

Also worth knowing

The Panda achieved a four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP back in 2012, scoring highly (82%) for adult occupant protection.

While some versions of the Panda cost nothing to tax, you can always save money with a Multijet diesel, which in most cases costs only £20 to tax. Cross and 4x4 examples can be as much as £190 to tax annually.

Pop, Easy and Lounge were the main trim levels on the standard car. There was also the Trekking, which looked like the 4x4 but was in fact front-wheel drive. Special editions include the City Life, City Cross, Garmin, Waze and Wild.

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Bigger, taller and wider than its predecessor

Improved aerodynamic efficiency

Cons

4x4 and Cross models are dearer

Fiat said the third-generation Panda made a “qualitative leap in comfort, technology and safety equipment, and had a modern, harmonious look”,and it retained its cute and wholesome look after its facelift in 2020.

At its core, the Panda shared hardware with the previous-generation model but had nevertheless been very substantially reworked. The wheelbase was unaltered, at 2300mm, but the body was 114mm longer, 11mm taller and 65mm wider at the waistline.

Aero drag factor was cut from an unimpressive 0.40 to 0.33. Body stiffness was improved, and Fiat also claimed major reductions in noise and vibration from engine, wind and road. The Panda weighed 930kg, about 60kg more than the outgoing model.

The body delivered modern crash performance in addition to its improved aerodynamic qualities. Also added was a stylish and practical dashboard – it provided several of the 14 on-board storage spaces – extensively revised front suspension that benefitted from a stiffer shell, tweaks to the rear axle and a much wider equipment choice.

You had a choice of three power units: a 68bhp 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine, an 84bhp turbocharged 0.9-litre two-cylinder petrol and a four-cylinder 1.3-litre Multijet diesel that made 70bhp.

But the Panda range wasn't just limited to a fairly cute looking supermini, with the Panda 4x4 and the rugged Panda Cross.

The 4x4 lived up to its name, with its fitment of all-weather tyres, off-road-styled bumpers and an aluminium skid plate, while the even more rough and ready Cross had a raised ride height, front and rear bumpers, and more prominent side mouldings.

INTERIOR

Pros

Bright, airy cabin is both practical and spacious, with good helpings of head and leg room

Decent boot space and excellent visibility

Cabin colourways and patterns enhance the cabin

Cons

High, dashboard-mounted gearlever robs you of leg room

Dual role for cabin items a bit of a gimmick

Inside, the emphasis was on stylish practicality. Fiat had redesigned the dashboard of the Panda to improve the layout and ease of use, and the fascia design was both appealing and extremely practical.

Visibility was spectacular and the controls/dials were simple to operate.

I love the softly rounded edges to the square dials. It's a simple design touch that really lifts the Fiat's cabin
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

Fiat even claimed a dual role for several items in the cabin. The handbrake, for example, was said to double up as a “hand rest” when it was down. We weren't really convinced, but it worked well as a handbrake and nothing else.

Opt for a Panda with one of the more interesting cabin colourways and you had a pretty agreeable environment in which to travel.

The dashboard's wide, colour-coded perimeter, some subtly stylish instruments and a faux piano-black finish for the main switch control pack in the higher-series versions all helped you escape the fact that you were aboard a modestly priced commuter car.

It was a shame that the centre console carrying the handily high-mounted gearlever robbed you of inboard knee room in the otherwise accommodating cockpit. The steering wheel was of a slightly odd squared-off design, but this didn't have an impact on its control.

The rear accommodation was much improved over the old Fiat Panda’s. Despite the identical wheelbase, there was more leg and knee space and headroom was still as decent as it always was, thanks to the high roof.

The rear seat could be split (either 50:50 or 60:40) or moved forwards to allow flexible space and seating arrangements, and the front passenger seat backrest could be folded to form a table. Boot space was increased from the old Panda’s modest 206 litres to a much more usable 260. It was a nice square shape, too.

As for the trim levels, there were three key ones to choose from - Pop, Easy and Lounge. The entry-level model came with electric front windows, a height adjustable steering and hill hold assist, while upgrading to the Easy model added remote central locking, air conditioning and roof rails.

The range-topping Lounge trim gave the Panda 15in alloy wheels, front fog lights, a six-speaker sound system and Fiat's Uconnect infotainment system complete with USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

For those opting for the more rugged Panda 4x4 or the tougher Panda Cross, fear not, these both came with their own trim specification, with the former including, 15in alloys, electrically adjustable and heated wing mirrors, and a height adjustable driver's seat.

The latter included swish silver roof bars, climate control, LED day-running-lights, all-wheel drive and three driving modes, and mud and snow tyres.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Two-cylinder Twinair is characterful and engaging

All engines are responsive, with the diesel being the most economical

Cons

Twinair gearing means you have to swap cogs more often

Some might find the two-pot a little noisy

The base engine was Fiat’s ubiquitous 1.2-litre 698bhp FIRE engine. There was also the parallel twin-cylinder TwinAir engine in turbocharged 84bhp form, which used a developed version of Fiat’s uniquely flexible valve timing system, dubbed MultiAir II. This engine emitted less than 100g/km of CO2.

