The new Fiat Panda Cross has been revealed
The new Fiat Panda Cross can be easily described as rugged, tiny and maybe a little bit cute.
The new four-wheel-drive city SUV features many of the rough-and-tumble styling cues, with restyled bumpers boasting underbody protection and improved approach – 24 degree – and departure – 33 degree – angles, hard-wearing body cladding as well as high-profile tyres and 15-inch wheels.
According to the Italian brand it also features good things underneath, with a ‘torqu on demand’ all-wheel-drive system made up of an electronic differential and traction control system with a terrain control selection system with three modes of function: Auto – for on-road, Lock – for off-road, Hill Descent.
The suspension has been changed to a torsion beam rear-end – from the semi-trailing arm type seen on the previous Panda Cross. This change was made in order to create space for the all-wheel-drive parts. Fiat says that the new layout of the suspension eill help cut weight and improve the car’s ride quality. Thanks to the raised suspension allows up to 160mm of gorund clearance.
The new Panda Cross will be powered by a choice between a TwinAir 0.9-litre two-cylinder turbo with 67kW and 145Nm of torque with claimed fuel consumption of 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres, or a 1.3-litre turbo diesel with 60kW and 190Nm and 4.7L/100km. Both these versions will be offered with a manual transmission as standard.
The new Panda Cross will also get a unique interior trim with both fabric and leather finishes, a revised dashboard, leather trimmed steering wheel and gearknob, climate control and electric mirror adjustment.
The new Fiat Panda Cross is expected to make its global debut at the 2014 Geneva motor show.
