OFFICIAL: Fiat previews new Panda 4x4 ahead of Paris.

Not a Kung-Fu panda, but a "Super Panda." That's what Fiat is calling the third-generation, four-wheel-drive A-segment five-door hatch, which is apparently "ready to tackle mountain mule tracks and the urban jungle with the same cool." If that sounds like your kind of beast, this 4x4 wears all manner of elements to let others know you mean business: black trim and skirting with contrasting skid plates front and back, different fog lights, 15-inch alloys on chunky tires, and the muffler has been raised so that it's tucked within the bodywork.

The six-speed transmission has a low-range first gear. Power is routed to all four wheels, permanently, with an electronically-controlled coupling managing the differentials, with an Electronic Locking Differential further managing the spin at each wheel by applying the brakes when slip is detected. The suspension is MacPherson up front and ditches the semi-trailing arms for a torsion beam at the rear.

Both available engines improve on the previous 1.2-liter Fire that had 68 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque, with the new 1.3-liter, 75-hp MultiJet II diesel bettering torque by 30 percent and the 0.9-liter, 85-horsepower TwinAir Turbo raising that number by 40 percent. Both are fitted with start/stop.

The new Panda 4x4 has also got more colorful, with Toscana green metallic and Sicilia orange joining the exterior palette, and three-color seats placed inside. The cabin also gets more eco-leather detailing, remote central locking, rear headrests, a CD and MP3 player and more storage, since you never know what you'll find on those mule tracks.

When the it is introduced at the Paris Motor Show next month it will be joined by two more additions to the Panda line: the Trekking and Natural Power times. Trekking gives the front-wheel-drive Panda the look of the 4x4 and Fiat's Traction+ system that works off the electronic stability control programming to provide better grip. The Panda Natural Power uses the 0.9-liter TwinAir Turbo adapted to run on gasoline and methane.