Fiat beefs up the Panda 4x4

A MORE hardcore version of the UK’s smallest off-roader has just been launched by Fiat.

The Panda Cross is based on the existing four-wheel-drive Panda but adds a stack of gadgets you’d normally only find on much larger off-roaders – including oversized tyres, hill descent control, a sump guard, and a terrain control stability system – to the package.

It's also got a six speed gearbox with a shortened first gear designed with 'crawling' through challenging conditions in mind - admittedly, it's not the low ratio 'box you'll get on a Land Rover Defender, but this will squeeze through many a gap and gulley which the bigger, 'proper' off-roader can't.

Fiat said its sheer versatility has come from more than 30 years of making some of Europe's smallest 4x4s. A spokesman for the company said: "In 2006 SUVs accounted for around seven percent of the total car market in Europe whereas today they account for approximately 20 percent.

"Yet despite the proliferation of models in the past decade the new Fiat Panda Cross remains a truly unique offering, by combining the genuine capabilities of a proper off-road vehicle with the efficiency and practicality of a versatile city car."

Prices start at £15,945 for the TwinAir-engined version, while the 1.3 litre version will set you back £16,945. Both go on sale here towards the end of the year.

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Fiat 500 range gets freshened up

A BLINK-and-you’ll-miss-it update of the Fiat 500 range has just gone on sale across the UK.

Sensibly, Fiat has chosen not to mess with the city car’s biggest selling point – its retro styling inspired by the original Nuova 500 of the 1950s – but it has treated the range to some new technology instead, including a digital instrument display and a new version of the company’s award-winning TwinAir engine.

The updated Fiat 500, which starts at £10,600, is available to buy now.

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Why I nearly ended up buying a Daewoo Matiz

THERE may have been a few Cumberland Ales involved in my attempt to snap up an Italian-designed oddity for next to nothing.

It all started the other night, when I ended up brewing the potent cocktail that is an idle browse through eBay’s listings, a sense of automotive optimism encouraged by Jennings’ finest, and a car-loving mate who’s all too eager to egg you on. That and a premise which I’ll happily accept most of you will struggle to stomach; the Daewoo Matiz is one of the most interesting cars the great Italian designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, has ever concocted.

Yes, the Daewoo Matiz. Here’s why.

You might not have heard of Giorgetto Giugiaro or ItalDesign – the car styling consultancy he founded – but you’ll almost certainly have admired his creations. Ever wondered why the original Volkswagen Golf looked so crisp, or looked longingly at a Lotus Esprit at a car show? They’re both among his extensive back catalogue, as are the Saab 9000, the Alfa Romeo 159 and the DeLorean. That’s before you get to all the bedroom poster supercars he’s sculpted over the past half-century.

The thing is, all these cars are heralded by people in the know as design classics, and coveted accordingly, whereas it’s almost universally accepted that the Matiz is an asthmatic, dynamically-challenged city car built by a faceless Korean company that went bust over a decade ago. Yet thanks to Giugiaro – and I reckon that I might be the first person to opine this publicly – it’s so much more than that.

 For starters, the Matiz was never originally meant to be a Daewoo – the design was originally one of the ideas for the Fiat Cinquecento (another Giugiaro effort, incidentally). Yet the idea’s trip to South Korea meant it lifted a company better known then for reheating Vauxhall’s 1980s range in the microwave, as anyone familiar with the utterly appalling Nexia will testify. Look at the Matiz from that perspective and it suddenly makes sense – yes, it’s narrow and gawky, but it was the first Korean car to arrive in Britain postively brimming with personality. It’s the Fiat 500, Gangnam Style!

But the best bit about the Matiz being almost universally accepted as being a bit rubbish is that the classifieds are full of unloved examples knocking around for next to nothing, and I reckon I’d have been quids in if I’d picked up the nicely run-in early example being largely ignored online. In the end, I got outbid by just £20, but my fellow Matiz-ist has got themselves a dirt cheap car with a vaguely interesting design for just £170.

I quite like the idea of having a dirt cheap Daewoo Matiz, particularly as it’d be perfect for someone with a brace of two-seater sports cars to ferry his long-suffering friends about in. I’ll get my coat.

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Ford goes bigger and bolder for the new Ka

FORD’S Ka looks set to be sold in five-door form for the first time, if a show car unveiled this week is anything to go by.

The company used its European unveiling of the new Mustang to showcase a new hatchback with styling strongly influenced by the current Fiesta and forthcoming Mondeo. It is also significantly larger than both the original Ka, launched in 1996, and its 2008 successor.

