Fiat Panda 4x4: spy shots

Published on 15 Jun 2012 by Adriano

Another loyal reader of our parent-site Autoblog.it, nicknamed “AR”, has sent us this interesting couple of spy photos picturing the new Fiat Panda 4×4, caught on film while testing on the Milan-Turin motorway, in Italy. The car should be unveiled and marketed later this year and is expected to share the same chassis and mechanicals with its two-wheel drive counterpart.

The mule captured in these photos boasts an higher ground clearance than the ‘regular’ Panda, in an obvious attempt to make it easier for the car to deal with rough terrain and off-road trails. However, the suspension will have to be different: on the front the McPherson scheme should eventually survive the slashing, while at the rear the torsion beam pattern should be replaced by an independent suspension for each wheel, a solution that would make the car more suitabe for off-road use.

Last but not least, the new Panda 4×4 should also come with a set of specifically developed protection plates for both front and back which should provide the model with more ‘adventurous’ aesthetics, while the opportunity to include an enhanced protection for the underbody has not been ruled out.