Panda 2012+ New Fiat owner and forum member

[TheLibrary]

Just got a new Panda 4x4 and figured I'd sign up on the forum to get some good information.

First time with a Fiat. But an existing Alfa Romeo owner, so Italian idiosyncrasies aren't new. And a two time Defender owner, so used to broken off-roaders.

I have to say the Panda has been brilliant so far. I'm in Sweden and plenty of snow will arrive soon so the 4x4 will be useful.

Looking foward to contributing and sharing experiences.

 

[TwinAir Newbie]

Great.

I'm sure that we are all looking forward to hearing how the car behaves in the snow- proper snow!

 

[Bundes]

Just got a new Panda 4x4 and figured I'd sign up on the forum to get some good information.

First time with a Fiat. But an existing Alfa Romeo owner, so Italian idiosyncrasies aren't new. And a two time Defender owner, so used to broken off-roaders.

I have to say the Panda has been brilliant so far. I'm in Sweden and plenty of snow will arrive soon so the 4x4 will be useful.

Looking foward to contributing and sharing experiences.

Hi & welcome

What engine have you gone for?
What a lucky 4x4, living the life it was built for.
You never mentioned what colour you have went for, my guess is orange.

 

[Aikidoamigo]

I guess he chose red, it's really popular at the mo!

 

[Shaston]

Bet it's not turquoise..

 

[TheLibrary]

Green with a Twin Air. Makes it look like I must have parked the Defender next to a Fiat 500 nine months ago and they hit it off (the Twin Air even sounds like a baby diesel).

It's already covered in clarts. I live in the sticks outside of Stockholm, so it gets a good run around both environments. And it is a great little off-roader and city car.

Hopefully in a few weeks we'll be strapping skis to the roof.

 

[Bogwoppit]

I picked up a Green Cross yesterday and on the way into work this morning my better half was commenting on the curious noise the Twin Air made " it sounds a bit like a baby diesel" great minds think alike!

Sounds like Stockholm and the surrounding area are the ideal Panda playground.

 

[TheLibrary]

A green Cross sounds like it would look excellent.

I've been looking for roof rack bars today. Tricky over here in Sweden. I'll do some research on here later.

I'm also waiting for a towbar to arrive. My Panda is going to be more of a mule once I've finished with it.

 

[Bogwoppit]

Had a good look at the Cross roof bars and it does seem they may take load bars, no word though from Fiat on this. They look good mind!

4X4 won its class in towcar of the year awards over here, certainly capable of a bit of hard work that's for sure.

 

[gar074]

Had a good look at the Cross roof bars and it does seem they may take load bars, no word though from Fiat on this.

What else would they be for?

 

[Bogwoppit]

There are more than a few soft readers where the roof rails are nothing more than ornamental - much like their abilities off road.

 

[Moultoneer]

What else would they be for?

They help stop the paintwork getting scratched when you overturn it


More seriously, in my case they're a nuisance as I'd have liked to have
a sunroof on my Trekking, but the latter's incompatible with roof rails



Chris

 

[Bundes]

They help stop the paintwork getting scratched when you overturn it

If the snow ever gets to deep for the Cross and its 4x4 system, it can be flipped and it becomes a sleigh.

 

[chr1s]

They help stop the paintwork getting scratched when you overturn it

I must suggest that to my boss, for next time he borrows his wife's car.

 

[TheLibrary]

Roof rack bars bought and winter tyres fitted (apparently the mud/snow tyres that come with the Panda 4x4 aren't good enough winter tyres for the Swedish insurance companies).

Now all I need is some snow.

 

[Bundes]

Roof rack bars bought and winter tyres fitted (apparently the mud/snow tyres that come with the Panda 4x4 aren't good enough winter tyres for the Swedish insurance companies).

Now all I need is some snow.

Is that a -°C temperature rating related issue with the tyre or a tread style & depth issue?
Do you have to increase the strength of your anti freeze by much?
How strong does your screen wash have to be?
Maybe you have Scandinavian secrets to keep thing flowing.
Does ur 4x4 have the heated windscreen and seats?

