Fiat IDEA 1.3 MULTIJET
If Youre Going To Buy A Supermini MPV, Fiats Idea 1.3 Multijet Should Have A Strong Claim On Your Attention. Andy Enright Reports
Supermini MPV cars seem such a good idea on paper. Easy to park, relatively practical and with a low cost of ownership, they seem the ideal urban companion, especially if youve got the needs of a young family to consider. The reality, however, is often a little less appealing with many cars considering a tin loaf as a suitable design inspiration. Fiats Idea is different, offering a genuinely good-looking alternative to the usual stunted blobs.
If you are searching for an Idea, the pick of the bunch has to be the 1.3 Multijet diesel version.
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The Idea has the pick of the Puntos engine range and plucks two of the best in its 94bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit and 70bhp 1.3-litre Multijet turbodiesel. Of the two engines, the Multijet is where the
smart money goes, returning excellent fuel figures and boasting enough torque to really punch the little Idea forward even when its fully laden.
Around town you can toggle the Dualdrive button to take the effort out of twirling the wheel. Expect to see 45.6mpg around town in the 1.3-litre car with a sprint to 60mph detaining you for 15.
2 seconds and a top speed just nudging three figures. Weighing in at just 130 kg, the 1.3 litre 16v Multijet - a 1248 cc, 4-cylinder in-line unit - is,
Fiat claim, smallest and most advanced second generation common rail direct injection turbodiesel in the world. You have to admit that theyve packed a lot of technology into something just 46cm long, 50cm wide and 65cm high.
Its boosted by a turbocharger with wastegate and intercooler, and possesses an electronically controlled exhaust gas recirculation and cooling system. Within a Unijet engine, a pilot injection raises temperature and pressure inside the cylinder to improve combustion at the time of the main stroke. However, by dividing the main injection into a number of smaller injections, a Multijet engine affords a fuller, more gradual combustion whilst the amount of diesel burnt at each stroke remains the same. This promotes smoother, quieter combustion, reduced emissions and increased performance.
Start-up times and exhaust smoke are significantly reduced; noise levels and vibration are lowered to ensure a quieter drive and improved passenger comfort.
"The Idea is a cut above the rest"
The Ideas ride is relatively firm, courtesy of a very stiff chassis and the chunky windscreen pillars obscure visibility when negotiating tight roundabouts but aside from that the driving characteristics are much as youd expect from a Punto in other words lively but loveable. The prices look set to endear the Idea Multijet to many as well, starting from £10,895 for the Active trim level and rising to £12,145 for the Dynamic. Hardly nosebleed stuff. In fact, its easy to miss the Idea.
Unlike the Multipla, it doesnt turn heads, its lines resembling a rather sleeker
Hyundai Getz. This is no coincidence as Giugiaro is responsible for penning the Getz and also had a hand in the shape of the Idea. Fiats internal design house contributed to the car and for a car effectively designed by committee, its a very accomplished effort. Its certainly a good deal easier on the eye than the Multipla, a car that melded design brilliance to hugely unconventional looks and which failed to net the sales in this conservative market that it deserved.
Fiat has rightly chosen to adopt a more sober approach with the Idea, slotting the car into the range somewhere just above the Punto line up. Think of it as being to the Punto what a
Ford Focus C-MAX is to a Focus hatch and youll probably get the gist of it. No, it doesnt offer any additional seats but you can pull some intriguing moves with the seats you do get thirty-two of them to be precise. The rear seats are split 40-20-40 and can move back and forth either together or individually, prioritising either legroom or luggage space.
The
seat backs can also be reclined for comfort, which is a distinct rarity at this price point. The rear seat backs can fold forward as does the front passenger seat to allow you to carry some very long items. You can even fold all the seat backs flat to create a double bed effect. This is all very well, but it does make one wonder why Fiat which is partly owned by General Motors never got access to the even cleverer FlexSpace seating system as used in the
Vauxhall Meriva where the seats fold flat to the floor.
Three across the back is a bit of a tight squeeze, especially as the firm centre pew looks guaranteed to numb the posterior over longer distances but theres certainly no problem as far as headroom goes, the Idea boasting a roof that soars overhead, prompting one to consider sparking a stovepipe hat revival. The interior otherwise benefits from Fiats huge experience of building MPV-style vehicles with a multitude of storage bins, cubbies, pockets and compartments. The dashboard is beautifully styled in a spare, almost minimal fashion with centre-mounted instruments and clean lines. Fiat has produced some rather middling cars in recent years but the Idea is a cut above the rest and is genuinely worth a place on supermini-MPV buyers shortlist, the 1.
3-litre Multijet version especially. It fleshes out what is now a formidable range of MPV-style vehicles that encapsulates the revised Multipla and the very impressive Ulysse. That said, it faces some tough rivals in the form of the Vauxhall Meriva and the
Renault Modus. If the final reckoning comes down to which car wears the sharpest suit, the Idea looks to have it in the bag.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Fiat Idea 1.3 Multijet range
PRICES: £10,895-£12,145 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 135g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 15.1s / Max Speed 99mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [urban] 45.6 [extra urban] 62.8 [combined] 55.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3980/1695/1762mm
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