Fiat Panda Red

Cheap running costs are vital for any small city car and the Panda’s new hybrid engine cuts CO2 emissions to below 100g/km and is better on fuel than the model it replaces. Compared against the equivalent Panda Cross 1.2 the hybrid costs a little more but not much, Fiat claiming it’ll have paid for itself in the first year of driving thanks to the more favourable tax and running costs. Forget dreams of purring around on pure electric power for now though – to use the jargon Fiat’s system is a ‘mild’ hybrid for a light electric boost and more sophisticated start-stop. You need to learn how to drive it to reap the best savings though, Fiat advising that you knock it out of gear and coast to a halt in neutral to benefit from the engine-off ‘sailing’ function. That helps charge the small extra battery, the petrol engine firing up again as soon as you dip the clutch to go back into gear. Based on the Panda Cross with its raised ride height and tough looking body cladding, the hybrid will be sold alongside the regular Panda, which continues with the outgoing 1.2-litre engine. It might not be quite as good on CO2 or fuel consumption but it is much, much cheaper to buy. The 4x4 model also remains on sale and adds genuine off-road credibility to the mini-SUV looks.