REVIEWS Channel 4 review (as of 5/4/2007) Assets Drawbacks Verdict http://www.channel4.com/4car/rt/fiat/bravo/1442/1
The current Panda and Punto are both class leaders, boasting enough panache and design flair to win plenty of hearts. But can the larger Bravo do the same? 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 model a fashionable feel, and it has largely succeeded. 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. We sampled the 150bhp 1.9 turbo-diesel teamed with a six-speed manual transmission, and the common-rail engine performed strongly and smoothly. Peak torque of 305Nm arrives at 2,000rpm, allowing for good flexibility in day-to-day driving conditions. Using the latest injection technology, it does away with a lot of the dreaded diesel rattle, and promises a competitive 50.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 149g/km – that means taxation of 19 per cent. With MacPherson struts at the front and torsion beam rear suspension, the newcomer delivers a supple ride, ample refinement and enjoyable, precise handling. The only thing that lets down the overall experience is the Dualdrive power-steering system; it feels artificial and lifeless through corners. However, the excellent City function – whereby a button on the dash increases power assistance – makes light work of tight, seemingly impossible parking spaces. The manufacturer promises to “amaze” customers with the Bravo’s pricing and spec levels, and there will be three trims to choose from: Active, Dynamic and Sport. Doubtless the value-for-money factor will help many buyers see past the model’s minor but annoying shortcomings. Still, it was rather telling that, at the end of our drive, all eyes were not focused on the family hatch. Instead, it was the camouflaged new Fiat 500s undergoing final development testing at the maker’s Balocco track in Italy which were the centre of attention. And there’s the point – the Bravo simply doesn’t sparkle in the way we had expected. Fiat has always done small best; just look at the current Panda and Punto. Their bigger Bravo brother only serves to prove the point. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/205000/fiat_bravo.html
The all-new Bravo resurrects the name of the previous-generation car. Taking only 18 months to go from boardroom to showroom, most of its development was done in the virtual world – and the result goes on sale in the metal this summer. Unlike the original Bravo, only a five-door bodystyle will be available, yet Fiat claims it sets new standards for quality and driving dynamics. So can it really challenge the Focus, as well as the Vauxhall Astra and VW Golf, for class honours? Well, the new machine has certainly hung on to its Italian style – particularly in this top-of-the-range specification. In standard trim, the Bravo resembles a scaled-up version of the company’s Grande Punto, and is awash with attractive details, including bold headlights, a chrome split grille and a chunky rear end. But with a bodykit, 17-inch alloys and lowered suspension, the Sport is the most striking of the bunch. Lesser models, which ride higher and get smaller wheels, aren’t as convincing. The interior is stylish, with deep-set instrument dials – which will be familiar to Alfa Romeo owners – a piano-black centre console, plus a large infotainment screen and a carbon fibre-look covering on the facia. Under closer examination, however, there is lots of scratchy plastic below the eye line, and the materials don’t feel quite as sturdy as those in a Focus, Astra or Golf. What’s more, while the 400-litre boot is deep, rear room is cramped and the front seats are short on thigh support. Mind you, there’s not much to be disappointed about under the bonnet. As well as Fiat’s smooth M-JET diesel units, new 1.4-litre turbo T-JET petrol engines join the range with outputs of 120bhp and 150bhp. Our model was fitted with the latter, and it felt responsive and willing to rev. With 206Nm at 2,000rpm, it lacks the torque of its diesel counterparts and isn’t quite as flexible, but still offers a decent blend of performance, economy and refinement. Handling is tidy, safe and much more grown-up than that of the old Stilo. But the Dualdrive electric power-steering system takes away any driver involvement, and our Sport model suffered from an excessively firm, crashy ride. There’s plenty of equipment, however. Even Active variants feature side airbags and climate control as standard, while the Dynamic adds alloys and the Sport gets Fiat’s hands-free mobile phone kit plus a slot for MP3 players. But with this flagship version set to cost as much as £17,000, you’ll have to pay a high price for all the kit. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/205139/fiat_bravo.html
