I have just returned from a 15 minute unaccompanied test drive

Ok, Fiat Panda's, not to everyone's taste at all. I can see that. Car was pretty much identical in appearance to this one .........

Pleasant, subtle, and sportyish. Discreet too.

I flicked open the VAG'esqe keyfob, and sat on the pleasantly firm bolstered driving seat. Adjusted my position, mirrors etc. The dash was a bit "in your face" with it totally dominating the centre of the car. Not unpleasant though, and i soon got used to it. Stubby gear lever comes out of the dash, a little in the style of a Type R Civic. 6 speed too

So...I started the engine, and to my amazement, it didn't rattle. It sounded "sporty". Almost like a non fuel injected car. I selected first gear and set off, destination Weeton - My local "test track" The car was already warm, as it had just arrived back at the showroom. So I got onto the dual carriageway near the dealers, obeying the speed limits of course, and kicked it's f**king head in . I wasn't really expecting much to happen when I pressed the throttle pedal, and I was suprised. Shocked almost with the way it picked up pace. Revving to 7k, i changed up, 2nd - 3rd, 4th, hard on the brakes for the roundabout, blip on the throttle, into second, nothing coming.......quick flick left, then right, then left again - off the throttle for the last flick....the back stepped out Sweet.

Back up through the amazingly pleasurable gearbox. Next roundabout - turn in, off the gas, lift of oversteer - i was grinning with the grin you can only get from an "old school" hot hatch - 205 Gti, Ax Gt, Nove Gsi etc....back on the power....the little 1.4 16 valve engine was screaming at me.....7k every change, and it loved it. It sounded so good, it almost begged me to use every last rev.

Traffic was a little heavy at this point, so i took my time to the next traffic lights. 6th gear at 40 mph.....very quiet, smooth, almost refined. Odd.

The lights change, im first in line, I have also pushed the "sport" button. This makes the steering heavier, and the throttle more responsive so it says in the book. I'll give it a try. I bury the throttle as I turn right off the main road, no wheelspin, just traction, and that glorious induction noise from an Italian engine.

I went almost flat out, all the way down the bumpy and very twisty lanes to the "end of the circuit". I rarely used the brakes at all. Shame, as they are a pleasure to use. Very good feedback, and they bite hard. I took the S bends at a few MPH more than I felt comfortable at on entry, throttle hard down....it just turned in, and followed exactly where I put the car. I was still grinning......alot.

I eased into the Village, turned the car around, turned off the climate control, wound down the window, and went for it. Full launch. Grip is amazing, and I mean amazing. Again, flat out all the way back, (s)mile after mile, the car only unsettling over the biggest of bumps in the road. It was the rear that was unsettled, quite unexpectedly in a straight line too, bounced from one side to the other and back again. Foot down, adrenaline rush, more grins. I was almost laughing to myself now.

Again, traffic stemmed my pace as I rejoined the dual carriageway, so I enjoyed the pleasant and quiet drive to the motorway roundabout.....nothing coming, 3rd, foot down hard, didn't lift untill the apex of the first turn in point, lift, back steps out - omfg - im in heaven.....

Smooth line round, down the slip, amazed at the numbers on the speedo. Moves well for a little 'un . Left at the next roundabout, on/off/on/off the throttle, teasing the rear of the car....it felt f**king fantastic. I didn't want to return to the dealer :(.

I parked it up when I got back, and took the keys in, looking back over my shoulder.

I want that car :orb_blow_

Nice writ up. Evo magazine have been raving about the Panda sporting / Panda 100hp recently. Nice to see that a manufacturer can still make a fun to drive car without it costing huge money.

Chris

supposed to be awesome, and under 10K on the road too :eek:

Sounds like you enjoyed that drive then

Wait till the Abarth version follows then buy that one instead Shifty

Wait till the Abarth version follows then buy that one instead Shifty

I'm not going to buy one......just wanted to see what Evo were talking about. I'm hanging on for the 500 Abarth :)

nice review Dave , i may go and test it myself and the Punto Sporting

Well written Dave, nice to know that Fiat can get it right some times.

