Road test - Fiat Panda 100hp

The Fiat Panda is a clever little car, but can the sporty 100hp version deliver proper driving fun for just over £10k? We find out...

Price: £10,060
On sale: Now
0-62mph: 9.5 seconds; top speed 115mph
Average fuel: 43.5 mpg
Standard equipment: Body-coloured door handles and mirrors, a leather bound steering wheel and gearknob, electric front windows, climate control and CD/stereo.

Tiscali verdict: Fans of the Fiat brand should be proud 8/10

Fiat make great small cars. The Panda, originally launched in 2004, is the latest in a long line of superminis from the charismatic Italian car brand. The Panda is clearly cleverly concieved; can you name another supermini that lends itself so well to being a family supermini and credible off-roader with the same body. But can it possibly be a hot hatch? Surely that could be stretching the formula too far - right? Well, Fiat are aiming to silence the non-believers with the new Panda 100hp.

So how does £10,060 for 100bhp, with group five insurance sound? For that you get a pretty set of 15" alloy wheels, a sporty body kit consisting of chunkier bumpers with side skirts and a natty rear roof spoiler. These are the only differences between the performance model and the standard car.

Not sure about the Panda 100hp? Check out our list of hot hatch rivals here...

But further changes can be found under the bonnet. The Panda 100hp is powered by a 1.4-litre, 16-valve, twin cam engine mated with six-speed manual transmission. The engine and brakes are borrowed from the larger Grande Punto, with top speed a spritely 115 mph with 62 mph coming up in a lively 9.5 seconds. Important standard features including electric windows and mirrors and the tinted rear and side windows.

The Panda 100hp maybe a small car, but there's the full compliment of safety kit, with the usual airbags, ABS, traction and stability control systems fitted as standard. The stability control cannot be turned off, but should you wish to be more adventurous, the ASR teaction control can be disabled for more action when the roads get twisty.