22 August 2011
Finally, Fiat is back on a roll. Its vehicles have rediscovered desirability, sales are on the up and a new business plan has seen the Italian maker discharge itself from the intensive care ward. But the best news of all is that the business has achieved all this by doing what it has always done well: building brilliant small cars.
This car is the work of Fiat's Style Centre, and it goes on sale in showrooms here in May as a five-door only. The rakish nose and rising waistline, plus small rear windows and screen, certainly provide the Bravo with a distinctive look, although to our eyes it's not as attractive as the Punto.
Inside, the design team has tried very hard to give the vehicle a fashionable feel, and it has largely progressed. Yet you cannot help but feel that someone has forgotten about the necessary practicalities.
The cabin isn't especially spacious, and the back seats don't fold flush unless you order the optional cargo box floor. There's not enough underthigh support from the front chairs, either. Disappointingly, the quality is not all it appears upon closer inspection, with uneven panel fit lines and only average plastics in places.
Under the bonnet there is an advanced new 1.4-litre T-JET turbo petrol engine, as well as developments of the existing 1.9 Multijet turbodiesel motors. A 90bhp 1.4-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit will also be offered in the entry-level car.
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