I had one of these "marked" out for the Mrs, .......... she bought a Polo 1.2 :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I love small Fiats, when she had here old Punto HGT she never got to drive it, I had it all the time, weighed nowt, had aircon, satnav and lot's of toys as standard and revved like a looney. They do know how to make great small cars and it's good to see Fiat getting back in their groove

Fiat nearly always get the driving experience right, as do Alfa and Lancia, unfortunately it's the owning experience that can let them down, although I've been raving on about Alfas for years and how reliable they are now, so I guess Fiat should be no different!

I had a couple of Cinq Sports about ten years ago, they were great liitle cars to drive. No power steering, chunky little wheel, and weighed next to nowt. The sports suspension and short wheelbase made them a great chuckable little car and it could keep up with bigger and better cars on a country road.

It's just a shame the 2nd one poisoned me against Fiat forever more. A faulty ECU cost me £3 K in repairs about a month after the warranty ran out. Fiat stumped up £500 as I'd complained about it since I bought it but none of the dealers could find owt wrong.

They do make sweet little engines that just loved to be reved... one of my fav cars was the little yellow 1.1 Secentio Sporting I had 5 years ago, every drive brought a smile to my face

I had a couple of Cinq Sports about ten years ago, they were great liitle cars to drive. No power steering, chunky little wheel, and weighed next to nowt. The sports suspension and short wheelbase made them a great chuckable little car and it could keep up with bigger and better cars on a country road.

It's just a shame the 2nd one poisoned me against Fiat forever more. A faulty ECU cost me £3 K in repairs about a month after the warranty ran out. Fiat stumped up £500 as I'd complained about it since I bought it but none of the dealers could find owt wrong.

Hmmm, thats given me an idea for 2008's Scumball vehicle, as my mate wants something small and chuckable instead of the big saloons I prefer.

Last year I took the Alfa 75 3.0 V6

This year i'm taking a supercharged Rover sd1 3.5 V8

What engine could I shoehorn into a cinquecento to make it proper fast on a budget?

Nice read Dave. I just luuuuuurve small FIATS and I

Nice read indeed. A nice small sporty number it seems.

Hmmm, thats given me an idea for 2008's Scumball vehicle, as my mate wants something small and chuckable instead of the big saloons I prefer.

Last year I took the Alfa 75 3.0 V6

This year i'm taking a supercharged Rover sd1 3.5 V8

What engine could I shoehorn into a cinquecento to make it proper fast on a budget?

i know the 80 bhp 1.2 , 16v engine fits in , just , that was one of the mods i read about when i had my Cinq sporting , its a tighter fit in the Seicento due to the rounder front

i always liked the Cinqs handling better than the Seicento , that just didn't seem as chuckable

i know the 80 bhp 1.2 , 16v engine fits in , just , that was one of the mods i read about when i had my Cinq sporting , its a tighter fit in the Seicento due to the rounder front

i always liked the Cinqs handling better than the Seicento , that just didn't seem as chuckable

the 1.2 8v goes straight in to the seicento, and novotech do a turbo kit for it ....... I know this works well

This Cinq owner appears to have done some work on his, but he doesn't list the mods unfortunately.

Here's another link to Fiat Forum Pimp My Cinq

Great write-up Dave, enjoyed reading that. It was like being there with you

Glad you liked it, I think they look superb. Picked one out for a holiday rental in the summer and liked it a lot, certainly better than the usual stuff you get given - think it was the 1.2 version but still a lot of fun, lots of grip and feedback. Was impressed with the interior - design, finish, quality - the lot. No issues or rattles and this was a rental.

Will see what the Abarth brings

Steve

Will see what the Abarth brings

Steve

I

Calm now, count to 10 - have some wine!

But yes, hope they don't balls it up! Schumacher edition anyone?

Steve

The question is, being a FIAT, if you drove it like that every day, how many days would it last?

Calm now, count to 10 - have some wine!

But yes, hope they don't balls it up! Schumacher edition anyone?

Steve

No wine in

The question is, being a FIAT, if you drove it like that every day, how many days would it last?

Based on my rental, it looks fairly promising. Considering it was nearly 2yrs old, 30k km on the clock and this was in Crete so a lot of the driving would have been up and down mountains it was holding up extremely well.

Of course the issue would be if that was just luck, or are they all as well made as that? If they've managed to keep a consistent standard to their production line, they're onto a winner.

Steve

Do you think Schuey would do a Senna and have