Fiat has imported the Panda 4×4 in India for R&D. It comes with the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel and full-time all-wheel drive system.
Fiat is planning to expand its product portfolio in India since a long time but due to the recent change in the top management and fluctuating excise duty, new car launches are getting delayed. The Italian carmaker was supposed to launch the Jeep and Abarth brands last year. Also, new cars such as Fiat 500L and Panda were on the cards. Just a few days back we saw Fiat importing the 500L MPV and now we see the Panda hatchback being imported for testing in India. This tells us that the launch of these new cars is not far away and we have something interesting to look for in the Fiat India portfolio.
The particular unit of the Fiat Panda imported is a 4×4 version featuring the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engine that produces 74 BHP of power and 190 Nm of torque. It is surprising that they are considering a 4×4 version for our country but looking at the new trend of pseudo crossovers in India, this might be a clever move by Fiat. What makes the 4×4 version different from the regular Panda is plastic body cladding and bigger 15-inch wheels. It has a full-time all-wheel drive system with two differential locks for serious off-roading.
The Fiat Panda has a weird styling or shall we say the ‘love it or hate it’ design with some quirky bits. It has a tall boy stance with muscular wheel arches and rugged looking body cladding. The Abarth inspired alloys look gorgeous while the rear appears boxy. Fiat offers great attention to detail on the inside and the Panda gets a very unique theme of interior styling. The steering wheel, instrument cluster, center console, gear knob, etc. are squarish in shape. If launched, Fiat is likely to position the Panda 4×4 above the Avventura to compete with the likes of the Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster, etc.
Source – Zauba.com
