General My next Panda

[JoleePando]

Hi there,

Some of you may have been following my previous post detailing the ups and downs of getting my Panda roadworthy.

It's been a helluva trip, and already I've got the itch to go on the hunt for a new model. I'm happy with my little 1.1 Active Eco, though it'd be nice to have something slightly more powerful (and a little less noisy) for those longer drives.

The model I've been looking at is the Lounge or the Pop, though I want to know, are the differences between all the models in the 2012-Present range all much and such the same (minus the 4x4)?

Does each model have any specific problems or benefits I should be aware of?

Cheers!

 

[SB1500]

From 2012 - 2020 I'm sure, they were Pop (basic), Easy (mid) and Lounge (top spec). In 2016 they changed the spec / gave the spec list a revision. No more red/blue/beige interiors, all black / grey with a bit of stitching details in grey or red. After this, you need to be careful as over the following years they started skimming down the kit. Speakers took a hit, 6 speakers becoming 4, 4 speakers becoming 2 in the basic models. The Lounge which was supposed to have leather steering wheel / gear knob also was being sold with just plastic parts but still charging Lounge pricing... The unique little 'space saver' handbrake also became replaced with the old standard level style. The skydome (glass roof), table folding passenger seat etc options that were all cool and unique were killed off too after 2016. The 4x4 was always based on the Lounge but obviously had the 4x4 hardware, I noticed the early ones also had fabric / material on the rear door cards which was a nice touch. Cross was even better with unique styling / lights and a 4x4 system with hill descent control / bit more capable.

4x4s I hear can be a bit problematic and very hard to find spares for the 4x4 bits but worth checking out the threads of owners on here for more on that

TwinAir engines... had the oil spec changed by Fiat a few times in the initial years. People feared they might not age well but they have proven to get to pretty decent mileage. The 1.2 FIRE is the one to go for imo, slower but legendary status / reliability / only issues are easy small things like rusty oil sumps, leaky rocker cover, etc but all cheap and easy to fix with auto factors having the parts same day usually. New Hybrid system, I don't hear are great to drive but nobody knows the long term reliability yet. But if you want a fresh / new example after 2021 it'll be your only choice.

With the Pop, just think hard if you can live without a button on the key. Sounds silly, but walking up to your car with shopping in hand, or friends already waiting by the car, having to wait for you to open it. Then take the key out of the car to open the boot (or to give to someone as they open the boot to get their bag). It might be something that you feel isn't worth the hassle, and I don't think it's easy to retrofit in any comparable way to the factory job.

Just look for a brochure and if you look at one used, check the brochure and make sure it has everything the brochure says. If not, don't worry, it's unlikely to be a botch job or had any parts stripped from any dodgy past, it's probably just how Fiat made it.

Pretty sure @Wee Smurf ordered her yellow Panda back in the 2000s with a yellow interior but it arrived with a blue one!!! (or vice versa) - it's just Fiat up to its antics

I'm sure others can add to this, but above is what I've picked up over the years

 

[Wee Smurf]

From 2012 - 2020 I'm sure, they were Pop (basic), Easy (mid) and Lounge (top spec). In 2016 they changed the spec / gave the spec list a revision. No more red/blue/beige interiors, all black / grey with a bit of stitching details in grey or red. After this, you need to be careful as over the following years they started skimming down the kit. Speakers took a hit, 6 speakers becoming 4, 4 speakers becoming 2 in the basic models. The Lounge which was supposed to have leather steering wheel / gear knob also was being sold with just plastic parts but still charging Lounge pricing... The unique little 'space saver' handbrake also became replaced with the old standard level style. The skydome (glass roof), table folding passenger seat etc options that were all cool and unique were killed off too after 2016. The 4x4 was always based on the Lounge but obviously had the 4x4 hardware, I noticed the early ones also had fabric / material on the rear door cards which was a nice touch. Cross was even better with unique styling / lights and a 4x4 system with hill descent control / bit more capable.

4x4s I hear can be a bit problematic and very hard to find spares for the 4x4 bits but worth checking out the threads of owners on here for more on that

TwinAir engines... had the oil spec changed by Fiat a few times in the initial years. People feared they might not age well but they have proven to get to pretty decent mileage. The 1.2 FIRE is the one to go for imo, slower but legendary status / reliability / only issues are easy small things like rusty oil sumps, leaky rocker cover, etc but all cheap and easy to fix with auto factors having the parts same day usually. New Hybrid system, I don't hear are great to drive but nobody knows the long term reliability yet. But if you want a fresh / new example after 2021 it'll be your only choice.

With the Pop, just think hard if you can live without a button on the key. Sounds silly, but walking up to your car with shopping in hand, or friends already waiting by the car, having to wait for you to open it. Then take the key out of the car to open the boot (or to give to someone as they open the boot to get their bag). It might be something that you feel isn't worth the hassle, and I don't think it's easy to retrofit in any comparable way to the factory job.

Just look for a brochure and if you look at one used, check the brochure and make sure it has everything the brochure says. If not, don't worry, it's unlikely to be a botch job or had any parts stripped from any dodgy past, it's probably just how Fiat made it.

Pretty sure @Wee Smurf ordered her yellow Panda back in the 2000s with a yellow interior but it arrived with a blue one!!! (or vice versa) - it's just Fiat up to its antics

I'm sure others can add to this, but above is what I've picked up over the years

Hi Shane. Yes indeed, my Panda came with yellow seats although I had ordered blue. Bit of a godsend really for me as I didn't really like the blue and had mainly ordered it as it would be less likely to show the dirt. Due to their mistake and the fact that because I had ordered the sliding rear seat so no quick swap available, the Fiat dealer went halfers with me for seat covers which I had specifically made for my Panda in a nice grey with yellow stitching to match in with the door cards.

I did love my wee yellow Dynamic Multijet Skydome Panda, but I'm still loving my Alfa Romeo Multijet MiTo replacement a lot more...

As said, you'd be better to spec up than down. The Pop is very basic and the Lounge has a lot more comfort and refinement. The Twinair is a bit of a Marmite engine. I tried it out and didn't like it at all and the economy with it isn't as great as on paper (in real life, it was working out about half the mpg I was getting with my diesel and I have a tendency to do a few miles - 16.5K miles last year - so didn't suit my type of driving at all). The 1.2 is a better bet. It still is slow, but quicker and more efficient than the 1.1 Active. The newer models seem to have less by way of extras. Seemingly the way of things now is that each model comes with a set spec and the only choice is which colour you want or if you want a spare wheel, so you'd need to see what each individual spec is to decide. It should be as it says on the tin.