Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 76%

Put aside any nostalgic memories of the original Fiat Panda – nostalgic fans may love its basic charms, but it wouldn’t cut it by today’s standards,

But the all-new Panda – which first appeared in 2003 – is a different beast and the millionth model has just rolled off Fiat’s Polish production line.

It’s even deemed good enough to be the everyday vehicle of Top Gear’s Captain Slow – James May.  We took one on loan for week to see if it lives up to its hype.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment |X-Factor

1. Looks

Like with most city cars, the Panda is a cute-looking motor. It’s tiny but tall and has a flat rear end which make reverse parking a simple task. And as the engine is so small, there is no need for a long-fronted bonnet. The front lights are cased in a diminutive rectangular frame, while the rear lights adopt a long vertical pose.

8/10

2. Looks inside

The centre console is set out in a funky, symmetrical fashion with easy to understand buttons. The switches for the electric windows are housed in the console rather than on the door as seen on most cars. The gearbox is located in a higher-than-normal position more usually seen on commercial vehicles, which after a bit of getting used to is a good idea for city driving. In the gap where a gearbox is normally fitted there are two cupholders.  

7/10

3. Practicality

While it’s billed as a city car, the Fiat Panda isn’t as cramped inside as you would imagine. Two adults can sit in the back and the boot – while small – can fit a fair amount of shopping inside, but just don’t expect it to carry a set of golf clubs. With excellent all-round vision, driving through Britain’s congested towns and cities is easy. And with the innovative ‘City’ button, the Panda’s steering becomes even lighter, making parking one of the easiest jobs in the world.

9/10

4. Ride and Handling

Being a tall, narrow vehicle on small wheels isn’t a recipe for sharp, controlled handling. If you take a corner at any sort of speed you experience a large amount of roll. On tight roundabouts the Fiat is a scary motor.  

6/10

5. Performance

It’s a city car so hot performance is unlikely to be on potential buyer’s wish lists. Our model was powered by a 1.2-litre engine producing 60bhp and 75lb/ft of pulling power. This means a 0-60mph of 15.8 seconds and a top speed of 90mph. The small amount of pulling power means you really need to plan ahead if you’re looking to overtake a slow travelling car. However, as the Panda’s purpose is for the city, top speed isn’t too important and the little Fiat is quite sprightly up to 20mph. My ten mile drive to work through London at rush hour was quicker than many larger cars I’d driven justifying the use of small, nimble city car.  But if you fork out £2,500 more you can get the highly-rated 100bhp model, which hits 60mph in ten seconds and has a top speed of 115mph.

8/10

6. Running Costs

With a little engine producing a low top speed, the Fiat is a cheap motor to run to run. It boasts a combined 50mpg and is placed in insurance group two meaning low annual premiums.

9/10

7. Reliability

In the past Fiat, along with most Italian manufacturers haven’t been the best with reliability – particularly electrics. But luckily with the Panda, there aren’t too many complex features. But if anything goes wrong in the first two years, the Panda is covered by a manufacturer’s warranty with the third year covered by the dealer. This is a bit disappointing as many other car manufacturers offer a three year warranty as standard.

7/10

8. Safety

Little cars used to have poor safety ratings but they’ve come on leaps and bounds over the past decade. The Panda has a driver and passenger airbag, anti-lock brakes and electronic brake distribution. In the EuroNCAP crash test programme, the Panda was awarded three stars, which is less than rivals the Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo (four stars) but the same as the Ford Ka and Kia Picanto.

7/10

9. Equipment