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There were two engine variants at the Naples-based press launch: a 75hp 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel and an 85hp 0.9-litre TwinAir turbopetrol, both with 5-speed manuals and Stop&Start. The TwinAir’s slightly remapped motor is every bit as spirited as it is in the 500, with diesel-like pulling power plus its novel and pleasant twin-cylinder engine note. Performance is quoted as 0-62 in 11.2 secs with a 110mph max, which for a small car is more than adequate, either in town or on the motorway. The 1.3 MultiJet isn’t quite as nippy on paper (12.8 secs and 104mph) but has even more torque at lower revs.

Beneath the new body there’s a heavily revised chassis, plus new suspension mountings and components. The polished, wet and congested roads on the press launch’s prescribed test route weren’t conducive toward assessing steering and handling in extremis, although I can confirm that during a mild and unexpected four-wheel drift on a slippery urban slip road, plus a couple of other instances of low road-grip understeer, the new Panda felt easily controlled and almost balletic. Needless to say, it’s a doddle to drive around town, and aided by a rigid chassis and well-tuned suspension, its compliant ride isn’t unduly compromised by poor surfaces.

The new Panda is manufactured in what’s now Europe’s most modern car factory where there are Quality Centre specialists who have, among their many tools, an 18-metre-long measuring machine which electronically checks 2,000 points on the body to ensure that clearances, profiles, dimensions and tolerances are all spot-on. Suffice to say that the press launch demonstrators were well finished and reliable, and in a completely different league from Pandas (and Fiats) of old. It’s also worth noting that Fiat is definitely on the ascendancy in JD Power’s manufacturer surveys: last in ’08 and ’09, second from last in 2010 and 22nd out of 28 in 2011.

Fiat claims that the new Panda is ‘top of category’ for passenger protection, and this is born out by Euro NCAP which gave the latest model a score of 82% for adult occupant protection. Overall though, the Panda gained 4 out of 5 stars, one short of that scored by the some other 2012 superminis (see www.euroncap.com for further details). More easily comprehended are the Panda’s four airbags, ABS with Brake Assist and anti whiplash front seats, as well as optional front side airbags and ESP. Fiat’s new Low Speed Collision Mitigation system will also be available which can spot obstacles and apply the brakes should the driver fail to do so.

Unlike some superminis, the Panda has ample headroom for passengers front and rear, although adults in the rear may well be short of legroom unless those in the front have their seats slid well forward. With rear seat backrests upright the Panda’s 225-litre luggage capacity falls 26 litres short of the new VW Up’s, and having sat in the back of both, I’d say the Up also has more rear legroom. The large, open storage compartment ahead of the front seat passenger will likely be brimming with loose change, sweets, phone chargers, tissues, sandwich wrappers, iPods, lipsticks, mascaras and keys within a week of ownership.

The new Panda should be in UK showrooms by late Feb 2012 with prices from £8,900 to £12,250 OTR. There’ll be plenty of options available, including the Blue & Me satnav/media system, a robotised Duologic transmission and more. The TwinAir model boasts a 67.3mpg combined – a figure that’ll probably be tough to match in real life, but its 99g/km CO2 figure means zero UK road tax. It’s a good little car, but it lacks the city chic of both the 500 and the VW Up, and it’s not quite as roomy as its MPV styling might suggest. Despite many improvements, the Panda doesn’t move the game on in the way that many small Fiats have in the past, or have an obvious USP. That will change, however, when the 4x4 version arrives in late 2012.

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