The Panda TwinAir turbo was as engaging as ever. You could drive it for economy and change up at amazingly low revs, but it was more fun to drive it up to the redline.

The Panda’s light weight and willing drivetrain make it an entertaining companion
Nic Cackett
Road tester

This characterful engine was actually a more engaging proposition when out of the city limits. Around town, the gearing fluctuated between holding too many revs and too few, which left you frequently swapping cogs.

Fiat's 1.2-litre FIRE engine was the smoothest spinning motor, had the most distant rev limit (6300rpm) and issues none of the TwinAir’s thrummy vibrations.

The 1.3-litre diesel Multijet, meanwhile, was a pretty flexible lump, with its extra helping of torque making it a fine motor for both short trips around town and a surprisingly capable motorway crusier.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Much better NVH isolation than its predecessor

4x4 is comfortable thanks to its longer suspension travel and bigger tyres

Cons

Bit of a fuss and fidget at middling speeds

Front wheels can push on and body roll is noticeable

Fiat had introduced big revisions to the Panda’s suspension (MacPherson struts up front, coil-sprung twist beam behind) that reduced understeer by 20 percent, cut body roll by 35 percent and made the electric power steering a lot more sensitive.

The Fiat Panda felt tall when you first slipped behind the wheel but was more roomy than the previous model. Even at low speed, the improvements in the levels of noise, vibration and harshness were instantly obvious. In particular, the Panda was much quieter than its predecessor on coarse surfaces and rode flatter.

The Fiat Panda stops quickly and with reassuring stability from high speeds
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

The baby Fiat’s all-round refinement was as impressive as the rest of the package. Road noise proved pleasingly distant, so the prospect of long-distance trips wounldn't prompt thoughts of the train.

Strangely, the ride was sometimes less good at middling speeds than it was over battered urban Tarmac, the Panda’s wheels pattering slightly, and on rain-slicked roads, front end grip tended to wash away.

Surprisingly, ESP wasn't standard, but the Panda handled tidily enough. Roll was countered adequately despite its relative height and the steering responded with fair precision if little feel. All of which made it modestly entertaining, and more than modestly comfortable.

The steering was far more informative. For all the talk of reduced understeer, the Panda would still push its front wheels wide, and body roll remained noticeable, although never a problem.

The Panda 4x4 had extra-strength suspension mountings and unique spring/damper/anti-roll bar rates delivering increased wheel travel, while the Panda Cross took this formula one stage further.

Drive to the rear wheels was through a hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutch ahead of the rear diff.

Our favourite Panda was the 4x4, which rode high on big tyres, had long suspension travel and generally behaved like a small Land Rover Discovery.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

The entry-level Panda was offered with the 1.2 FIRE engine in Pop trim.

Pop-spec models got electric windows, central locking, body-coloured bumpers and four airbags. ESP, roof rails and black pastel paint come as optional extras.

Easy-trim variants came fitted with remote central locking, air conditioning, roof rails and an upgraded stereo system. Lounge models got heated electric mirrors, front fog lights, 15-inch alloy wheels and body-coloured mirrors and door handles as standard.

As for economy, the TwinAir was the one to get the most headlines. Its figures of 67mpg and 99g/km were very attractive on paper.

But in reality those claimed figures were nigh-on impossible to achieve, and you were more liekly to achieve around 40-45mpg.

If you wanted the best economy then the diesel was the best option.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Used Fiat Panda 2012-2024 review

A multi-use little car that offers an enticing ownership proposition – and the option of four-wheel drive, too

Good

Spacious rear cabin

Strong engines

Tidy handling

Bad

Knee room in the front

Choppy high-speed ride

Twinair economy could be better

The third-gen Fiat Panda was another example of Fiat’s excellence in the city car segment.

It was a budget machine that was more desirable than most and could be had with some attractive options, but more importantly its underpinnings went on to feature on the Fiat 500 and the Ford Ka.

Outstanding handling; now a more comfortable, classy overall package
Nic Cackett
Road tester

It certainly had all the appeal of the old Panda and, as such, proved one of the best options in the class.

If your requirement was for a very compact city car that could also swallow long distances, the TwinAir Panda was more than up to the task, as was the oilburner Panda 4x4.

It was civilised, pleasing to sit in if you avoided the base specification – although that was far from unacceptable – roomy and very well equipped. More than any previous Panda, it was a city car that could be your only car. And you couldn't ask a lot more of budget wheels than that.

Sure, it didn't have quite the slick city style of the Volkswagen Up or Hyundai i10, or even the cheeky character of the Fiat 500, but it was considerably more versatile and a big improvement on an already useful and engaging car.

Overall, it was a small car success.

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.