30 Oct 06
The brakes are discs all round, taken from the Grande Punto 1.4 at the front (as, with an extra 5bhp, is the engine), while those at the rear are from the Panda 4x4. And there's an ESP system which can't be turned off ('Remember we're aiming this car at young buyers,' says Baroso) but you can disable the ASR traction control for some fun.
Drive the Panda 100 HP as fast as you dare, and you'll certainly feel some ESP activity. It reins in the tail if you turn in hard on a trailing throttle, for example, by braking the outside front wheel, but as long as the ASR is off your speedy progress isn't thwarted much. It still lets you have a grinningly good time, and at brisk road speeds you're not really aware of the electronic safety net that makes this into an almost foolproof sporty hatch. And here's one key reason why the Panda 100 HP feels so much like souped-up superminis used to feel: it weighs 975kg, which by modern standards makes it a flyweight.
A couple of years ago I drove a prototype at Fiat's Balocco test track. It had a previous-generation Punto Sporting 90bhp engine, fat little wheels, no front anti-roll bar, and even harder springs and bump stops. It was a riot to drive, with the sort of exhaust note that gets annoyed residents on the phone to the police every Saturday night, and it seemed sure to be a sales success (apart from the noise, which the engineers said they'd have to calm down).
Now, two years on, we have the final version. It's a much better car, with the right sort of sound and a taut but decent ride, and apart from Ford's amusing but ageing SportKa nothing else gives as much entertainment for as little money. Combined eco figures are 43.5mpg and 154g/km of CO2, too. As a conscience-salving fun car with a modern vibe the Panda 100 HP is pretty much bang on.
You'll have detected by now that I thought this a terrific little car. Try one yourself, note its air-con and electric windows and CD player, and I guarantee you'll question the need for anything grander.
Road Test: Fiat Panda
