SOME cars impress before you've opened the driver's door for the first time, others never raise much interest, even after a week at the wheel.

The car here followed neither course. Looking a bit dowdy and unspectacular in its Tuscany Green paint, the Panda 4x4 started off needing to work hard to worm its way into my affections.

Several days and several hundred miles later I was as sad to see it go as any car in recent memory. Talk about growing on you quickly.

It was a beguiling mix of modest size, honest design and an ability to go places much bigger, dearer cars fear to tread that made this ultimate Panda so easy to live with.

It builds on a sound base; the current Panda (from £11,145) is the latest in a long line of back-to-basics small cars that Fiat does so well. Giving buyers the space they need in a car they can afford; it's a formula that keeps on working.

And if you need your Panda to keep on working for you when the snow starts to fall or the roads turn to slush and mud, there's this 4x4 version, if you dig deeper into your pocket.

The 4x4 model costs another £2,200 on top of an already well specified Panda, but its clever all-wheel drive system is just waiting to push power to the back wheels when the going gets tough.

Otherwise, the front wheels do almost all the work and let this little charmer feel like the lively small car we want all Fiats to be. Back up the charm with the tiny two-cylinder petrol engine fitted here and it would be hard not to love this engaging machine.

Designed to maximise fuel economy, the TwinAir engine provides so much fun when provoked that you're very unlikely to get anywhere near the heady 57mpg-plus of the official figure.

The car managed 44mpg over many days of mixed town and country use. There's a diesel model available for another £1,000 that would do better, but doesn't provide anything like the brio of petrol power.

Either 4x4 car, thanks to modestly raised ground clearance and underbody protection, will go further off road than you'd believe, and certainly conquer tougher terrain than a prudent owner would ever entertain. I know, I've been there.

Back on the road, this Panda's engine sounds like a throbby racer at low revs and sends tingles through the steering wheel until well into its stride. It feels a lot better than it sounds; endearing even.

A really low first gear, fitted to help off-road prowess, hurls the car away from the lights, when it will continue to amaze the driver of the BMW 3 Series in the adjacent lane with its giant killing potential.

Add in a ride that never feels harsh (though a bit bouncy sometimes) and a spaniel-like keenness to obey commands through the wheel, and the Panda 4x4 punches way above its size.

Extras on the test included a TomTom satellite navigation system mounted on top of the dash (about £290) that even told me the way to the nearest fuel station when the low fuel light flickered on the instrument panel.

A bit mean, though, to ask £50 for a height adjustable driver's seat, £200 for front side airbags and another £200 to make the rear seats split/fold and slide.

Still, do without the baubles and you have one of the lowest priced 4x4s on the market. And the most charming to live with.