A new breed of Panda will be making its UK public debut at MPH '06, which opens at the NEC, Birmingham on Thursday 26 October, and then in London's Earls Court on Thursday 2 November.
Panda 100HP is an entirely new sporty addition to the Panda family, featuring a 1.4 litre 16v FIRE engine tuned to develop 100bhp at 6000rpm, and 97lb.ft of torque at 4250rpm, driving through a six speed manual gearbox.
With a modest kerb weight of 1015kg, Fiat Auto's latest addition to the Panda range possesses lively performance, with 0 - 62mph acceleration in 9.5s and a maximum speed of 115mph, while still offering economical fuel consumption (43.4mpg in the combined cycle) and modest (154g/km CO2) emissions.
Internally, the dashboard is of a new darker grey. A leather steering wheel and gear knob are standard, as are split folding rear seats, height adjustable driver's seat, automatic climate control, and a new 'Sport' button! The latter enables the driver to select the sensitivity of both the steering and throttle - normal or sport.
At £9,995 OTR, the new Panda 100HP, 'flagship' of a revised 2007 Panda range, represents a highly competitive package, with rivals being generally less powerful, less well equipped and more expensive. Panda 100HP goes on sale here in December. |
