The new 2021 Fiat Panda is more fashionable than ever

Reinvent yourself or die, update or become outdated, take on your 40s or fall into crisis. The 2021 Fiat Panda is proof that 40 years is nothing and, despite being a car that was first presented back in 1980, its continuous reinvention has been the secret of its success because, after four decades and five generations, how many cars can boast of being leaders in their segment?

So, to face a complicated year, not only for entering your 40s while keeping the ability to attract users both younger and older than that, the 2021 Fiat Panda update involves offering a more personalised look and a wider engine range suited to the current regulatory and commercial context.

Fiat Panda Cross

The world wants more SUVs and, what happens when a truly urban model has no all-terrain configuration? Well, following the recipe of others, Fiat has pulled out of its sleeve a new trim that assumes this role and takes on the look of the most fashionable bodywork with the Fiat Panda Cross trim.

As the top of the range, it includes accessories typical of the most adventurous and rugged vehicles, such as protections for the lower front bumper and doors, wheel arch trims in contrast with the rest of the bodywork, and offers either 4×2 or 4×4 powertrains. Given a very eye-catching detail, on the sides of the aforementioned front bumper, next to the daytime running light optics, there is a towing point, a feature that is undoubtedly very off-road.

Fiat Panda City Cross

Because between driving the most basic Fiat Panda and setting off on the adventure of the unforeseen with a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon there is a middle ground, the Fiat Panda City Cross is the trim positioned between the most urban options and the pseudo-SUV, since, while the Cross trim aspires to be an SUV, with the City Cross trim the manufacturer announces and warns that this variant is “for those seeking an urban car that resembles an off-roader but at an affordable price”.

In this way, the adventurous character is limited to a look slightly similar to the off-road concept that the Cross displays, but softened with an exclusive Ceramic Blue bodywork colour, losing the bumper guards and equipped with two-tone tech leather upholstery, with seats dotted with the silver tones of their stitching.

Fiat Panda Sport

And if there are Fiat Panda customers who look for an SUV, an off-roader, there are also others who want a sporty urban vehicle, or at least one that looks like it, and whose image heads this article.

That is why, thanks to a specific kit of 16-inch wheels finished in two tones, among which, if you choose the Pandemonio pack, red brake calipers will stand out, in contrast with the glossy black housings of the mirrors and door handles, as well as being distinguished by the Sport logos on the base of the A-pillar.

Fiat Panda City Life

The first level of customisation appears with the City Life trim, which includes a front bumper, side skirts, longitudinal roof bars and, from this trim upwards, 15-inch wheels, except in the case of the previous Sport trim and, like it, the mirrors and door handles are painted in a high-contrast glossy black.

Fiat Panda Life

And for those simply looking for the cheapest Fiat Panda, the entry-level Fiat Panda is the Fiat Panda Life, which limits itself to offering the car without frills or complications, capturing the essence and simplicity of the legendary Fiat Panda in 2021.

New hybrid engines for the new Fiat Panda

As we have shown, the wide range of the Fiat Panda is completed with an equally broad mechanical offer.

From the choice of 4×2 front-wheel drive to full 4×4, Fiat announces petrol, methane and LPG engines, given that hybridisation for the FireFly petrol powertrain is widespread thanks to the adoption of a mild-hybrid scheme, a solution already present in the soon-to-be-discontinued Fiat Panda Easy Hybrid.

The new 1.0-litre FireFly engine is linked to a small electric motor that adds almost 5 CV (3.6 kW) to the unit, which in total adds up to 70 CV, just one more than the previous 1.2 engine, but which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 25 percent and also improves fuel efficiency.

This is thanks to the contribution of the aforementioned BSG electric motor, linked to a small 11 Ah battery, which is responsible for storing the energy from braking or deceleration and returning it to restart the petrol engine when the Start&Stop system acts, as well as at moments when the petrol engine requires additional energy.

The mechanical tandem is linked, at least initially, inseparably to a 6-speed gearbox.