FirstIrishDrive: Fiat BravoWe can't really tell you the entire story about the car we have been driving this week. We can't tell you the price, we can't tell you the specification, but we can tell you that this car arrives in June and it is pretty crucial to the success in this country of the company that makes it.
Any new model launch is a big deal for a major car manufacturer, but the launch of the new Fiat Bravo has quite a bit at stake. You see if you look at the sales figures in Ireland, Fiat has some catching up to do. They currently lie 22nd in the Irish sales charts, down from 15th last year.
Meanwhile, in Europe, the company's fortunes could not be more different. The firm recently posted the ninth consecutive year-over-year improvement in trading profit - up 84 per cent to €595 million.
The Bravo is the replacement to the ill-fated Stilo, a car Fiat simply didn't get right. The new car will go on sale here in June and Fiat Auto Ireland has taken in one preview model which we got our hands on.
With the Bravo, under the guidance of former BMW designer Frank Stephenson, Fiat are back at what they do best and there is not a straight line in sight.
But what is most welcome is the change in the quality of the car. From the shut lines, to the feel of the doors to the palpably improved interior, this does not feel like a Fiat of recent past but a model from Munich or Wolfsburg. Our test car was a very highly specified 1.9-litre 150bhp diesel model and no box had been left unchecked. The Bravo comes with electric power steering that can be varied for ease of parking, but out on the open road and some challenging back roads, it is competent rather than very thrilling. But the diesel engine is a real gem and simply munches both motorway and meandering roads while barely whiffing the fuel tank, even though it can get to 100km/h in 9 secs. The six-speed gearbox shifts accurately and the brakes grip without too much bite. Twin this with the 400-litre boot space and generous cabin and it seems Fiat have done an incredible job with the Bravo.
Initially there will be a choice of a 1.4-litre 90bhp petrol engine or two 1.9-litre diesels offering 120bhp or 150bhp. Later in the year a new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine will be introduced, offering 120bhp and 150bhp. Expect a price tag in and around the €20,000 starting off and a generous equipment list.