Ford has said it is committed to a third generation version of the Ka, but has yet to announce when it will arrive in the UK. 

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Yamaha MOTIV.e - a terrible name for a promising car

YOU couldn’t make it up. That simplest of ideas – the small, unpretentious car – might be about to be saved by two of the fastest names in motoring.

The first, Yamaha, you’ll be familiar with. Provided you’re not an aficionado of the company’s musical instruments, the name will probably spring to mind most immediately as the makers of mentalist superbikes, although they’ve actually made more of a contribution to the car world than you might expect. 

If you drive a Ford with a Zetec badge on the back, it means your car’s humble engine got flown halfway around the world so the Japanese firm’s boffins could fiddle with it and make it far more rev-happy than it really ought to have been. Well, at least it was until Ford’s marketing boys got in the act and decided ‘Zetec’ was a trim level, rather than a badge of honour to say your hatchback’s humble engine had been tuned by superbike experts.

The second name, Gordon Murray, will either mean absolutely nothing or get your inner car nut immediately excited. He’s a South African car lover who moved to Britain in his early twenties, and having blessed the F1 world with his expertise than turned his technical know-how to making a string of supercars. Put simply, he is the brains behind the McLaren F1 and the Mercedes-Benz SLR.

What connects the dots? Well, you might remember reading about Gordon Murray’s efforts to almost single-handedly reinvent the way small cars are made. The end result, the T25, was so small you could fit three ofthem into a parking space, but it wasn’t a production car in the conventional sense.

It was a more a sort of open invitation to the car world, and Yamaha’s the first company to take him up on it.

The end result, the MOTIV.e, might have a terrible name but it looks fantastic, with lithe lines that make it stand out a mile from the blobby superminis which dominate the showrooms today. While there’s no word on it being a production model just yet, the prospect of being able to drive to work every morning in a car designed by an F1 genius and finished off by a group of superbike experts does have a certain appeal to it.

All Yamaha need to do now is whip the MOTIV.e’s electric motor out and drop in the 180bhp screamer from the R1. Now THAT would be a small car worth writing home about…

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Fire up the... Kia Picanto 1.0

KIA'S city car contender, for all its snazzy styling, is all about the numbers. Three or five doors, seven years of warranty, 67 claimed miles to every gallon and yours for a shade under eight grand.

There is, however, one figure in particular that defines this 1.0 litre, entry level twist on the pretty Picanto; the three cylinders you get under the bonnet. It makes an interesting, offbeat throb when you put your foot down, which is infinitely nicer, to my mind at least, than the 2CV-esque rattle you get from Fiat's TwinAir offerings. The only problem is you'll be doing that a lot, because this emphatically not a fast car.

The 1.0 litre triple, great though it sounds, really makes a meal out of moving you about, forcing you to hunt through the rev range to get the best out of it. That, in turn, ruins the real world fuel economy, and the owner of the particular car I borrowed struggles, despite his best efforts, to better 40 to the gallon around town. Weirdly, it reminds me of the Mini 1000 I had as my first car - it actually did less to the gallon than the 1.3 that replaced it simply because you had to work it harder. I reckon you can pull of the same trick with the Picanto; be smart, save up and go for the extra oomph of the 1.2 litre, four-cylinder version.

The rest of the Picanto package, however, fares rather better. It looks great, it's cheap, both to buy and run, the seven year warranty is something Kia - quite rightly - are particularly proud of, and on the inside it feels substantial in a way neither the Panda nor the Aygo/C1/107 triplets manage. All of which brings me to what I reckon is the Picanto's biggest flaw. If, like me, you're a little larger of frame, you'll find your elbows brushing the doors as you drive along, and that's something I haven't encountered in any of the other city car contenders.

Nor is it especially exciting to drive. There's nothing wrong with the way the Picanto goes, stops and handles - engine aside - the steering's too light and lacking in feel. Great for its natural habitat of congested city centres, but take it anywhere more challenging and you'll be craving the feedback you get from most of its rivals.

The Picanto's pertly styled, generous on both price and warranty and miles better than the company's previous entry-level offerings, but my money would still be on a Fiat Panda, Toyota Aygo or VW Up, all of which offer a more engaging small car experience for not much more.

This little Kia's got some great numbers on offer, but for me they just don't add up.

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E-up lad, this Volkswagen is now a production model!

