Name: Fiat Panda (2012 – 2024) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Fiat Panda
Rating: 61.0

Summary

The Fiat Panda was a city car-sized five-door hatchback that was part of the Fiat range for about 12 years. Unusually, it is also offered either as a regular city car or as a 4×4 version with very decent off-roading ability that outperformed most conventional family SUVs.

The Panda was launched back in 2012 and received minor updates throughout its life. It was finally discontinued in the summer of 2024 to make way for the all-new Fiat Grande Panda arriving in 2025.

In 2018, the Panda scored zero stars in a Euro NCAP crash test – the worst score ever recorded by the safety organisation. There was substantial criticism of Fiat and calls for the car to be withdrawn from sale, but the car remained in production and on sale across Europe until the summer of 2024.

Despite its safety record, the Fiat Panda continued to receive mostly positive reviews from the UK motoring media, although the scores gradually declined over time as they would for any car that has been on sale for almost a decade. The regular model Panda was warmly praised for its city driving dynamics, while the 4×4 version was similarly acclaimed for its considerable off-road ability.

It’s a great shame that the Panda has such a terrible safety score, because the rest of the time it should very reliable and very cheap to run as a used car. According to exclusive costs provided to The Car Expert by our data partners (see below), it has outstanding results in our reliability and running cost categories.

As of January 2025, the Fiat Panda holds a Used Car Expert Rating of D, with a score of 61%. It scores top marks for its low running costs and CO₂ emissions, as well as its excellent reliability record. However, its safety rating is terrible and media review scores are poor.

More Fiat ratings, reviews, news and features

Key specifications

Body style: Small five-door hatchback
Engines: petrol (with mild hybrid assistance)
Price: From £14,740 on-road

Launched: Spring 2012
Last updated: Spring 2019
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert+

Model reviewed: Panda Cross
“The Fiat Panda Cross does a lot of what a Land Rover can do, but in a smaller, lighter and more economical package.”
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Auto Express+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Panda is a characterful city car with lots of practical touches”
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Model reviewed: Panda Cross Hybrid
Score: 4 / 10
“Hybrid technology doesn’t do enough to mask the Fiat Panda’s age. It remains a charming and quirky car, but almost impossible to recommend in today’s new car market. It’s incredibly slow, not all that fuel-efficient and devoid of any sort of interior technology that buyers expect these days.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Panda 4×4
Score: 6 / 10
“The four-wheel-drive supermini is a rare thing, but we’re glad that the Fiat Panda 4×4 exists.”
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: Panda Cross TwinAir
Score: 6 / 10
“Is the Fiat Panda Cross a bargain small off-roader or an overpriced Panda? Depends on your point of view. It’s genuinely capable off-road, great in the city (no speed bump too big, no multi-storey too steep, no parking space too small) but in all honesty a bit rubbish on the open road.”
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Model reviewed: 4×4 TwinAir
Score: 8 / 10
“The price tag might seem expensive for a city car. But it’s not bad for a perfectly fit-for-purpose, superbly engineered off-roader, with a clever little engine and excellent driving characteristics that will embarrass those behemoths in the field and hold its own on the road.”
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Model reviewed: 0.9-litre petrol manual TwinAir
Score: 8 / 10
“Fiat’s new Panda rides well, steers well, and can come with a fantastic two-pot engine; it’s an absolute joy.”
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Car Keys+

Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol mild hybrid
Score: 7 / 10
“The Fiat Panda is a model that’s hard not to love. Whether it’s the quirky interior, the funky and loveable exterior styling or its appealing list price, there are plenty of reasons to choose this city car, which is also superb around towns and cities.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“The Fiat Panda is a roomy and affordable city car with a strong sense of fun”
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Model reviewed: Panda 4×4
Score: 6.4 / 10
“Despite its tiny size, the Fiat Panda 4×4 is more capable off-road than many larger SUVs.”
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Carwow+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 4 / 10
“Building excellent small cars is something Fiat does extremely well, so it’s no surprise to find the Fiat Panda is one of the best models in its class. Boot space is average and you don’t get much kit, though.”
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Model reviewed: Panda Cross
Score: 7 / 10
“The Fiat Panda Cross is a more rugged, four-wheel-drive version of the standard Panda hatchback. It’s surprisingly capable off-road, but feels rather cheap inside.”
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Model reviewed: Panda 4×4 range
Score: 7 / 10
“The Fiat Panda 4×4 is a city car with chunky, off-road-inspired looks and a grippy four-wheel-drive system to match. It’s cheap to buy and easy to drive, but not well-equipped.”
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Daily Mail+

Model reviewed: Panda 4×4 1.3-litre diesel manual
“The Fiat Panda 4×4 looks like a city car but packs real cross-country skills. Being small and light, it can pull itself out of most trouble you’re likely to come across.”
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Evo+

Model reviewed: Range overview
“Whether it’s the basic hatchback or rugged 4×4 and Cross, the Fiat Panda is fun utilitarian transport.”
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Green Car Guide+

