General First time down a green lane/B.O.A.T. With the Panda, today!

[Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica]

Well, it was too much to resist! Checked it was open to all traffic, which it was, so took a wander.
Only short and actually more an exercise in ground clearance than 4x4 capability, but hey - the tyres got a bit grubby!
Located 2x further lanes, one had been closed to allow the surface to be worked on (damn you heavy 4x4 drivers, churning it up!) and the other had some obstacles that needed clearing (a light tree had 'fallen' across the track as well as a few other bits of junk that might need moving) - may go back and have a go at that one as I took a look at where the other end emerged and I think it may have just been at the start and easily cleared.
:0)

 

[TheR]

Cool! I always understood that all the 4x4 Panda models from the different generations are pretty capable off road machines. I've also always seen them a lot in Germany and Austria in pretty rugged mountain area's and they always handled themselves very well. Sadly over here in the Netherlands there's hardly any off roading allowed.

 

[Goudrons]

You need to watch out of the front splitter (lip under the front bumper).

It's quite low and is easily caught, it really does limit the approach angle and can act as a shovel in you drive in the ruts left by heavier vehicles.

I thought I'd ripped mine off a few times and the bumper with it, there is some flex in it, but I can't see it being over taxed too much without causing some damage.

 

[Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica]

TheR - yes, the 4x4 and variants are the real-deal as far as tackling unsurfaced tracks etc. I'm under no illusions that I wasn't pushing it's limits on that particular track or that my off-road abilities are in any way a match for the car's! It's getting harder to find Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) here in the UK - illegal off-roading on motorcycles and inconsiderate 4x4 drivers have a lot to answer for, but also rambling groups and horse-riders who see these as 'theirs' have gradually downgraded many historic roads to foot and hoof traffic. Undoubtedly, many councils do not want the cost of hassle of maintaining these routes in some kind of usable condition, either, so are happy to nibble away at the network of green lanes we have here.

Goudrons - thanks for the tip - I had spied the splitter as a potential trouble spot, but good to have other's experiences to back that up! I guess this is one of the reasons why the Cross model has a more angled chin - to reduce the risk and at least present a 'softer' angle if something does catch. I would think there is quite a risk when reversing of mud catching behind the splitter and yanking the bumper off?

The byway that was closed was in quite badly rutted shape, so I probably wouldn't have tackled that, for the reasons that you stated, but the blocked byway looked to be a muddy path (fairly flat), so I guess hasn't been subject to such heavy use and/or has better drainage. I may have a look at that one. One thing it has done is increase my yearning for a classic scrambler motorbike (though my road bike would probably fair better than I might initially think). The ability to pick a line through areas and around obstacles would give greater confidence in tackling some of these byways. As it was, the narrow width of the Panda was a bonus for plotting a route through the deeper hollows and avoiding puddles of indeterminate depth! The short wheelbase helps too, as when going over lumps and bumps, there is less of a ground-clearance requirement to prevent grounding.

If you have a 4x4, Cross or Trekking (the Traction+ 2wd of the Trekking would've easily coped with what I tackled yesterday) and haven't tried a greenlane, I recommend it! (Just be sensible and do it legally - may even be worth checking routes on foot/bicycle. I scoped entrances and exits prior to heading down, to look for closure notices and gain some impession of conditions).

:0)

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

...I had spied the splitter as a potential trouble spot, but good to have other's experiences to back that up! I guess this is one of the reasons why the Cross model has a more angled chin - to reduce the risk and at least present a 'softer' angle if something does catch.

The Cross also has the same rubber lip, at the same height as the 'regular' 4x4, under the chin. Its pretty flexible though and acts as a 'gentle warning' that precedes the 'clang' of the metal sump guard meeting something more 'robust' in the way. Hertfordshire has a good network of public byways open to all traffic, and I've tried a good few of them... and so far not got stuck

 

[Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica]

Herts Hillhopper - thanks for that! I hadn't realised the Cross still had the chin-spoiler. Perhaps those extra few mm ground clearance afforded by the larger tyres are ultimately what improves that model's claimed approach/departure angles?

The experience helped confirm in my mind what a fantastic little car the Panda 4x4 is - all the city car practicality of competitor models, with a set of muddy wellies to boot! ;0)

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

The Cross's cut-away front bumper means that it can achieve a slightly better approach angle - although the downside is there is less protection for the radiator (the protruding square 'jawline' of the 4x4 is empty space behind the bumper at the front - which allows a little more plastic before the radiator takes a knock). I will have to see if I can find any of my GoPro footage from the Herts byways - and if not, I'll have to go and take some more

 

[triumph7]

TheR - yes, the 4x4 and variants are the real-deal as far as tackling unsurfaced tracks etc. I'm under no illusions that I wasn't pushing it's limits on that particular track or that my off-road abilities are in any way a match for the car's! It's getting harder to find Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) here in the UK - illegal off-roading on motorcycles and inconsiderate 4x4 drivers have a lot to answer for, but also rambling groups and horse-riders who see these as 'theirs' have gradually downgraded many historic roads to foot and hoof traffic. Undoubtedly, many councils do not want the cost of hassle of maintaining these routes in some kind of usable condition, either, so are happy to nibble away at the network of green lanes we have here.

Goudrons - thanks for the tip - I had spied the splitter as a potential trouble spot, but good to have other's experiences to back that up! I guess this is one of the reasons why the Cross model has a more angled chin - to reduce the risk and at least present a 'softer' angle if something does catch. I would think there is quite a risk when reversing of mud catching behind the splitter and yanking the bumper off?

The byway that was closed was in quite badly rutted shape, so I probably wouldn't have tackled that, for the reasons that you stated, but the blocked byway looked to be a muddy path (fairly flat), so I guess hasn't been subject to such heavy use and/or has better drainage. I may have a look at that one. One thing it has done is increase my yearning for a classic scrambler motorbike (though my road bike would probably fair better than I might initially think). The ability to pick a line through areas and around obstacles would give greater confidence in tackling some of these byways. As it was, the narrow width of the Panda was a bonus for plotting a route through the deeper hollows and avoiding puddles of indeterminate depth! The short wheelbase helps too, as when going over lumps and bumps, there is less of a ground-clearance requirement to prevent grounding.

If you have a 4x4, Cross or Trekking (the Traction+ 2wd of the Trekking would've easily coped with what I tackled yesterday) and haven't tried a greenlane, I recommend it! (Just be sensible and do it legally - may even be worth checking routes on foot/bicycle. I scoped entrances and exits prior to heading down, to look for closure notices and gain some impession of conditions).

:0)

The 4x4 is brilliant green laning even on std m/s tyres, the main limiting factor is ground clearance - or rather the lack of it

 

[Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica]

I will have to see if I can find any of my GoPro footage from the Herts byways - and if not, I'll have to go and take some more

It would be a tragedy if you had to go and get your Panda muddy again...! ;0)