Fiat Panda Cross (2015)

Fiat Panda Cross (2015)

Fiat Panda Cross (2015)

For young and dynamic customers, the Fiat Panda Cross immediately conveys solidity and robustness owing to its typical SUV style, with all the advantages that only a compact car can offer.

Every detail of the Panda Cross has been designed to make it immediately recognisable and distinctive, with a stylistic language typical of an SUV.

The front-end features a brand-new look, thanks to the new bumper, which features a generous skid plate in a satin titanium colour for the protection of mechanical components with a design of holes which reinterprets the Panda's characteristic "squircle" motif. The robust, off-road character is highlighted by tow hooks with an immediately recognisable new design in a brilliant red. The light clusters too are brand new, thanks to the headlights and new fog lights integrated with the logo holder bonnet trim, and to the new DRLs with LED technology, built into the skid plate.

From the side, certain specific elements, such as the pronounced wheel arches, mouldings with 'Cross' badge and the new roof bars which both take up the finish of the skid plate, stand out. The 15" alloy wheels feature a 5-spoke V design and a burnished metal finish.

The rear end too is characterised by a highly distinctive look, a new bumper with under-body protection which takes up the design and finish of the front skid plate, a new burnished light cluster and the chrome tail pipe.

Taken as a whole, these details lend it an extremely sophisticated appearance and immediately communicate dynamism and agility.

TYRES-
To ensure maximum grip on any road surface, the new model benefits from 'All Seasons' 185/65R15 tyres - larger than those of the Panda 4x4 - developed specially to ensure optimum drivability and traction on snow-covered roads, along with extremely responsive steering, for driving pleasure on wet and dry surfaces, as well as excellent off-road performance.

SUSPENSION-
The suspension system of an all-wheel drive car has two main tasks to fulfil. It must ensure all typically 2WD features such as passenger comfort, handling, roadholding and safety, and at the same time it must provide better characteristics for tackling any type of terrain, particularly off-road. Engineers worked to reach both objectives. Levels of absolute excellence have been reached with a particular eye to comfort and off-road performance. For this reason, two tried and tested layouts were chosen: an independent MacPherson arrangement at the front and an interconnected wheel with torsion beam layout at the rear, specifically developed for the all-wheel drive version. With respect to the semi-trailing arm solution of the previous generation, the rear suspension is lighter and provides better ride and acoustic comfort with the same off-road performance as before.

TYPICAL ANGLES-
The Panda Cross is at ease on rough and challenging terrain, as demonstrated by its generous ground clearance (16 cm) and by its excellent typical off-road angles: 24° (approach), 33° (departure), 20° (ramp breakover) and 31.5° (70%) of climbable gradient. In particular, compared to the Panda 4×4, the approach angle has been improved by 3 degrees, so it can tackle a greater inclination of the ground without touching with the front of the car, and the departure angle by 1 degree.

ENGINE VERSIONS-
The Fiat Panda Cross is available with two engine options, both with Start&Stop: the new 90 HP 0.9 TwinAir Turbo and the 80 HP 1.3 MultiJet II diesel.

Both offer an additional 5 HP compared to the equivalent units on the rest of the Panda range, to ensure greater performance while highlighting the top-of-the-range positioning of the Panda Cross.

The forerunner of a new family of Fiat two-cylinder engines, the 0.9 TwinAir Turbo engine deploys maximum power of 90 HP (66 kW) at 5500 rpm and a torque of 145 Nm at 1900 rpm (constant up to 3000 rpm). In addition, for more "eco-friendly" driving and reduced fuel consumption, you can simply press the ECO button on the dashboard, which limits torque to 100 Nm at 2000 rpm. This engine, in a combined cycle, offers consumption of 4.9 litres/100 km and CO2 emissions of 114 g/km.

Again with a view to respect for the environment coupled with driving satisfaction, the new Panda Cross can be equipped with the 1.3 MultiJet II turbodiesel with DPF as standard, which delivers a maximum power of 80 HP (59 kW) at 4000 rpm and generous torque of 190 Nm at just 1500 rpm. A masterpiece of technology in miniature - complete with all its accessories, it weighs approximately 140 kg - the diesel engine belongs to the second generation of MultiJet power units and is equipped with a fixed geometry turbocharger with intercooler, optimised for torque delivery at low rpm. In the combined cycle, the 1.3 MultiJet II engine records just 125 g/km of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of 4.7 litres per 100 km.

SAFETY-
The Panda Cross offers the innovative 'City Brake Control' on request. This active safety system detects the presence of other vehicles or obstacles in front of the car and automatically brakes if the driver fails to intervene promptly to avoid collision or mitigate its consequences. Winner of the prestigious 'Euro NCAP Advanced 2013' award, the device was designed to assist city driving and always operates when the car speed is between 5 and 30 km/h. Active every time the car is started, the system can be disabled and enabled at the request of the driver.

In detail, the 'City Brake Control' system employs a LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) laser sensor, positioned on the upper part of the windscreen, which dialogues with the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) system. Depending on certain parameters (such as road surface conditions, vehicle dynamics and trajectories, position of obstacles and condition of the tyres etc.), by cutting in the system can completely avoid or mitigate the consequences of a collision.