Here it is, the earlier announced Fiat Panda with the new Dualogic automatic. Invited by Fiat, we had the opportunity to try it out this week in combination with its enjoyable 85bhp TwinAir. The last time we drove the new Panda it was freezing, so it was about time we tried this lovely car out in more summery conditions. The aircon appeared to be working just as well as the heater, and it’s very nice to operate thanks to its handy and funky design. The Panda still puts a smile on our face because it is a beautiful and particularly well-built car full of surprising details. The ‘Valentine Red’ of the Easy which we drove is one of the best-looking colors, in our opinion. Without needing to change gears, this practical five-door car is one’s best friend in a crowded city. The new Dualogic did its work very well.

The five-speed Dualogic allows you to operate it manually, something we don’t see ourselves using very often should we own one. The electronically working automatic transmission is completely different from its predecessor in the compact segment, which is good news. The small automatic has gotten smarter and thinks along with the driver. What caught our attention is that it never waits unnecessarily long to change up. On the other hand we thought the car came to a stand-still rather fast, when not regularly tapping the right pedal at low speeds. All in all though, this is a very pleasant automatic in a very pleasant car, guaranteeing a very smooth and relaxed ride. The humming TwinAir is an extraordinary charming engine.

This Panda with TwinAir engine is a little more ‘green’ than its manual colleague with an average consumption of 4,1l/100km (57 mpg) (CO2 95g/km). Several versions are available; Pop, Easy and Lounge. The Panda will keep on surprising; this year the 4×4, Trekking and Natural Power versions are also expected.