One of the oldest cars on sale in Europe is certainly also among the most charming. We're talking about the cutesy Fiat Panda, which has been around in its current iteration since late 2011. The impressively competent little car is getting the special edition treatment to celebrate 40 years since the original all-wheel-drive version was launched. That happened in 1983, about three years after the first-gen model went on sale.
Known by its full name as the Fiat Panda 4x40° Limited Edition, the car is limited to 1,983 units to echo its birth year. Since then, nearly 800,000 examples of the all-wheel-drive version have been delivered. The automaker mentions this number represents about 10 percent of all A-segment 4x4 cars that have ever been sold. This anniversary model is only going to be sold at home in Italy as well as in France, Germany, and Switzerland.
2023 Fiat Panda 4x40°
So, what makes it so special? Well, it begins life as a Panda Cross before it receives an Ivory paint job and two-tone wheels measuring 15 inches. Fiat then installs black side mirror caps and paints 4x40° red logos along with the silhouette of the original model. There's also a 4x40° badge adorning the B-pillar to round off the tweaks on the outside.
As for the interior, the ivory theme continues in the cabin where it's combined with red double stitching and more 4x40° logos as well as "2023" embroidered onto the seats where the side profiles of the original and current Panda 4x4 have been replicated. Fiat mentions it has used recycled fabrics for the central inserts of the seats.
Being based on the Cross trim level, the special edition comes nicely equipped with automatic air conditioning, heated and electrically adjustable mirrors, rear parking sensors, along with light and rain sensors. You also get a seven-inch infotainment with DAB radio and support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The gear shift knob and steering wheel come wrapped in leather and there’s height adjustment for the driver's seat.
According to a report published by Reuters in March 2022, the current Panda is going to stick around for a few more years despite its venerable age. It's said to remain in production at the Pomigliano plant in southern Italy until 2026.
