In the rear-view mirror: 4x4 also works in a city car

For a time, it was the only passenger car from a large series manufacturer in the small car segment to feature all-wheel drive: The story of the Fiat Panda 4x4 began in 1983, just three years after the official debut of the front-wheel drive Panda designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. In order to transform the city car into a small off-road vehicle, the Italians turned to the experts at Steyr-Puch in Austria. They developed a simple and robust system 40 years ago.

A lever in front of the gear knob on the center tunnel engaged the rear-wheel drive. Steyr-Puch did without a center differential. It was therefore recommended that all-wheel drive should only be used on slippery surfaces and at low speeds in order to avoid tension in the drivetrain. The five-speed gearbox was characterized by a particularly short first gear ratio in order to cope with very steep inclines.

Production took place in two stages: The entire transmission (clutch, gearbox, three-piece drive shaft, rear axle with differential and brakes) was manufactured at Steyr-Puch in Graz. The vehicle was then finally assembled at the Fiat plant in Termini Imerese in Sicily.

Initially equipped with a 965 cubic centimeter engine with 48 hp (35 kW), the Fiat Panda 4x4 was the second and only city car with all-wheel drive after the Subura Justy. It offered a ground clearance of around 18 centimeters, an unladen weight of just 740 kilograms and short body overhangs that could also cope with slopes of almost 45 degrees. The off-road capability was optimized by coarse-tread tires and protective strips in the lower part of the body. The small 4x4 Fiat initially cost less than 14,000 Deutschmarks. In addition to the basic and S versions of the Fiat Panda 4x4, various equipment variants followed over the years, including Trekking, Country Club (a version with an inclinometer on the dashboard) and the limited-edition Fiat Panda 4x4 Sisley with particularly extensive standard equipment. The engine capacity has since been increased to 1.1 liters.

On the road all over the world

The four-wheel drive Panda also cultivated its adventurer image in numerous international competitions. For example, 50 vehicles took part in a trip to Africa, which began in Rome and initially ended in Tunis. Later, Abidjan became the destination - the city on the Ivory Coast is 14,000 kilometers away from Italy and can only be reached via desert roads across the Sahara. In 1986 and 1987, a caravan of Fiat Panda 4x4s covered a distance of more than 7,000 kilometers in the Australian outback.

Other expeditions led to icebergs and geysers in Iceland in the summer of 1987 or into the dense jungle along the Amazon in Brazil. In the winter of 1989, 50 Fiat Panda 4x4s faced similar challenges in India. The Panda 4x4 also took part in the 1989 Paris-Beijing Rally, which was to cover eleven countries and 22,000 kilometers. However, due to the unrest at the time of the protests in Tiananmen Square, the participants were unable to reach the Chinese capital. The Marco Polo expedition by explorer and film producer Beppe Tenti had already achieved this a few years earlier. In the spring of 1985, he drove three Fiat Panda 4x4s along the Silk Road from Venice to Beijing.

The second generation of the Panda continued the 4x4 tradition. The base model made its debut in 2004 and was named "Car of the Year". Production took place in Tychy, Poland, and the 4x4 range was expanded to include the Cross body version with additional off-road elements. The 1.2-liter petrol engine with 60 hp (44 kW) was joined by a Multijet turbodiesel at the end of 2005, which produced 69 hp (51 kW) from a displacement of 1.3 liters. The most important technical innovation was the switch from selectable to permanent all-wheel drive. The viscous clutch was replaced by an electro-hydraulic clutch in 2008 and only engaged the rear-wheel drive when the front wheels threatened to spin.

In 2005, a team led by Italian pilot and hang glider pilot Angelo D'Arrigo set off into the Himalayas with two Panda 4x4s. Despite the poor fuel quality in the region, the vehicles reached the Mount Everest base camp at 5200 meters.

The third generation

In 2012, the third generation of the four-wheel drive Panda was launched, which from then on rolled off the production line in Italy again and is still in production. The complete technical overhaul of the model included the return of permanent all-wheel drive with electronic limited slip differential (ELD), which distributes the drive power to the wheels depending on the traction conditions. The British magazine "Top Gear" named the 3.70-meter-long Fiat Panda 4x4 "SUV of the Year 2012". The Fiat Panda Monster Truck was also created in the same year. In this prototype, the body of a 4x4 was placed on the chassis of a Jeep CJ7. Tractor wheels with a diameter of 150 centimeters complete the 3.90 meter high, 3.80 meter long and two and a half meter wide big-foot Panda. The show vehicle was used for a number of commercials and is now part of the classic car collection at Fiat's Heritage Hub in Turin.

The Panda Cross, at times also powered by the 85 hp (63 kW) twin-air two-cylinder engine, followed in 2014 with better body protection and a three-stage torque-on-demand drive system that optimizes power distribution depending on the driving situation. Three years later, a specially built Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross took part in the legendary Dakar Rally under the name "PanDakar". Its 2.0-litre diesel engine mobilized an impressive 180 hp (132 kW). The Italian team Orobica Raid was one of 53 teams to reach the finish line. 40 vehicles had previously had to give up.

And finally, the Fiat Panda also regularly causes a sensation with its own "Panda Raid". The long-distance and adventure rally for amateurs with Panda models regularly attracts more than 300 teams from all over the world. They complete a route in the Moroccan desert - without GPS, equipped only with a map and compass. In 2024, the "Panda Raid" will take place from March 1 to 8. As always, both historic and current Panda models with all-wheel and front-wheel drive will take part.

Fiat is celebrating the milestone birthday of its little all-rounder with a limited anniversary edition. The Panda "4x40º" - as a tribute to the year of its premiere - will only be built in 1983. (aum)