1.2 Dynamic 5dr Hatchback

An adequate and reasonably economical car for local journeys, but a little tiring for the longer run.

The upright seating position makes this ideal transport for those who find bending the knee a little more difficult and for whom ease of access is important. Whilst quite small there is a sense of space in the rectangular box that is the interior and with the rear seat folded there is a good amount of space for those larger loads. The boot is really quite large, but the space is vertical rather than horizontal and shopping needs to be packed carefully so as not to squash those eggs and soft fruits you've just bought at half price on special offer! The 1.2 litre 8 valve engine is remarkably torquey and pulls well across the rev range and is much perkier that the 1.1 8 valve I had been used to. It will accelerate reasonably well through the gears to an indicated 70 mph when things start to be exiting. Initially there was so much body lean when taking corners briskly that I assumed the tyres were severely under inflated. I inflated them all to the top rating the handbook recommended and there was an improvement in cornering but the straight line ride was so poor in that the little car hopped and skipped its way down the road. It was really uncomfortable and I reduced tyre pressures to improve the overall ride. The brakes are excellent and stop cleanly without fading or snatching. The gearbox is a dream, even my wife loves it! The steering is light and easy even when parking and I can find no reason whatsoever to switch to the urban setting which makes the steering even lighter. The black pain job is easily scratched. Perhaps black is a soft colour? Front windows are electric and the wing mirrors can be adjusted from inside.

All in all, the 1.2 litre 8 valve Panda appears strongly made and is a very competent town car which is able to complete the occasional longer journey. It's great if you want to take your mother-in-law and your wife shopping. Average fuel usage is 47mpg, which is fine; but don't buy one if you use motorways a great deal or wish to travel 150 miles plus. You'll end up like a jack-in-a-box!

Report as offensive