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Michael Taylor19 Feb 2014
NEWS

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Dirty Panda quarantined

Fiat's tiny off roader world just got cuter and stronger, but it's not coming to Australia
Fiat will show its new Panda Cross at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, complete with more muscles, better interior trim and better off-road ability.
But the Australian distributor has told motoring.com.au that there are no plans for the new variant to be sold here.
According to the manufacturer, the Panda Cross – the latest evolution of a family of Panda off roaders that have a cult following across Europe – will benefit from the torque-on-demand system of a central viscous-coupling diff driving the front and rear axles.
To make it look like a car that drives the front and rear axles, the 3.7-metre long Panda Cross also gets unique 15-inch alloy wheels, bigger wheel arch extensions, a set of roof bars, new fog lights and a tougher rear bumper bar.
Fiat claims to have upgraded the Panda’s suspension to suit its dirt-dwelling lifestyle, including delivering a new version of the standard torsion-beam rear suspension and revamping the front struts with more travel.
The 4X4 system, borrowed from the Panda 4X4 and the Panda Trekking, also includes a handful of assistance systems for the driver to choose from, including hill descent control and switchable traction control.
Dirt-oriented tyres measure 185/65 R15 all round, while approach and departure angles for the Panda Cross have improved to 24 and 33 degrees respectively.
The management of wheelspin won’t be much of a problem in the dry, with the Panda Cross only coming with Fiat’s award-winning, 0.9-litre, TwinAir two-cylinder turbo engine or the 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel.
It will get leather trim, unlike its Panda 4X4 stablemate, and it comes standard with climate-control air conditioning and a touchscreen infotainment unit.
Alas, it's not coming here, however...

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Written byMichael Taylor
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