They are lower profile than the panda's yes. we stood them side to side and the alloys are about two finger widths lower.
Ah. This will contribute to the lighter feel of the steering as well because the side walls aren't as "high" so to speak.
However, it changes the rolling radius of the wheel which affects gearing and speedo reading. It will feel nippier but you'll have to rev higher to achieve the same speed as on the original panda wheels.
Standard Panda tyres are 155/65/13 I believe. Looking at your photo yours are 155/55/13.
The middle number refers to the sidewall height as a percentage of the width of the tyre (155mm). So a 155/55 would have a sidewall height of 85mm and a 155/65 would have a sidewall height of 101 mm (all measurements rounded to nearest whole number). A difference of 16mm in height or 32mm in overall radius.
Not much but it will increase your fuel consumption as well.