Fiat Panda Cars For Sale

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The history of the second generation Panda began at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show. Then a four-seat prototype Gingo was presented to the public, almost ready to get on the conveyor. However, the Renault concern opposed this name. It, in the opinion of the French, is too consonant with the name of their Twingo model. So the car went into the series under a different name, known to all Europeans for a long time - Panda, although the car has nothing in common with its predecessor. First generation car, production of which began in 1980 and with minor changeslasted on the conveyor until 2003.

The Panda II has become more modern, more spacious, better equipped, but most importantly, it has a modification with permanent all-wheel drive. A unique case in class A! Apparently, under the impression of such a set of important consumer qualities, "packed" in a stylish compact body, European automotive journalists awarded Panda the title "Car of the Year - 2004".

Externally, the car is peculiar: a sharp rise of the windshield, a high body with an abundance of longitudinal ribs that are now fashionable, chopped off & laquo; stern, massive, almost square headlights, a large glass area and original windows in the C-pillar. The Panda is compact, but gives the impression of a kind of microvan - mainly due to the high roof. The same height adds a share of comfort inside: even if the knees are cramped, if you climbed back, but there is plenty of space above your head.

Fiat Panda is the most suitable vehicle for city traffic. It is small and compact, which is very convenient for parking, fast and maneuverable and does not feel at all restrained in the general dinamics of movement. And most importantly, this car is economical: it is designed to reduce fuel consumption.

Everything inside is made of budget materials. But the Italians managed to beat this budget due to a very original design. The location of the gear lever on the console allows the driver to feel comfortable while driving. The chair and steering wheel can be adjusted to suit the desired position. But we are not talking about any servos, even optional ones. This would significantly increase the price, thenand as the first and indisputable advantage of Panda - a relatively low cost. Seat adjustments are standard - changing the backrest tilt and longitudinal movement. Height-adjustable headrest and seat cushion can be ordered at an additional cost. The backs of the front seats, in contrast to the pillows, have clear lateral support, but the rear sofa lacks relief. Despite the rather limited range of longitudinal movement and the fact that the steering column can only move vertically, the driver's seat can becan accommodate a person of any size. Due to the high seating position (not quite typical for such cars) the road is in full view.

With its size, the Panda is naturally designed for four. But as an option, dealers also offer a five-seater option - for a fee, a central headrest and an additional seat belt will be installed on the back sofa.

The trunk of the Panda is not roomy. Rather, it is designed to transport a couple of bulk bags from the supermarket - no more. For transportation over gabarheavy loads will have to fold the back of the rear sofa, and since it folds only as a whole, more than two people in this case will not take the car away. By the way, in the list of additional equipment there are two options for rear seats with a split back, one of which provides for longitudinal adjustment, but you will have to pay a lot for this option.

There are only three engines in the Panda powertrain range. The simplest of them is the basic 1.1-liter "eight-valve", developing 54 hp. In addition to it, the car can be equipped with moremore powerful 60-horsepower 1.2-liter engine. Europe today is experiencing a diesel boom, so the Italians could not do without a small 1.3-liter diesel power unit Multijet with a capacity of 70 "horses", developing 145 Nm of torque already at 1500 rpm. Panda with this 16-valve turbodiesel has all the chances to become quite popular. Firstly, due to the economy - 5.4 liters per 100 km in the city and only 3.7 liters on the highway. And secondly, due to the extended service intervals - oil and filter change every 30,000 km, hairstylem engine resource is 250,000 km.

Unfortunately, Fiat with such a power unit is not supplied to our country and, most likely, will not be supplied. The only Panda variant to date, which can be officially purchased in the capital's car dealerships, is a car with a 1.2-liter engine, aggregated with a 5-speed "mechanics" (in Europe, it can also be aggregated with a sequential automatic transmission DualogiC).

The Panda II is equipped with dualDrive electric power steering - as usual, the steering wheel turnsI literally have one finger. But after activating the "City" mode (with a button on the center console), the steering wheel becomes completely weightless. Naturally, in this case, there can be no feedback, so City is recommended to be used only in the parking lot.

The suspension has a proven design over the years: the front is "MacPherson", and the rear is semi-dependent with a torsion beam. On a flat surface, the car obediently holds the road, copes well with most irregularities.

The minimum equipment offers: front glasslifts, central locking, immobilizer, proprietary dual-mode electric power steering Dualdrive, driver's airbag, and ABS with EBD. Air conditioning, side and window airbags, front passenger airbag, parking sensors and even ESP stabilization system can be ordered additionally. On more "advanced" cars can be installed: a decent audio system with a subwoofer, a sliding roof Skydome or an air conditioner with an air filtration system.

There is also an all-wheel drive version of the Panda. It differs from the commonplace frontalthe bottom version with wheels enlarged in width and diameter. The suspension has become higher - more powerful shock absorbers and springs. The ground clearance is 160 mm. The rear suspension completely acquired trailing arms and, as a result, independence.

The all-wheel drive system developed by GKN is designed in such a way that in normal mode, 98% of the torque is supplied to the front wheels. However, as soon as the load on the front wheels changes, the viscous clutch engages and the four-wheel drive is engaged. The viscous coupling itself is located at the back and is combined with thewith the same differential in one unit.

Rear-wheel drive threw a centner with a decent tail to the car's own weight, plus a fair amount of friction loss inside the transmission. And the engine is offered the same as for the front-wheel drive version. It turned out that along with the kilograms, the car also acquired unnecessary seconds to the coveted “hundred”. But on the winter and country road, the Panda 4x4 is in its element. Fun Fact: The Panda 4x4 comes immediately on winter tires. Not studded, but in the European winter style - with the M + S marking.

By the way, Panda of the first generation, created a quarter of a century ago by Giorgio Giugiaro, also had a 4x4 version. The Fiat Panda 4x4 Trekking was born in 1983, three years after the debut of the very first Panda. The all-wheel drive transmission was introduced by the Australian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch. The car was equipped with a liter engine (to be precise, its volume was equal to 999 milliliters), which developed 50 hp. The first generation Panda 4x4 Trekking was much simpler than the current one. For example, instead of an independent rear suspension, it had a rigid axle. One of the curious features of the carmobile was a very short first gear, thanks to which the Panda 4x4 could not only move smoothly off-road, but also fired from traffic lights in the city.

The Italians managed to create a great car. Not too hot, but cheerful, carefree and cheerful. Stylish appearance, low price, efficiency, maneuverability, originality are the keys to the success of the little Panda.

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