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Top Ten: Forgotten 4x4s

9. Fiat Panda 4x4
IN THIS FEATURE
Forgotten 4x4s
1. 1969 Ford Zephyr FF
2. 1978 Opel Senator/Monza
3. 1978 AMC Eagle
4. 1985 BMW 325iX
5. 1989 Citroen BX 4x4
6. 1984 Honda Civic Shuttle 4x4
7. 1988 Mercedes 300 4-Matic Estate
8. VW Golf Syncro/G60
9. Fiat Panda 4x4
10. 1985 Ford Granada Scorpio 4x4
One of the cheapest-ever 4x4s, the Panda was a surprisingly effective little mud-plugger with a simple Steyr-Puch-developed four-wheel drive system. Built in Austria, it used front-wheel drive while on the road with four-wheel drive available when snow, ice or mud were encountered. It ran on knobbly tyres and had a higher ground clearance than the standard Panda, so it felt a little lurchy and top-heavy when cornered exuberantly on the road. On 965cc (999cc with the later 'Fire' engine) it was flat out at 83mph. Otherwise, it was as classically utilitarian as any other Panda, with minimalist hammock-type seats. Popular (if only because it didn't really have any rivals), but production ceased in 1992. You can still see rusty 4x4 Pandas pottering around Italian mountain villages.



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