Fiat's cheeky little Panda 4x4, the Climbing, packs a surprising amount of all-round ability into a very small space; it's user-friendly, fun to drive and very economical by 4x4 standards - but there are trade-offs.
Well, there always are.
The first is power: the 1242cc motor pushes out 44kW, an appreciable percentage of which goes into the transfer gears and viscous couplings. The rest hits the tar in equal measure through each of the four wheels to make this little teddy bear of a car very surefooted.
On the downside, it takes nearly 20 seconds to reach 100km/h from rest and refuses to push it to more than 141km/h.
The next is ride: the suspension is firm (good - there's very little body roll) and the wheelbase short (it has an amazing tuning circle) but the two together make the ride choppy and the Panda has a tendency to porpoise on bumpy roads.
It cruises at the national speed with 3850rpm on the clock; above that the engine sounds very busy and wind noise becomes intrusive - tiring on a long trip.
But it's quick enough for around town; stir the pleasantly slick clutch and gearbox and it'll hold its own from robot to robot. It's also surprisingly capable on poorly graded gravel - although it can be made to bounce around more than is good for my digestion.
The brakes - discs all round - are firm and powerful, hauling the little Fiat down from 100km/h in an average of 3.32sec, in a straight line and with no more than moderate pedal pressure.
The steering is light and positive and settles down well at highway speeds; the Panda can steer itself on long straights. Push the button marked "city" on the centre console, however, and the steering becomes distinctly lighter, making this one of the most effortless vehicles to park that I've driven.
Mind you you, given a wheelbase of only 2.3m and very short overhangs, it should be.
Performance numbers
The Panda topped out 141km/h at 4500rpm - we tried it in fourth and got exactly the same speed at 5800rpm. The standing kilometre was disposed of in 40.65sec with a terminal speed of 125km/h.
Accelerating from 0-100km/h required 17.34sec, the 80-120km/h overtaking manouevre a respectable 20.38sec but the crucial 80-140km/h highway pass took an interminable 53.75sec.
The best way to pass a long truck with the Panda is to back off and build up your speed in advance.
The combination of direct steering, firm suspension and all-wheel drive gives the Panda impressive handling and road-roadholding on good surfaces; on lumpy tar, however, the stiff suspension can make the rear wheels bounce.
At inner-city speeds the car simply goes exactly where you point it; it's unfazed by wet roads, painted lines or the diesel spills that increasingly lie in wait for South African drivers on off-ramps and at intersections.
The Panda averaged 8.4 litres/100km over the review period, including performance testing.
Human engineering
I've always liked tallish cars with upright seats - you can see where you're going. Fiat started the trend with the Uno and the Panda is actually taller than it is wide (1632mm vs 1602mm).
The doors open wide - easy entry and exit - the waistline low so all-round visibilty is good and the steering wheel can be adjusted for height.
The seats, upholstered in a seriously loud mix of bright red and textured grey cloth, are firm but comfortable, with adequate side support - but once again, I wouldn't want to go from Cape Town to Johannesburg in them.
The disadvantage of the narrow cabin, however, is that shoulder room is limited and you sometines find yourself bumping your passenger.
Neat and logical
At first glance the interior looks plasticky, even toy-like, but look again and you'll see the layout is neat and logical and everything works nicely. The fascia is moulded in one piece of hard plastic, with a couple of add-ons for the glove compartment and fuse box.
The shut lines aren't as even as I'd have liked, but good enough for a budgetmobile. The short gear lever is mounted high on the centre console where it falls naturally to hand for quick shifting - the Panda is Italian after all.
The basic air-conditioning system is simple and effective, with cheap-looking but effective vent covers. It's the best I've yet come across in a Fiat and the (purely mechanical) controls are self-explanatory - unlike the radio, which is complex and poorly labelled.
After a day of struggling with the owner's manual every time I wanted to change stations I gave up and just used the volume and tuning controls on the steering wheel, one of the extra features - along with the CD player and keyless entry - that come with the more expensive Panda Climbing model.
Complex controls aside, the audio system has impressive sound quality and the automatic frequency control works better than a lot of full-size home stereos.
As with most Fiats the footwell is small and the dead pedal for the driver's left foot is too high, too narrow and too deeply recessed; in a word, useless.
Crowded house
With the front seats pushed back there's more than enough legroom for driver and navigator but very little for rear passengers. I doubt whether the Panda will actually seat four beefy South African adults in any semblance of comfort but it'll be fine for a family with small kids.
Boot space is only 230 litres but rises to 780 with the rear seats folded and the car packed to the roof.
There's a decent-sized glove compartment, a moulded (and upholstered!) pocket in each front door, oddment trays on the fascia and three cupholders.
Summary
All-wheel drive may seem like an affectation on a 1.2-litre hatchback but it lends an extra measure of stability on the tar and will actually take the Panda a long way off the beaten track as long as you remember that it has no diff lock or low range and navigate accordingly.
Fiat's baby SUV looks like a miniature Multipla and it acts like one too; it's versatile enough to serve a young family as basic transport during the week and take them to some exciting places over the weekend - as long as they're not in too much of a hurry to get there.
Price:
R139 000