I'm in.
While there are some die-hards who don't like diesels, diesels use fuel more effeciently than petrol engines, they can be run on bio-diesel, thus helping save the planet, they produce more torque at low revs, making them ideal for 4x4 applications, diesel engines last longer, (who would not want a self-lubricating engine?) , they produce a more 'relaxed' driving style leading to less driver fatigue and wear on clutches, suspension and tyres, and the extra weight and drive train losses on the 4x4 Panda need more torque than we get in the 1.2 to overcome them. The smaller tank on the 4x4 also would benefit from the Multijet option, giving greater range with diesel..
Fiat said that the UK would not get the Multijet 4x4 as 'it would be too expensive for the UK market', but most of the buyers on here are not buying the base 1.1 model, and almost everyone is speccing options like Skydome which put the price up. I would have been happy to pay the extra for the 1.3, which is around the same price as the Fiat CD player and subwoofer option listed when I bought the car.
Also a year ago, there was a shortage of the 1.3 Multijet as they were also going into Vauxhalls.
Perhaps the real reason we don't get the 4x4 Mulitjet over here, is that Fiat UK can make more money on the 1.2 petrol 4x4, and are thus limiting sales of the Multijet, keeping sales of the 1.2 up.
We want the Multi jet and we want it now. I'll place an order with this posting.....