FANS of The League of Gentleman, Wallace and Gromit and Stuart Maconie's marvellous funny Pies and Prejudice will doubtless delight that an electric VW concept car is now a production reality.

The e-up! is, of course, an all-electric, zero-emissions twist on the frugal and friendly up! city car that Life On Cars tested last year, which should be a good thing. All the eco-friendly goodness of something you plug into the mains at night, mixed with the style, solidity and strangely entertaining feel of its petrol-propelled counterpart.

But, as we pointed out more than three years ago, it has a stupid name because - in these parts of t'world, at least - it'll forever be confused with one of the phrases we Northerners use to greet one another. As a moniker e-up! takes me instantly into a world best summed up by that Hovis advert where a young boy pushes his bike up t'top o'world. E-up son, grand day t'take t'electric car t'pub!

Admittedly, I might have mocked VW just slightly in that original piece, by suggesting the e-up! match its Northern Soul name with a spec that includes a stereo which only plays Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys, the option of a hot hatch version called the YI rather than GTI to boost sales in Newcastle and Gateshead and proposed White Rose and Red Rose trim levels designed to appeal to subtly different customers in towns on either side t'pennines. What you'll actually get is the electronic equivalent of 55bhp, the chance to fill up 80% of its charge in less than half an hour and a top speed of 85mph, which is more likely to make it a hit in the likes of Huddersfield and Hebden Bridge.

T'e-up! - sorry, can't help it - will be available to order from VW showrooms across t'north of England from early next year. Grand!

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Fiat 500: The brilliant small car I completely forgot about

WORD reaches me from north of the border that my sister’s looking to treat herself to a festive gift of the four-wheeled variety

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It’s a straightforward enough challenge; she’s looking for something small, good looking, reliable and easy to run, for around the four grand mark. Not that she’s going to take any advice off her car nut brother – it’s Life On Cars tradition that whenever someone actually asks me for advice on cars, they listen dutifully to whatever considered opinion I can come up with, pause reflectively for a moment, and then ignore it and buy the car they had their heart set on anyway. This explains why so many people I know own a Vauxhall Corsa.

Then again, my suggestions were slightly more sensible than my sister’s other half’s, who being even more of a petrolhead than I am pointed me in the direction of a Lancia Beta Spider (Google it) which could be under your Christmas tree for just £1,650. A beautiful Italian roadster which would be fine for a classic car bore like me, but hardly the sort of thing you’d rely on to get you in and out of Glasgow on a daily basis!

Trying to keep things as sensible as possible, I went for the original Ford Ka, Toyota’s Aygo, the Citroen C1 and – whisper it softly – the new MINI, with the Peugeot 106 GTi as the wildcard I secretly hoped my sister would go for.  All of which are reliable enough to survive life tooling around a city centre for days on end, small enough to squeeze into even the tightest parking spaces and – most importantly for my sister, someone who’s far more stylish than I am – blessed with the sort of chic and sense of fun that, say, a Nissan Micra just isn’t.

I was quietly pleased with my carefully selected shortlist, right up until the point when my sister mentioned the one small car I’d forgotten about; the Fiat 500. Her argument is that it’s far cuter than just about any other small car on the second-hand market (as long as it’s bought in the right colour), it’s got perfectly good underpinnings (which is true, given it’s a former European Car of the Year), and there’s enough of them around for her to pick up a decent one. For what it’s worth, I think the mechanically identical Panda is the better small Fiat, but for what my sister wants the 500’s perfect. I’m just annoyed I didn’t think of it earlier.

To be fair, I agree with her. If you can think of a better suggestion, feel free to send them in to the usual Champion address. Although – in true Life On Cars tradition – she’ll only ignore it anyway. Merry Christmas.

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Fire up the... Citroen C1

YOU'D be forgiven for thinking that, like the US presidential election, there's only been two candidates vying for your vote in this year's small car battle. It's a straight choice between VW's Up - flanked by its Skoda and SEAT sister models - or Fiat's funky new Panda.

There is, however, a trio of equally engaging city slickers which have been missing out on most of the limelight thanks to the new arrivals. The Peugeot 107, Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 - which are all effectively versions of each other - might have been around for ages, but thanks to some automotive nip ‘n' tuck and generous pricing they've still got plenty to offer.

