Fiat Panda 1.3 16v MultiJet review
by David Morgan (7 February 2005)
You're never alone in a Fiat Panda - especially if it's diesel-powered. You might be driving solo but Fiat's lively MultiJet turbo diesel likes to make itself heard and if you want brisk performance and rock-bottom running costs you'll just have to get used to the racket.
Last year I cut my MultiJet teeth driving Fiat's Idea compact MPV in Sardinia. I concluded it was a clever car spoiled by a raucous diesel and was best suited to the sweet little 95bhp 1.4 petrol engine. Not a good start, then, for the same 1.3-litre MultiJet turbo diesel in an even smaller car.
Don't get me wrong. I like the new Panda. It's a great-handling little supermini. Five doors, a roomy sit-up body, superb functionality and outstanding value. It adds up to a modern and well-conceived family runabout from an Italian manufacturer who knows a lot about packing value into no-nonsense budget vehicle. But does the Panda need an acoustically-challenged player when the rest of the team are petrol-powered and good at what they do? I seriously doubt it.
The 1248cc MultiJet unit is a brisk little 16-valve package. It's highly efficient, frugal with reasonable torque - and so it should be. Fiat was at the forefront of high-pressure common-rail diesel development with Mercedes-Benz and has an impressive family of larger capacity JTD oil burners. Its modern diesel track record is unimpeachable - but still I doubt the wisdom of MutliJetting.
With 70bhp on tap at 4000rpm and maximum pulling power of 107lb/ft delivered at an impressively low 1500rpm, performance is not an issue. The four-cylinder Panda MultiJet flies. It's the fastest Panda in the seven-model line-up and can hit nearly 100mph with acceleration from rest to 62mph a relatively sizzling 13 seconds compared to 14 seconds for the quickest petrol, the sweet 1.2.
The issue is twofold. First there's the noise, and second there's the practical commonsense benefits of oil burner versus benzene user. With a modest 54bhp on tap the 1.1-litre petrol entry-level Panda is undoubtedly performance-challenged. However, it does have the benefit of being very cheap to buy with a £6595 list price for a 1.1 Active. Running costs are also easy on the wallet with an overall 50mpg, easy servicing and Group 1 insurance. The 60bhp 1.2 fares better. It can hit 96mph, gets to 62mph in 14 seconds, is fractionally more economical at almost 51mpg and qualifies for modest Group 2 insurance. In entry-level Dynamic guise it costs a mere £400 more than the 1.1 Active.
The 1.3 MultiJet costs from £7895 and is available only with Dynamic trim. That's expensive for a car with a strong engine that is weak on refinement.
Even at an overall 66mpg, a Co2 emission level of 114g/km delivering annual road tax of just £85 and attracting low-cost Group 2 insurance, I can see little benefit in opting for a 1.3 MultiJet Dynamic over the much more refined and quieter four-cylinder 1.2 petrol Dynamic.
Both are built round one of the best five-door MPV/superminis on the market. Both are very well equipped and practical. Both have fine five-speed manual gearboxes, drive well and are family-friendly with excellent city car credentials. But only one makes ultimate low-cost motoring sense, and it’s not the MultiJet.
Where the MultiJet shines is in equipment and general comfort. The plastics may have a hard and unyielding feel, but the seating is comfortable and supportive front and rear. The controls are light and easy to use, the Dualdrive electric power steering makes light of tight town streets and parking in City mode while feeling reasonably weighted at speed.
There's a modest, but useful, boot area behind the tailgate and oddment stowage is practical. Among the standard features are ABS brakes with EBD, brake assist, remote central locking, three-point belts for all seats, twin front airbags, an adjustable steering column, a revcounter, a trip computer, "follow me home" light delay, a radio/CD system and powered front windows with one-touch control for the driver.
Fiat clearly expects the Multijet to sell well, but I suspect only dyed-in-the-wool diesel fanatics will really appreciate its gutsy little engine. The only good reasons for choosing a MultiJet Panda over the proven 1.2 eight-valve FIRE petrol engine is if you really think the performance gain is significant, you cover a rather high mileage, or you constantly drive with the car heavily loaded.
None of the above? Buy a 1.2.
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