THE Fiat Panda Cross is one of only four small 4x4s on the market and the only one that's really made for off-road work.

The others are the Vauxhall Mokka and the much cheaper Suzuki Swift and Jimny but only the Jimny is capable off-road and it's very hard to live with on-road.

The Panda Cross has proper permanent four wheel drive and yet in turbo diesel form, is still capable of 50mpg, which has to be very special.,

That said, the engine does not like going too low in the rev range, unlike other modern diesels, which meant that I was often in a lower gear than I would have liked, and therefore using more fuel.

It has adequate performance on road, but it's main plus is a comfortable ride most of the time. It does lean a little in the corners, but still grips and holds the road very well.

It is very easy to drive and to manoeuvre, and people who have taken them off-road say they are good enough to embarrass much more expensive machinery.

The Panda Cross comes with phone and stereo buttons on the steering wheel, electric mirrors and front windows, remote locking, aircon and a stereo.