There are 19,791 words in the new Fiat Bravo's official press info document, and not one of them is 'Stilo'. The closest it comes is at word 11,253, in the suspension section, where the press material refers to 'the previous segment C Fiat model'. 'Stilo', then. The Focus rival that sold nowhere near as many as Fiat had hoped, and the car on which this new Bravo is based - it uses a developed version of the Stilo's chassis. But why write 'Stilo' when six awkward words like 'the previous segment C Fiat model' will do? It sums up this heavy, overly-wordy, near-impenetrable and maddening pidgin-English nightmare of a launch press pack, but that's of no relevance to you. Message is: the Stilo is no more, and never was. This car has a new red corporate Fiat badge and a new name, so onward. Fine, we'll follow suit and forget the Stilo, too. Time to look forward at this Bravo and find out how well it'll do in Europe's most fiercely competitive car market. Over 3,400,000 C segment cars were sold across Europe in 2006, of which 71 per cent were two-box saloons or hatchbacks; 25 per cent of the overall total went to corporate customers. Fiat is hoping to be competitive with company buyers, an area where the Stilo floundered, so the trick will be to produce a car that will hold its value, one of comparable quality and value to the Golf and Focus - not to mention 307, C4, Astra and Corolla/Auris. The new Bravo starts well because it looks good - it does to my eyes, anyway, and to those of the other motoring hacks on our pre-launch drive on and close to Fiat's Bolocco test track near Milan. You might think differently, but first impressions for most people are positive. The new Bravo is distinctive and pretty, and far more interesting visually than either the Ford or VW - you could never mistake it for anything else. It starts with Punto-esque (and Maserati Coupe-esque) laid-back water-drop headlights and jutting grille on a long front overhang, and finishes with a curvy, Brera-ish rear behind a steeply upswept waistline. Step inside and the emphasis on distinctive design continues - this is an attractive, stylish interior, one that blitzes the boring expanses of black that blight some of its rivals. It perhaps uses a few too many textures for my liking, including a carbon-weave coloured slash across the middle of the dash, smooth plastic on the top of the doors and dash, dimpled plastic on the centre console, with grey and black switches, but the overall effect is interesting and far from bland. It's a pleasant place to spend time. Most importantly, the materials seem of reasonable quality. Not quite up to VW levels, nor Ford for that matter, but it all seems well screwed together. The deep-set, chrome-rimmed dials are particularly attractive, and the graphics on them are simple and elegant. I couldn't quite get comfortable in this left-hand-drive test car, because my right leg was jammed against the wide centre console when I moved close to the wheel - maybe right-hand-drive cars will be more accommodating for taller drivers. Also, the steering wheel is offset, its right-hand edge further away than the left, and the seat base is too flat. You are perched on it, with only about two per cent of your buttock circumference in contact with the seat, your thighs in mid-air, unsupported. The steering wheel is well trimmed and attractive, but it was the only aspect of the driving position I really connected with. We drove a 150bhp diesel version on this short spin on the fairly smooth roads near Bolocco. Like most diesels in this class, including the Golf, it's a relatively noisy unit, with plenty of gruff diesel cacophony bellowing into the cockpit. But it goes well, the common-rail MJET engine pulling strongly from low revs and dishing out plenty of torque. The gearshift is OK, with a long but positive throw. It's a six-speeder on the 16-valve diesel, but you only get five speeds on the 120bhp 8v diesel. I'm looking forward to driving the petrol-powered versions, especially the 150bhp, 1.4-litre FIRE turbo. This lightweight, efficient engine should suit the Bravo, especially given its responsive chassis - torsional stiffness is improved by 50 per cent over the outgoing Stilo, and you can feel it as soon as you move off. The ride is good, and it seems Fiat has spent a lot of time and money on tuning the dampers. We'll wait to pass final judgement on the car's dynamics once we've driven it a long way on British roads, side-by-side with its competitors, but first impressions are of a first-rate ride/handling compromise. Here is the most obvious improvement over 'the previous segment C Fiat model'. The electric power steering isn't bad, either - light, positive and direct, and like the Punto, it has a 'City' mode, which lightens it significantly for easier low-speed manoeuvring. The car isn't particularly easy to see out of, with its fat A- and C-pillars, but the sacrifice has been made for styling and it's probably a good call. Interior space seems only adequate. The new Bravo took a scant 18 months to develop from scratch, which must be some sort of record for such an important mainstream car. You might wonder whether this is too short, but I think it's a positive sign - the designers and engineers were probably working at maximum efficiency, with minimum interference from middle management and focus-group obsessed marketing heads. The use of state-of-the-art computer design meant that a lot of the dynamic testing was done virtually, and prototypes were only built at the end of the programme. Overall, it's likely Fiat has got the package just about right, and it's likely that this car will help accelerate the company's excellent performance in Europe. There are shortcomings, but the bottom line is that if you like the looks, you won't be disappointed by the driving experience. If Fiat can shake off its low-rent image in the UK, build it well and price it competitively - that is, make it obviously cheap to buy - the new Stilo will be a big hit. Sorry, Bravo. I meant Bravo. |
