While Fiat has just two cars on sale in India, the Italian automaker has a big range of cars available globally. One of the most important cars for Fiat is the Panda, which is one of its best sellers in the European market. Now the company has just unveiled 2013 Fiat Panda 4×4 Crossover, which is the only 4-wheel drive vehicle in the A-segment. Fiat will unveil the Panda 4×4 to the public at the upcoming Paris Motor Show next month.
The vehicle is based on the regular Fiat Panda, but with minor changes to the exteriors to give the 4×4 version a rugged look. The Panda 4×4 gets black moulding around the bumpers and wheel arches along with silver skid plates. The tyres are 175/65/15 and the vehicle boasts of good ground clearance too. On the inside, Fiat has given the car some minor changes in colors to the dashboard and seats. Storage has been marginally improved with a new console.
The Fiat Panda 4×4 has a interconnected wheels at the rear, which is unique to the 4-wheel drive version. The suspension travel has been increased as well to help the vehicle cope well off-road. Other features include Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Locking Differential, Start & Stop system and Torque on demand transmission. The permanent 4-wheel drive model is powered by either a 900cc TwinAir turbo petrol engine which produces 84 BHP or the 1.3-litre Multijet II diesel engine which produces 74 BHP. These engines are mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The Fiat Panda 4×4 is 3680mm long, 1670mm wide and 1600mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2300mm and is the perfect compact crossover for the Indian market. Fiat just needs to heavily localize components and price it aggressively.