 

[TheLibrary]

It ended up being a bullsh*t related issue. The dealer told me that the Continental M&S tyres weren't approved here for the winter and sold me the separate winter tyres for £500+. When I fitted them I did wonder why the Contis I took off had pictures of snowflakes on them and said 'Winter' in big letters on the side. So I checked and it turns out that they are approved. So I'm sending the winter tyres back to the stealer and will get a refund.

The Contis are European winter tyres, so they're not as good as Nordic winter tyres on snow and ice because the rubber isn't as soft and they have fewer slits in the rubber to grip, but they're more than good enough. Especially in and around Stockholm.

Whatever, I'll give them a good test during this winter and I can always buy some Nordic winter tyres if I think I need them (but I doubt I will). I've always found that it's not stopping and cornering that's a problem on snow and ice, because you don't blast around on snow and ice anyway. The biggest issue is pulling away on a hill. Without winter tyres (or 4 wheel drive) you can just sit there spinning your wheels. I'm sure this won't be an issue for the Panda 4x4.

Regarding your other questions - yes, I got the heated windscreen (which works a treat) and the heated seats. Anti-freeze and windscreen washer fluid aren't particularly concentrated. I've never had a problem with them freezing.

 

[Bundes]

It ended up being a bullsh*t related issue. The dealer told me that the Continental M&S tyres weren't approved here for the winter and sold me the separate winter tyres for £500+. When I fitted them I did wonder why the Contis I took off had pictures of snowflakes on them and said 'Winter' in big letters on the side. So I checked and it turns out that they are approved. So I'm sending the winter tyres back to the stealer and will get a refund.

The Contis are European winter tyres, so they're not as good as Nordic winter tyres on snow and ice because the rubber isn't as soft and they have fewer slits in the rubber to grip, but they're more than good enough. Especially in and around Stockholm.

Whatever, I'll give them a good test during this winter and I can always buy some Nordic winter tyres if I think I need them (but I doubt I will). I've always found that it's not stopping and cornering that's a problem on snow and ice, because you don't blast around on snow and ice anyway. The biggest issue is pulling away on a hill. Without winter tyres (or 4 wheel drive) you can just sit there spinning your wheels. I'm sure this won't be an issue for the Panda 4x4.

Regarding your other questions - yes, I got the heated windscreen (which works a treat) and the heated seats. Anti-freeze and windscreen washer fluid aren't particularly concentrated. I've never had a problem with them freezing.

When is the snow due up your way?
Aye, dealers will try to sell you your own granny.
How cold does it get mid winter?
In Scotland, I always get frozen screenwash, I don't even add water.

 

[Bogwoppit]

I noticed the Cross doesn't have Contis but Goodyear Vectors, very well thought of so pleased about that. I think Nordic washer additive must be made of sterner stuff I have even had issues in Manchester, mind you it was cheap and nasty screen wash so I guess I deserved all I got.?

 

[TheLibrary]

We get ready mixed and concentrated screen wash up here. I usually buy the concentrated and bung in 50:50.

Snow arrival varies in Stockholm. We're about the same latitude as the top of Scotland, so the weather's probably similar (though I guess we get a bit less Gulf Stream warming).

I've had a metre of snow at the beginning of November before, but that's unusual. We've had a bit of sleet this winter so far a couple of times, but nothing much. We haven't even had much frost - I think I've had ice on the windscreen twice this winter.

What usually happens is that during November and early December it's grey and a bit British and then somewhere around Christmas it'll suddenly get really cold - like -20 C cold. We'll get a dump of snow and the sea might freeze. It then stays cold (around -5 to -10) and sunny from then on, with the odd top up of snow. The snow tends to stick around, but the roads get cleared. Winter hangs about until the end of April - there might be a few warm days mixed with more snow now and again, and then on May 4th it warms up properly and the leaves come out. It's odd. You can pretty much predict it to the day. From one day to the next it becomes spring and then very quickly summer.

Those last few months from February until the end of April can be hard work where you get sick to death of Torval and Deaning it around on the pavements. Having a sure-footed motor certainly helps.