A NEW breed of Panda made its UK public debut at the MPH '06 shows in Birmingham and London.

The £9,995 Panda 100HP is a new sporty addition to the Panda family, featuring a 1.4-litre, 16-valve engine tuned to develop 100 horsepower, driving through a six-speed manual gearbox.

It comes with a Sport' button, that enables the driver to select the sensitivity of both the steering and throttle.

This car has all-round disc brakes, ventilated at the front, together with modified springs, dampers, bushes and compliance.

With a modest kerb weight of 1,015kg, Fiat's latest addition to the Panda range possesses lively performance, with 0-62mph acceleration in 9.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 115mph, while still offering economical fuel consumption (43.4mpg in the combined cycle) and modest (154g/km CO2) emissions.

Externally, both the front and rear bumpers are a new, sporty design. A chrome tailpipe is standard, as are body coloured door handles and wing mirrors. The wheel arches are enlarged and blend into new sideskirts. Front fog lights and a tailgate spoiler are standard. The 15-inch alloy wheels are also new.

Internally, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob are standard, as are split folding rear seats, height adjustable driver's seat and automatic climate control.