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Which used Fiat Panda should you buy?

While the looks of the Fiat Panda haven’t altered all that much since its introduction in 2012, there have been more noticeable changes in other areas.

This is especially the case with the engine range. Go for an older example of the Fiat Panda, and the car will have either a 1.3-litre diesel, a 1.2-litre petrol or a 0.9-litre petrol. However, if you’re looking at a Fiat Panda from 2020 onwards, it’s far more likely to have a mild hybrid 1.0-litre petrol engine instead.

Regardless of what engine is powering the Fiat Panda, it’s a comfortable and very easy-to-drive small car that’s ideal for pottering around town.

Of course, the trade-off for that comfy ride is a lot of body lean when cornering at speed, so it’s best not to hurl the Fiat Panda through bends. Not that you’ll be going amazingly quickly, mind; this is pitched as an affordable city car and even the most powerful model has only 91PS at its disposal.

Read our full Fiat Panda review

 

What used Fiat Panda trim levels are available?

Given that the Fiat Panda has been on sale for 12 years, a wide range of trim levels has been available during that time. We have details of the most prominent below.

Fiat Panda Pop

For an overwhelming amount of its time in production, the entry-level trim was the Fiat Panda Pop. As a result, it’s a bit spartan in comparison with the other models, as the list below confirms. From launch, the Fiat Panda could be specified in Pop trim with either the 70PS 1.2-litre petrol, an 86PS 0.9-litre petrol or a 76PS 1.3-litre diesel engine. The 71PS 1.0-litre mild hybrid petrol joined the range in early 2020.

  • Electric front windows
  • Central locking
  • Four-speaker radio
  • Front and side airbags
  • 14-inch steel wheels

Fiat Panda Easy

Another long-running trim was the formerly mid-range Fiat Panda Easy specification. It added some extra equipment over Fiat Panda Pop variants (highlighted below), although engine options were identical.

  • Air-conditioning
  • Rear seat headrests
  • Height-adjustable driver’s seat (later models)

Fiat Panda Lounge

As its name suggests, the Fiat Panda Lounge was the plushest spec available – until it was dropped in 2021. Engine options remained as with the Fiat Panda Pop and Fiat Panda City, although there was more in the way of equipment:

  • Power-adjustable wing mirrors
  • Front foglights
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel
  • Bluetooth
  • 15-inch alloy wheels

Fiat Panda City Life

The Fiat Panda City Life trim arrived in late 2020, and effectively replaced the Fiat Panda Easy and Fiat Panda Lounge specifications in one go. It also comes with quite a few more gadgets and gizmos over those trim levels, most notably a touchscreen media system where the radio unit used to be. But the only engine option is the 71PS mild hybrid petrol set-up.

  • Seven-inch touchscreen media system
  • Android Auto
  • Apple CarPlay
  • 15-inch wheels
  • Remote central locking
  • Air-conditioning
  • Height-adjustable driver’s seat

Fiat Panda Wild

While the regular car is in its element around town, the Fiat Panda Wild is more adventurous and outdoorsy. That’s because this tiny car has all-wheel-drive, so a little bit of light off-roading is possible. It only comes with the 86PS 0.9-litre petrol engine.

  • All-wheel drive
  • Skid plates
  • Seven-inch touchscreen media system
  • Android Auto
  • Apple CarPlay
  • 15-inch wheels
  • Remote central locking
  • Air-conditioning
  • Height-adjustable driver’s seat

Fiat Panda Sport

The Fiat Panda Sport is far from being a performance car – the 71PS mild hybrid set-up is fine in town, although the engine needs to be worked a bit if you’re lining up to overtake on the motorway. However, it at least looks the part thanks to some cosmetic additions (below), while other spec matches the Fiat Panda City Life.

  • Red brake calipers
  • 16-inch alloy wheels
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel
  • Tinted rear windows

Fiat Panda Cross

The Fiat Panda Cross has even more ability off-road than the Fiat Panda Wild model, with all-wheel-drive meaning it’s not out of its depth on slippery roads and uneven terrain. As the Fiat Panda Cross model has been in the range for quite some time, its standard features have evolved, and it’s also available with petrol, diesel and mild hybrid powertrains.

  • Off-road styling kit
  • Air-conditioning
  • Remote central locking
  • Front foglights
  • Automatic air-conditioning (later models)
  • Seven-inch touchscreen media system (later models)

Fiat Panda City Cross

As its name implies, the Fiat Panda City Cross straddles the divide between the regular versions and the off-road focused models. Unlike the full-fat Fiat Panda Cross, the Fiat Panda City Cross doesn’t have all-wheel drive, although it retains that car’s chunky off-road look. It launched with the 1.2-litre petrol engine, but if you go for a nearly new example, you’ll get the 71PS mild hybrid set-up.

  • Seven-inch touchscreen media system (later models)
  • Automatic air-conditioning
  • Height-adjustable driver’s seat
  • Off-road-style 15-inch alloy wheels

Is a used Fiat Panda a good buy?

The used small car market is very competitive, with lots of options out there, such as the Ford Fiesta, and its long established rival, the Vauxhall Corsa.

But if you want something with a bit more character, the Fiat Panda is worth considering.

With its cheeky looks and curved motifs inside and out, the Fiat Panda certainly looks unlike any of the alternatives.

That’s especially impressive as other than a few tweaks and updates over the years, the core design has remained pretty much unchanged ever since this generation of Fiat Panda was launched in 2012.