What a pleasantly restrained shape the new Fiat Bravo has become. This alone would seem justification for booking an hours test drive in the new Multijet Dynamic Eco.
Many people who tested the 1.9 diesel version of this car were frustrated by how uncooperative the turbocharger was, which refused to pull with any conviction from low revs. The Bravo Eco is much more enthusiastic, and also benefits from being quieter and cheaper to tax.
Fiat Bravo Eco Features
The low-rolling resistant tyres on some of Fiat’s competitors’ Eco offerings have served to reduce their respective car's lateral grip, particularly in the wet, where they become prone to break traction and understeer.
On the Bravo though, they bring a welcome feel to the steering. The Eco is a bidding companion, and relishes nip-and-tuck direction changing in town. If anything, the eco-friendly tyres could be criticised of providing too much kickback, and the column gets the jitters over uneven tarmac. The Fiat “Girl Button” is here in all its historically vaunted glory too, but pressing it whilst on full lock simply makes the steering feel as though the connecting rod has fallen out.
Fiat Bravo Driving Impressions
Out on the A-roads, the Eco pulls cleanly through third and forth, but the car does not have sufficient torque to make higher gears an option on anything other than the motorway, or long downhills. The dogleg to fifth requires some accuracy and makes precision a requisite. The turbo emits a quiet whistle while it works, but its shove tails off just before 4000 rpm, where it politely asks for a new cog.
Fiat Bravo Ride Comfort
The car has a relatively long wheelbase, so it is disappointed to note that mid-road compressions leave it somewhat flummoxed. The ride composure is possibly the Eco’s main vice, but whilst it is no worse than some of it’s competitors (Peugeot 307 step forward please), it does make the car feel rather busy. This is a shame as it would otherwise be a respectably ally on a long drive.
Fiat Bravo Interior
The cabin is reasonably spacious, the seats support well, and the wrap-around dash is driver-orientated. Even the dials are pleasant, for which Fiat has plagiarised sister company Alfa Romeo for it’s choice of twin chromed bins for the binnacle. The driver side B-pillar is intrusive when switching lanes, but then that is the price to pay for a five star NCAP rating. That and the slightly lofty kerb weight, at around 1320 kilos.
Fiat Bravo Conclusion
The salesman who organised the test was fairly knowledgeable, and his enthusiasm for the product was palpable. Perhaps this may be the first sign of Fiat actually listening to criticisms of its dealer network. The five year warranty that Fiat are currently offering on their cars is reassuring. The more thorough engineering of those cars is perhaps even more so, and the Bravo Eco represents a positive and fresh start.
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