Model reviewed: Panda Cross
Score: 9 / 10
“With its genuinely extremely impressive off-road ability, it’s simply the most capable city car that exists. It also has bags of character and it’s fun.”
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Model reviewed: 4×4 1.3-litre diesel manual
Score: 9 / 10
“It soon becomes obvious that the Fiat Panda is not only the most interesting city car, but also the most capable by far. The normal Panda doesn’t feel like a city car, and the 4×4 version distances itself from this category by an even greater margin.”
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Heycar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“Fiat knows a thing or two about building city cars. Between them, the 500 and Panda models have been winning metropolitan fans across Europe for decades; one the chic style icon, the other a loveable utility car.”
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Model reviewed: Panda 4×4
Score: 6 / 10
“Fiat knows when it’s on to a good thing and the Panda 4×4 is just that. It may not be a huge seller, but it’s a crucial part of the Panda line-up and has a history going back four decades. This makes it a key pillar of the Panda range and one that many of its owners couldn’t contemplate being without.”
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Honest John+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Panda is spacious, practical and family-friendly. There’s a larger boot with a wider tailgate plus more space for those sitting in the back, both in terms of width and legroom. It can even be specified with a sliding rear seat bench which increases boot space should you need more.”
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Model reviewed: Panda 4×4
Score: 6 / 10
“If you like the 4×4 looks, but don’t need the hardware, go for the Fiat Panda Trekking, which is offered on the standard hatchback. It’s two-wheel drive, but much cheaper.”
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Model reviewed: Panda Cross
“The Fiat Panda Cross is a top-level version of the Panda 4×4, with features that give it even greater off-road ability and lift it in status terms to sensible chic.”
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Parkers+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“Spacious, practical city car, but feeling its age now”
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Model reviewed: Panda 4×4
Score: 8 / 10
“Behind the likeable, informal design lies a practical and versatile vehicle. Combining small car proportions with 4×4 capabilities, the Fiat Panda 4×4 represents something of a contradiction – it’s even cool.”
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The Sun+

Model reviewed: Trekking TwinAir
“Buyers will be shocked at how much ability it still has in the rough stuff. Fiat has given it a special suspension tweak so the Panda Trekking glides across bumps and potholes.”
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The Sunday Times+

Model reviewed: 1.2-litre petrol manual Easy
Score: 8 / 10
“Cheap and looks worryingly functional, but the Fiat Panda makes highly effective, surprisingly civilised transport – with bags of charm.”
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Model reviewed: Panda 4×4
Score: 8 / 10
“A no-nonsense runaround that likes playing in the mud”
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The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: Panda 4×4
Score: 8 / 10
“When the going gets tough, never mind an SUV, what you need is a Fiat Panda 4×4.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Nothing radical, but cheap, cheerful and characterful approach makes it an intriguing contrast to the impressive Volkswagen Up.”
Read review

Top Gear+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“A cruelly underrated, often-overlooked car. Now dating inside and on the tech front, but still one of the most rounded small cars on sale. (Not just to look at).”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 0 stars
Date tested: December 2018
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 45%
Child protection: 16%
Vulnerable road users: 47%
Safety assist: 7%

Note about the Euro NCAP rating

The current Fiat Panda was first tested by Euro NCAP when it was originally launched in 2011 and scored four stars. However, safety standards have increased over the course of this decade.

When the Panda was re-tested in 2018 against the latest criteria, it scored zero stars. In fact, it was the worst new car result in Euro NCAP’s history. The safety organisation said: “With nothing more than a seatbelt reminder scoring points in Euro NCAP’s Safety Assist box, the vehicle fails to reach even a single star.”

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: 0.9 Twinair 4×2 manual

Overall score: 0 stars
Date tested: February 2019
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 0 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 6 / 10

Model tested: 1.2 8V Petrol 4X2 Manual

Overall score: 2.5 stars
Date tested: February 2021
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 4.3 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 5.7 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 4.8 / 10

Additional eco rating

The Fiat Panda 1.2-litre petrol manual received a 2.5 star rating from Green NCAP in February 2021. This is a separate result from the one illustrated above, which is for the 0.9-litre engine.

Green NCAP said: “The car is tested here with the four cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine, now Euro 6d-Temp compliant. With only a three-way catalyst by way of exhaust after-treatment, control of pollutant emissions is limited and, in the more challenging tests – cold ambient temperature, high-load highway – CO is high enough for all points to be lost. However, even without a gasoline particulate filter, particulate number is never excessive, in the laboratory or on the road. Energy efficiency is not impressive for such a small car.

“Overall, the Panda 1.2 petrol delivers respectable performance all-round and achieves a fair 2½ star rating.”

The written rating only applies to the 1.2-litre petrol manual version of the Fiat Panda, while the illustrated example only applies to the 0.9-litre petrol manual version. These results do not imply similar ratings for any other engine and gearbox combinations in the range.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

Total claims: 35
Average repair cost: £227.82
Last updated: October 2024

Reliability score

All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims

The Fiat Panda has an excellent reliability score of 84%, according to exclusive extended warranty data provided by our partners at MotorEasy. This score covers both generations of Panda (2012-2024 and pre-2012), although it’s based on a relatively small number of repair claims to date.

In addition to being very reliable, the Panda is one of the cheapest new cars to repair if it goes wrong, with an average repair bill of about £230.

Almost half of all reported problems with the Panda relate to its suspension, with an average repair bill of £140. The other area to look out for is the braking system, where repairs are about £260.

If you’re looking at a used Fiat Panda, make sure any extended warranty cover you purchase covers all of these potential problem areas.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	55 mpg	B	37 – 59 mpg	A – D

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	111 g/km	A	108 – 168 g/km	A – C

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	7	A	3 – 10	A – A

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£116	A
Year 2	£378	A
Year 3	£612	A
Year 4	£805	A
Year 5	£1,103	A
Overall	£3,014	A

The Fiat Panda is a very cheap car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

The only thing stopping the Panda from getting a perfect set of straight-A scores is its fuel economy, which scores a B and is merely ‘very good’ rather than ‘outstanding’. However, for a petrol-powered car with no hybrid assistance (mild hybrids don’t really count), this is actually an excellent score.

You will struggle to find a car that’s cheaper to live with than a Fiat Panda.