The one I tried, Citroen's tiny C1, is still looking fresh thanks to a particularly effective facelift which gives it a cheekier front end than its immediate predecessor. It's a vibe that extends to the interior, with lots of body-coloured metal lining the doors and a single, enormous speedometer with a rev counter popping out of it, MINI style. True, it feels a little cheaper and flimsier than its much newer rivals but it's nicely laid out and more than well equipped for something which makes a virtue out of being small and simple.

Which brings to me to the chief joy of the Citroen's smallest offering - thanks to the engineers' obsession with saving weight, the C1 is lighter than a helium-filled malteser and about as entertaining as a result. Because there's so little weight, the 68bhp its engine serves up feels far more energetic than you'd think, and it darts down the narrowest country lanes and town centre streets with a natural agility. While it'll do motorway work more than easily enough, this car really shines when things get narrow and congested.

The Up and its siblings still feel more solid than the C1, and there's no doubt the Panda's roomier, but haggle a good deal on a C1 and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank with a small car that still makes you smile.

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Fire up the... Volkswagen up!

THINK of this not as a car, but as a sort of automotive Batman Begins. An attempt to get back to basics and inject a bit of freshness into a long-running franchise.

The franchise in question, of course, is Volkswagen's city car offerings, which way back in 1999 proved a bit of a hit with the trendy little Lupo. Yes, I know it was really a rebadged SEAT Arosa - which went on sale nearly three years earlier - but the Lupo's loopy headlights, the build quality, the fun-loving image and the cachet of the VW badge meant it sell.

It was a great package which its eventual sequel, the Fox, never really mastered. Bigger, duller and built to a budget, it never really caught the imagination in the same way the Lupo did, so VW's gone back to doing what it does best. Injecting everything you know and love about the Golf into a much, much smaller package.
Some of you might have already spotted a bit of a canine theme running through VW's small car names and I was hoping they would've called their new arrival something like Wolf or Coyote to carry it on but they've gone with up! instead, which is a stupid name. Don't bother writing in to say you've spotted a typo in that last sentence - it really is called the up!, which VW insists we all stick by. Not a chance. As they say in Essex, the only way is Up.

Luckily, it's a stupid name stuck on the back of what really is a good little car which captures the mood in much the same way the Lupo did. You might not get as much money for your metal as the Fox but VW has gone for quality over quantity and it shows - the interior, in particular, feels pretty much indestructible and is a delightfully quiet, solid sort of place to be. You can even fit four adults inside comfortably, and while the boot isn't going to take all their luggage for a long trip away it'll easily cope with anything a supermarket shop can throw at it.

Fiat's Panda, which I've already roadtested, is the city car you'd find me in because it gives you a bigger smile more of the time, but if you're an A3 or Golf driver who wants a small, sensible car but won't compromise on quality then you've really got to get one of these (or the pretty much identical SEAT Mii or Skoda Citigo, which are both the Up in all but name).

It works for exactly the same reason the Lupo did. It's a Golf, only much, much smaller.

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Fire up the.... Fiat Panda

IF FIAT'S 500 is Kylie Minogue then the Panda is Dannii. Attractive for all sorts of reasons but sadly overshadowed by a more famous sibling.

Which is a shame, because Fiat's funky little city car has always been a big hit in its own right. It might not have the cute retro charm of the 500, but the Panda, a former European Car of the Year, has always held its own because it's roomier, just as much fun to drive and - crucially - cheaper.

It's much the same story with this new model, which is a little curvier and a little weightier than the outgoing version, but otherwise it's a case of meet the new boss, same as the old boss. It's got the same high rise stance - which is why it's roomier inside than the 500 - and styling that's evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but stay with me a little longer before you reach for that 500 brochure.

With the 1.2, eight valve engine in the one I tested offering up just 69bhp it's emphatically not a fast car - worry not, other powerplants are available - but I love is not the power, but the way it uses what it's got to its advantage. It's light on its toes, easy to drive and always feels a bit frantic - but that's a good thing. It is a loveable little car in the finest Italian tradition, being a whole lot of fun in a simple, unpretentious sort of way.

But while the interior seems a little cheaper in the quality of its materials than say, VW's new Up, it's in here that the Panda scores its biggest trump card over the 500 - what you lose in looks you gain in room, and because it's a five door it's also far easier for your friends to get in and out of.

It's not as polished as the Up but think about this way; if you reckon you'd find a holiday in Milan a little bit more memorable than one in Berlin, than go for the Panda because its sense of mischief will prevail over the Veedub's sturdiness.

Keep it to yourself - given the choice of a 500 and a Panda, I'd go for the latter.

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