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Another cross car from Italy

First there was the Panda, Fiat's award-winning small car, then came the Panda 4x4, for people wanted their Panda to have longer claws on all four wheels, then the Panda got cross and decided it wanted to go seriously off-road, now the Panda Cross has been injected with a little Ducati DNA and turned into a Cross Monster Panda.

Debuting at the Bologna Motor Show, Italy's mad motoring and motorsport event where they actually hold car races amongst the car stands, the Panda Cross Monster is immediately recognizable from its less angry cousin starting from the characteristic black livery and other stylistic details that have been painted black: the side panels, the moldings, the roof-top bars, the air inlet, and the headlight and rear light surrounds. The rear side windows, rear window and rear quarterlights are also darkened. The grille and the shield on the bumpers, on the other hand, are metal coloured, while the aggressive design of the alloy wheels offers a glimpse of the gold-painted brake calipers. This sporty imprint is repeated in the black leather upholstery inside the car.

Needless to say it is a limited, numbered series that will be marketed with an approach usually adopted for luxury products: only 620 units will be built, a number that refers to the capacity of the famous Ducati motorcycle.

The new Monster version is powered by the 70 bhp 1.3 16v Multijet engine, the best that mechanical engineering has to offer in the small turbodiesel market. And having been the first to introduce engines with Multijet technology in the compact car segment, Fiat is now the first to make this engineering heritage available on compact 4x4 models. It is an excellent solution for use around town or on longer distances, and complies with Euro 4 emissions standards. The 1.3 16v Multijet delivers a maximum power output of 70 bhp (51 kW at 4000 rpm) and torque of 14.8 kgm (145 Nm at 1500 rpm), and is combined with a compact mechanical five-speed gearbox, that has a gearshift which is extremely easy to manoeuvre.

One thing, therefore, that isn't monster is the fuel consumption. This Panda's fuel consumption is just 5.3 litres per 100 km. Truly a lean, mean bamboo munching machine...

© italiancar.com.au 15/12/05