Fiat has hailed the unique qualities of its forthcoming Fiat Panda Cross SUV.
Fiat has unveiled its new Panda Cross, which the Italian manufacturer hopes will help it gain a greater share of the increasingly competitive SUV market.
Eight years ago, SUVs only accounted for about seven per cent of all cars sold across Europe. However, this proportion has now climbed to around 20 per cent, and Fiat is understandably eager to capitalise on this growing popularity.
The company claims the Panda Cross is a car "like no other", combining the capabilities of an off-roader with the practicality and efficiency of a genuine inner-city vehicle.
Although it's based on the successful Panda 4×4, the Panda Cross boasts a number of technological upgrades that – according to Fiat – make it the "most capable vehicle in its class by some margin".
Among its high-tech features are Torque-on-Demand all-wheel drive, Hill Descent Control and Electronic Stability Control – all of which come as standard.
Furthermore, Fiat has made a number of aesthetic enhancements to its new model, designed to protect the bodywork, lights and mechanical components during off-road driving and also showcase the car's all-road abilities.
Take a look around the Panda Cross and you'll come across immediately noticeable tweaks, including a chunkier bumper with scratch and bump-resistant corner sections, new headlight clusters ringed by matte-black surroundings and a redesigned bonnet trim.
Fiat says the Panda family's longstanding reputation for practical innovation has helped it remain a favourite among drivers. In its class, it currently occupies the second spot in Europe – second only to its stablemate the Fiat 500.
The Panda Cross is set to go on sale in the UK towards the start of the fourth quarter, priced from £15,945.
"Being able to offer something truly unique in the increasingly competitive SUV segment is no small achievement, but in the Fiat Panda Cross that's exactly what you get," Fiat commented.
"No other car can offer such extreme cross functionality, but then Fiat does have more than 30 years of experience in city car innovation."
Posted by Emma Grange