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our test drives or view them all

Fiat Bravo 1.6 MultiJet 105 Dynamic Eco

BOWLING along the A9 at a steady 60mph in a Fiat Bravo the other day I had to look twice at the rev counter.

I had thought I’d be pulling at least 2000rpm but the perky new 1.6 MultiJet turbodiesel under the bonnet was lazily spinning at just under 1600rpm.

Now that’s slow!

Admittedly I was in sixth and there wasn’t just an awful lot of oomph left for acceleration, but the frugal Bravo Dynamic in its environmentally friendly Eco guise was turning as sweet as a nut and averaging 61mpg.

The 1.6 Eco is a special version of Fiat’s MultiJet diesel technology. Not only does it have a fuel-sipping small capacity but electronic control unit revisions help it stretch a gallon of oil as far as possible while other Eco modifications maximise efficiency.

Costing £14,878 after the Chancellor’s recent VAT cut, my Eco model came in well-appointed Dynamic trim with some aerodynamic aids to optimise its low drag factor, low rolling resistance tyres and a six-speed manual gearbox with "tall" ratios that helped top achieve 60mph at 1600rpm and would creep towards 75mph at 2000rpm.

After driving more than 400 miles in town, long-distance trunk roads and a spurt through Argyll and north along the Great Glen, the Bravo averaged out at 58.2mpg and generated 119g/km of CO2 that slots it into annual Road Tax of just £35.

But for all its size and top end delivery being blunted by those long-legged cruising ratios, the 1.6 MultiJet turned out to be something of a mighty atom. Performance was never exciting, but with 105mph on tap from its fixed-geometry turbocharger it could be hustled along briskly by using the revs. And if you want more power there’s a 120bhp version of the 1.6 offered in the Bravo line-up.

Compared to the traditional 1.9 litre Fiat MultiJet unit with its 120bhp, the 1.6 delivers the same muscle, 25 per cent more torque at just 1500rpm and fuel consumption improved by up to eight per cent. The 1.6 MultiJet is another perfect example of how diesel has improved in recent years and how, at long last, smaller units are beginning to challenge larger capacity units for power and efficiency.

The Eco is designed to be clean and frugal. As such, you have to live with sluggish fifth and sixth gears – but it does return exceptional economy. Although I averaged 58.2mpg there were times over fairly undemanding sections of the main Loch Ness road where it maintained 63mpg over 10 miles or more.

Fiat has had a poor reputation for build quality – but that’s changed. The Bravo is a prime example.

Not only is it one of the best-looking new Fiats for years but has a nose job that gives this family hatchback the face everyone wants to own. It is neat, well-proportioned and a clear product of an auto-sympathetic design studio in the heart of Italy.

In five-door form it’s a real head turner. The car’s waistline rises strongly to attractive squared off C-pillar side glazing while the rear end wraps neatly round its bustle back and bold rear light clusters. You really don’t have to think too hard to realise this is an Italian car designed from the heart.

It’s got character, poise and style – what’s more it has the feel of the best from the rest of Europe.

But while the exterior looks and feels great and the doors close with a reassuring “thunk”, the interior retains the plastic look of its predecessors. That’s a shame because the layout and instrumentation is crisp and easy to use with a climate air conditioning and heating system that is powerful and simple to control.

But there’s little doubt that Fiat has cleaned up its act. The Bravo is an excellent family hatch that drives well and is assembled with care – not something you could say about the badge a decade or so ago.

Fiat has been through the mill – and it’s come out slimmer and fitter than ever – an industrial purge that’s improved the marque’s health.

You only have to take a close look at the Bravo, the classy little Fiat 500 and the impressive rebirth of the affordable Abarth version of the 500 and Punto to see how the scenery has changed.

I liked the Bravo. Like other Fiats the steering comes with a “City” setting – an override position for the power steering that lightens the electric system under 19mph to make the twists and turns round town and parking in tight slots an easy affair. The downside is that the steering can feel a bit lifeless in its open-road mode and gives a disconcerting kick just after start up from cold as the power assistance comes alive.

Safety is good. A five-star NCAP occupant rating, three stars for child safety and two for pedestrian protection is impressive. The car also gets ABS braking with EBD, a trio of rear seatbelts, Isofix attachments, and front and side airbags. Sadly ESP is a £350 option. Handling is passive, although the 1.6 diesel does give the Bravo a hint of understeer nose-heaviness.

The Bravo Eco is a brilliant concept for these environmentally hot times when cash is tight. The five-door offers good rear seat space and 365 litres of boot capacity with all five seats in use. Dropping the rear seats boosts cargo space to a reasonable 1175 litres, even though loading is restricted by narrow tailgate sides. The Bravo Eco is also a good towing platform and will easily handle a 1.3 tonne hook load.

In Dynamic guise the Eco is a sensible and comfortable package. Fiat throws in driver’s seat lumbar support, MP3 and phone connectivity, cruise control, front armrest, a bespoke cloth interior, 16-inch alloys, four electric windows, power mirrors and dual-zone climate control. That’s in addition to an already generous basic specification on the Active and Active Sport trim levels.

The Bravo Eco is a good buy, especially if you press for discount. But Fiat is not quite finished on the diesel front yet.

The Italian mass-manufacturer has just announced a powerful new two-litre MultiJet with 165bhp and a diesel particulate filter as standard. It will eventually replace the current 1.9 turbodiesel that has been so successful for it and has been used by other manufacturers including Saab.

Fiat claims the new £16,855 five-door Bravo 2.0 in Dynamic trim beats the 2009 Euro 5 emission standards. That means emissions of 139g/km and average consumption of 53mpg.

More significantly a reduction in compression ratio has made it possible to achieve a substantial reduction in NOx levels – a combustion by-product pollutant few manufacturers want to talk about. In addition the 165bhp two-litre gets a new type of low voltage spark plug that allows cold starting with the minimum pre-heating time.

Fiat is on a run – and this time the product is superb.

Rating: 7/10 

FINAL THOUGHT: The Bravo is Fiat’s best hatchback for years – good looking, solidly built and a useful family tool. In Eco guise the 1.6 turbodiesel is making a significant bid for environmental stardom and achieves much of what it sets out to do. There’s not much life in sixth and the ride is rather wooden, but the car is very frugal and fixtures and fittings are by far the best quality I’ve seen in a mid-range Fiat.

Fiat Bravo 1.6 MultiJet 105 Dynamic Eco

• Price: £14,878
• Capacity: 1598cc
• Power: 105bhp
• 0-62mph: 11.3 seconds
• Maximum speed: 116mph
• Economy: Combined 62.7mpg; Urban 48.7mpg
• CO2 emissions: 119g/km
• ESP: £350 option
• Insurance: Group 7