Fiat Bravo 1.9 Multijet Range
What do you want your Family Hatchback to be? Good value? Well equipped? Great looking? Economical? Versatile? Offering punch performance? Fiats Bravo 1.9 Multijet diesel models tick all these boxes. So why are they so overlooked by buyers and pundits alike? Perhaps its a badge snobbery thing. Either way, this car remains a well kept secret.
Developed over eighteen months using cutting edge computer technology, Fiats Bravo doesnt feel like a rushed job. Anything but in fact. And thats in contrast to previous Fiat products developed over far longer periods that felt considerably rougher round the edges. Though the T-Jet petrol models have their appeal, the Multijet diesels probably make more sense overall, assuming that youre not merely buying the car to amble to the shops and back.
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Theyll probably be more bothered about the fact that the interior feels very well built. Bright finish plastics lift the cabin and the controls are easy to figure out without recourse to the manual. It all looks agreeably Italianate as well. Fiat has really got the hang of the whole soft-touch dashboard moulding in recent years and the new Bravos supple, textured finish wouldnt look out of place in an Audi.
The more powerful 150bhp diesel has some real muscle to it, getting the Bravo from rest to 62mph in 9.0 seconds and topping 130mph. With 305Nm of torque available, its not going to have any problem putting irksome white van men in their place, that torque output superior to something like a Subaru Impreza WRX. Fiats Dualdrive electrical steering assistance is fitted, which lightens the steering around town and at parking speeds by pressing a button on the dashboard.
A bit more feel at higher driving speeds would be welcome however.
"I have a suspicion that the Fiat Bravo 1.9 Multijet were looking at here is the best family car you can buy.."
Its easy to forgive the Bravo any minor shortcomings when you walk round the car, taking in its beautifully integrated detailing and elegant proportions. Many five door hatches are about as beguiling as the prospect of an evening spent creosoting your mother-in-laws fence, but the Bravo is different. Just as the Grande Punto added a touch of the exotic to the supermini class, so the new Bravo does the same for cars the next size up. Though this isnt the largest car in the class, theres a decent amount of luggage space in that curved rump.
The big draw for family buyers is undoubtedly the amount of safety gear Fiat has packed into the new Bravo. Winner of a coveted five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating, the Bravo sits squarely at the top of its category with a total of 33 points on the NCAP scorecard. The Bravo is the product of over 60 crash tests, 15,000 hours of computer simulations, 150 simulations with a crash sled and more than 100 crash tests on components and subsystems. The Bravo features two front airbags, two front side bags, two window bags and a knee airbag for the driver.
Prices start at £13,795 for the entry-level Multijet 120 model, with the 150 variants priced from £15,695. Only a single five-door hatchback bodystyle is being offered. No other car in the sector is better value or better equipped. The top 1.
9-litre Multijet diesel model weve been driving in Dynamic 150bhp form costs around £2,000 less than an equivalently equipped 130bhp TDCi Focus that offers less performance. Want a cheap South Korean alternative with comparable 150bhp power? Sorry, there isnt one. You dont actually have to have 150bhp in your Bravo 1.9 Multijet theres a 120bhp version too (also offered with a choice of Active, Active Sport or Dynamic trim levels).
ABS anti-lock braking with electronic brakeforce distribution and the latest generation ESP stability control system should prevent the worst coming to the worst. The ESP system includes functions such as anti-slip regulation (ASR) to limit wheelspin in slippery conditions, and engine torque regulation which prevents the driven wheels locking up during rapid downshifts. Hydraulic brake assist boosts pedal pressure in emergency situations and theres even a hill-holder function to take the faff out of hill starts. The low upfront asking prices allied with improving Fiat brand residuals create a car thats very class competitive in terms of that crucial pence per mile figure after a typical three year ownership period.
Whether you can justify the £1,000 premium being asked for the Bravo Multijet models over their T-Jet petrol stablemates will depend of course on the kind of mileage you rack up. A Multijet 150 model will return around 50.4mpg on the Combined cycle around 10mpg better than the petrol T-Jet equivalent. Do the maths by all means, but make sure youve got the petrol to diesel price differential right.
Fiat dealers tend to sell more Bravo diesels than petrol models, so will keep more in stock. As a result, better deals may be available that will drive the price differential down. While youre asking on this, also investigate the guaranteed residual programme that Fiat dealers offer on this car with regard to some of their financing schemes. This is intended to soften the blow of residuals that remain slightly behind obvious mainstream competitors.
Insurance costs (groups 7 to 10) are however, comparable. I have a suspicion that the Fiat Bravo 1.9 Multijet were looking at here is the best family car you can buy. The problem I have is in getting anyone to believe me.
Experts talk of cars like Fords Focus or Hondas Civic as being leaders in the Family Hatchback sector. But a Fiat? Surely not. I can see their point, yet when I go back to my notes having driven the car, its hard to escape the facts of the case. Its affordable, it goes well and it looks great.
The Italians have done their sums with this car. You can pay an awful lot more in this sector and get less. A great deal less.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Fiat Bravo 1.9 Multijet range
PRICES: £13,795-£15,995 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-10
CO2 EMISSIONS: 139-149g/km
PERFORMANCE: [MultiJet 150] 0-62mph 9.0s / Max Speed 130mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [MultiJet 150] (urban) 37.2mpg /(extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 50.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front/side/window airbags, drivers knee airbag, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4336/1792/1498mm
