02.10.2004 The new Fiat Panda 4x4 has just gone on sale across Europe and this new addition to the range, together with one of the cars that recently reached Mt Everest's base camp, is being presented in Paris

The Fiat Panda is at the Paris Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris this week, the little car once again spearheading the Italian carmaker's effort to get back on track.

This exciting model, a proud winner of the prestigious 'Car of the Year' award, has just seen the latest addition, to what is an ever-expanding range, go on sale across Europe: the Panda 4x4.

The Panda 4x4 adds genuine off-road pretensions to this cute small car. Four wheel drive is coupled with a raised ride height, chunky alloy wheels, new, stronger bumpers, as well as rugged-looking new protective covers for both the wheelarchs, doors and sill covers.

Three Pandas are at the French motor show, presented together in their own dedicated area of the stand. The overall display's 'fun' theme is continued in this section, with the trio of cars finished in bold and bright colours.

Two of the new Panda 4x4 models, shown in 'Climbing' specification, are joined by a front wheel drive Multijet version.

Pride of place goes to the one of the Panda 4x4 cars that starred in an adventurous test drive to the foothills of Mount Everest. This red model is mounted on a motorised climbing frame which seeks to give an impression of the rugged terrain facing these little cars.

In standard specification, apart from adjustments to the ECUs to allow them to use local fuel, two Panda 4x4s recently set out from Kathmandu in Nepal on a trip that took them to the Everest advance base camp which lies at an altitude of more than 5000 metres. It also marked the first occasion that a small four wheel drive vehicle has ever reached this camp.

The Panda 4x4's extraordinary enterprise was also joined by the many-time flying champion Angelo D'Arrigo who successfully completed his 'Over Everest 2004' challenge on 24 May: a flight over the highest Himalayan peak in a delta plane: the flight lasted 4 hours and 30 minutes at an altitude of 9000 metres and reached speeds of 200 km/h.

The trip to the top of the world is only one of the numerous tests that the Panda 4x4 has undergone: to the North, on the icy tracks of chilly Lapland where the temperature drops to 40 degrees below zero. To the South, under the torrid sun of South Africa where the Atlantic ocean meets the Indian ocean. To the West, along the precipitous peaks of the Sierra Nevada in Spain.

And lastly to the East, to the slopes of the majestic and eternal Mount Everest. The Panda 4x4 showed its mettle as an indefatigable explorer in all these exciting and inaccessible places by unflinchingly covering thousands of kilometres as it was put through tough tests and forced into extraordinary feats. The tiny off-roader was challenged at the four corners of the globe to assess its sturdiness, character and on-road behaviour in road situations and in weather conditions that were often at the limit of endurance.

by Edd Ellison