Fiat Panda 4x4 TwinAir

THE ITALIANS are well known for dressing for an occasion in spectacularly successful fashion — but slick and chic isn’t their only guise.

Fiat Panda 4x4 TwinAir

Engine: 875cc, two-cylinder turbocharged petrol

Power: 85bhp and 107lb.ft. of torque

Performance: 0-62mph in 12.1 seconds and 103 mph

Economy: 57.6mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 114g/km

Price: £13,995

The Mediterranean-fringed country’s many and varied motoring creations demonstrate that there is a workmanlike utilitarianism which is also celebrated in a typically stylish way.

As fit for purpose as the Ferrari and Lamborghini are as pulse-quickening supercars, the Piaggio Ape is the rural Italian’s Ford Transit.

The tiny three-wheeler can be had in van or flat-back form and seems to be central to every small business operation in the country where warm weather means its regular lack of doors matters little.

As a vehicle that is beautifully simple and fit for purpose, the Ape takes some beating.

When Fiat came up with its car for everyman in 1980 it demonstrated this Italian flair for designing things that are joyously functional.

Among the options were rear seats that could be folded flat to make an improvised bed and removable, washable seat covers, door trims and dashboard cover.

Three later the Panda’s usefulness was increased still further with the introduction of four-wheel-drive...creating a vehicle that almost immediately assumed cult status.

Now Fiat’s new Panda 4x4 hits the UK market in a modern take on the go anywhere hatchback.

First things first. If you ever want to buy a car that will appeal to young siblings. This has to be it.

The Fiat Panda 4x4 TwinAir (£13,995) I drove for a week looked every bit the GI Joe prop with its metallic green paintwork and army-spec green/khaki/black interior trim and plastics.

Smoked 15 inch alloys, roof rails and a silver sump guard combine with a 5cm rise in ride height to communicate the Panda’s off-road intent.

Step into the cabin and a smooth-edged cubist theme runs throughout, lending a chunky, robust feel.

Storage space abounds. From the hallowed-out dash to the large cup holders in the door sleeves and between the seats.

The driving position is a little short of leg for a six footer like myself, but the dash-mounted gear lever surround doesn’t interfere with leg room as much as it does in the Fiat 500.

Standard equipment includes climate control and Fiat’s Blue&Me system which hooks up to a mobile phone via bluetooth and also reacts to voice commands, streams music from an MP3 player and allows access to eco:drive Mobile, an on-line application which allows drivers to assess their driving style and gain eco driving tips. Gadgety.

Rear seats which slide 16cm fore and aft — adjusting boot space from 225 to 260 litres — and the ample headroom liberated by the Panda’s square-set silhouette provide remarkably commodious passenger quarters which are accessed more easily thanks to the high ground clearance.

Much of the interior trim feels as plasticky as the toys from the aforementioned GI Joe franchise but there’s an almost cartoonish innocence to the way the Panda takes on the all-wheel-drive theme which is fun and endearing.

It has the hardware to back up its rather cute posturing too.

A permanent all-wheel-drive system utilises a pair of differentials which automatically apportion power to the front and rear axles depending on the grip available, with 98 per cent transmitted to the front wheels in normal conditions.

Despite the normally front-wheel-drive nature of the drivetrain it remains incredibly difficult to yield impressive mpgs from Fiat’s 0.9-litre turbocharged TwinAir engine.

In the past I have praised this innovative two-cylinder engine’s hard-thrumming, rev-happy character. It is simply great fun. But I struggled to get within 20mpg of the claimed 57.6mpg claimed fuel economy, which was hard to stomach.

I would recommend an initial extra outlay £1,000 for the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel, which should yield something close to 60mpg.

Although I didn’t get the chance to drive the 4x4 off-road — I suspect many will assume it is a handy safety net for winter weather rather than a gateway to the rugged outdoors, anyway — I found the little Fiat a fun steer.

Despite its lofty proportions it corners in flat fashion, with little roll through corners, and zips along to the distinctive soundtrack of the TwinAir engine.

While the Panda 4x4 won’t tear away from a standstill — Fiat claim a 12.1 second sprint to 62mph and 103mph top speed — but once on the roll it actually zips along at a fair lick, even if passengers take the edge off speedy progress with the limited 85bhp and 107lb.ft. of torque on tap.

Much as I don’t like to compare an Italian creation to a product of a neighbouring country, the Panda 4x4 is the Swiss Army Knife of the compact hatchback world.

A hatchback made more usable by its loftier ride height and all-weather traction, it has various bases covered and no car fares quite as well in urban and rural environment alike.

It might not have the universal styling appeal of a Ferrari or Lamborghini, but an Italian icon the Panda 4x4 remains...