The boxy Fiat Panda was never as popular as its rounded 500 sibling, so it was quietly discontinued locally when 2021’s stock ran out. There are still many used examples up for grabs, though, so we decided to see which Fiat Panda trims suffered the worst depreciation, and which one better held onto its value.
There’s a lot to like about the Fiat Panda. For starters, it looks unlike anything else out there, with its cute ovoid detailing and upright posture, and its uniqueness extends to its powertrain, which is (was) the only 2-cylinder engine currently offered in a non-hybrid car. It’s also very spacious for its size, with masses of room for 4 in the cabin, even though the boot is quite small at 225-litres.
Employing Fiat’s TwinAir valve control system as well as turbocharging, the Panda’s 0.9-litre twin produces 63 kW and 145 Nm in most variants, but was slightly uprated to 66 kW for the “Cross” trim when this range-topper launched here in 2017. Power goes to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox in FWD derivatives, with the 4×4 and Cross using a 6-speed manual instead.
Value retention
To evaluate the Fiat Panda’s value retention, we searched the listing pages here on AutoTrader for 2020-vintage Pandas, giving us a 3-year age cap. We then imposed a mileage limit of 20 000 km per year (for a maximum of 60 000 km), and compared the different trim levels’ average current market values to what they cost when new.
Value retention after 3 years is expressed as a percentage of their initial value, with the highest percentage indicating the strongest value retention.
2020 Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir Easy
Value when new: R 205 452
Current market value: R 149 900
Value retained: 73.0 %
This was the entry-level trim, and sold for R 205 452 when new. With 30 000 km on the clock, the sole example listed on site (at the time of writing) looks like a bargain, because it keeps only 73 % of its original value at the age of 3.
2020 Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir Lounge
Value when new: R 220 452
Current market value: R 189 924
Value retained: 86.1 %
The more-expensive of the 2 FWD Pandas performs significantly better than its cheaper sibling, with an average value retention of 86.1 % after 3 years. It seems like, even in the used-car market, extra creature comforts do wonders for a Panda’s value.
2020 Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir 4×4
Value when new: R 240 452
Current market value: R 184 875
Value retained: 76.9 %
The lower-trim Fiat Panda 4×4 drops back into the 70s, keeping only 76.9 % of its new value after 3 years. Not as much of a drop as the Panda Easy, but quite steep nonetheless – again, making for some good-value used-car shopping.
2020 Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir Cross
Value when new: R 271 452
Current market value: R 213 000
Value retained: 78.5 %
At the top of the range, the Fiat Panda Cross follows a similar trend to that of the lower-tier 4×4, retaining only 78.5 % of its new value. Yes, it is significantly more expensive than the other variants on site, but it also cost a huge lot more when it was new…
Verdict
Only one Fiat Panda trim really excels at retaining its value, and that’s the Lounge derivative. It was the most-popular variant when new, and it’s more popular now, which drives up used values. However, if you’re looking for a real bargain, keep an eye out on a Lounge, 4×4, or Cross, because those shed value almost as quickly as Eskom sheds power.
Keyword: Which Fiat Panda trim holds its value better?