It’s a classic David vs Goliath battle, with the small Fiat Panda Cross challenging Land Rover’s iconic off-roader for a fight.
Fifth Gear repeated their now classic comparison, bringing the only off-roading Fiat you can currently buy to prove itself against the mighty Defender on an off-road course.
The small size of the Panda, combined with Fiat’s Torque-on-Demand AWD system turns this friendly city car into a very capable off-roading machine. The different bumpers front and rear give the Panda Cross a 24o approach and 34o departure angles which are more than enough for most.
The test car might not have the torquey 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine but Fiat’s two-cylinder 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol provides enough grunt to keep the Panda moving under difficult off-road situations. Combine this with the 1090kg (2,403 lbs) weight figure and the stats are suddenly looking very good indeed.
But the question remains: Is the Fiat Panda Cross good enough to cope with Land Rover’s most recognized off-roader? Get ready for a physics lesson on the video linked below.