2015 Fiat Panda Cross - Review, Specs and Photos

2015 Fiat Panda Cross - Review, Specs and Photos. Every detail of the Panda Cross has been designed to make it immediately recognisable and distinctive, with a stylistic language typical of an SUV.

The front-end features a brand-new look, thanks to the new bumper, which features a generous skid plate in a satin titanium colour for the protection of mechanical components with a design of holes which reinterprets the Panda's characteristic "squircle" motif. The robust, off-road character is highlighted by tow hooks with an immediately recognisable new design in a brilliant red. The light clusters too are brand new, thanks to the headlights and new fog lights integrated with the logo holder bonnet trim, and to the new DRLs with LED technology, built into the skid plate.

From the side, certain specific elements, such as the pronounced wheel arches, mouldings with 'Cross' badge and the new roof bars which both take up the finish of the skid plate, stand out. The 15" alloy wheels feature a 5-spoke V design and a burnished metal finish.

The rear end too is characterised by a highly distinctive look, a new bumper with under-body protection which takes up the design and finish of the front skid plate, a new burnished light cluster and the chrome tail pipe.

Taken as a whole, these details lend it an extremely sophisticated appearance and immediately communicate dynamism and agility.

On the inside, the Panda Cross is also characterised by a refined passenger compartment with great personality. The seats have a flamed natural fabric with a technical appearance featuring brown ecoleather side containment strips to match the trim on the door panels. The front seats are characterised by the burnished Cross wording on the backrest, obtained with a polyurethane insert.

The dashboard fascia comes in a new copper colour to set off the striking new satin titanium finish of the dashboard. The same finish is used for the central console, on two levels, where the brand-new Terrain Control selector is fitted. The equipment is competed by the steering wheel, with built-in controls, and the leather gear knob.

Thanks to five doors and its passenger room of a higher segment, the new Panda Cross is an authentic City SUV, in that it efficiently combines its smaller external size - 370 centimetres long, 167 centimetres wide and 166 centimetres high - with a surprising internal volume. Suffice it to say that the boot is one of the biggest in its segment (225 litres) and there are as many as 15 storage compartments, including the practical two-level central tunnel console, an exclusive of the 4x4 and Cross versions.

The Fiat Panda Cross is available with two engine options, both with Start&Stop: the new 90 HP 0.9 TwinAir Turbo and the 80 HP 1.3 MultiJet II diesel.

Both offer an additional 5 HP compared to the equivalent units on the rest of the Panda range, to ensure greater performance while highlighting the top-of-the-range positioning of the Panda Cross.

The forerunner of a new family of Fiat two-cylinder engines, the 0.9 TwinAir Turbo engine deploys maximum power of 90 HP (66 kW) at 5500 rpm and a torque of 145 Nm at 1900 rpm (constant up to 3000 rpm). In addition, for more "eco-friendly" driving and reduced fuel consumption, you can simply press the ECO button on the dashboard, which limits torque to 100 Nm at 2000 rpm. This engine, in a combined cycle, offers consumption of 4.9 litres/100 km and CO2 emissions of 114 g/km.