What they said when the Fiat Croma was new… (Aug 9 2005)
FIAT is heading back into the big league with a car that is designed to cater for all requirements.
On sale on August 20, the new Croma is a large five-door hatchback with the luggage capacity of an estate and as much interior space as an MPV.
It is a bold move for the Italian car maker which has not been without its corporate troubles recently and has been absent from this part of the market for more than a decade when the previous Croma ceased production.
But the new Croma is a clever "crossover" creation which is competitively priced and has good engines - especially when it comes to diesels.
Styled by Italian design guru Giorgetto Guigiaro, the Croma certainly looks different with a roof line that is some four inches higher than a conventional estate.
There is also a lot of glass in the design - more than 45 square feet of it on the models with twin sunroofs.
It's a class leading attribute and the combination of high roof and a lot of glass creates a very spacious interior. It's no illusion - the Croma can accommodate people as tall as 6ft 4ins in the back without any discomfort.
There is also plenty of legroom in the rear and a raised floor not only enables easy, walk-in, access but also gives a good view for all passengers.
Behind the back seats is a luggage area that offers a minimum of 18 cubic feet expanding to a maximum of 57cu ft which is up with the best of estate cars in this class such as the Ford Mondeo and even the Mercedes C-Class.
On the road it is fairly unremarkable. It handles well enough, has a good turn of speed regardless of what type of engine is under the bonnet and does whatever is asked of it.
It feels well built and, despite its height, the amount of road and wind noise inside the Croma is impressively low at all speeds.
All that puts the Croma in a healthy position and it faces strong competition with the likes of the Citroen C5, Audi A4, Vauxhall Vectra and Toyota Avensis also among its rivals.
But in line with its hatchback credentials, the Croma is priced from £15,745 for a 2.2-litre petrol model to £19,345 for a 150bhp 1.9-litre diesel in top range Prestigio trim and that undercuts most of the field.
At launch, the Croma will be available in three trim levels, Dynamic, Eleganza and Prestigio, and with a choice of three engines, a 120bhp diesel being the third.
A 2.4-litre 200bhp diesel - the most powerful Multijet engine produced by Fiat so far - is due to join the range next month but that will only be available as an automatic and in Prestigio trim at £21,995.
Early next year a 1.8-litre petrol-engined Croma is scheduled to go on sale but prices for that entry level model have still to be determined.
Across the range standard equipment includes air conditioning, electric windows all round, a trip computer, cool box in the centre console, alloy wheels and height adjustable front seats.
All models have seven airbags providing crash protection at the front, side and at head level as well as knee protection for the driver, a feature which has resulted in the ignition key being sited away from the steering wheel and in the centre console behind the gear lever.
Eleganza models cost £1,000 more and come with dual zone climate control, cruise control and higher grade trim while the Prestigio versions cost a further £1,350 and have such goodies as tinted rear windows, a double luggage compartment with a secure area beneath the cargo area floor, twin sunroofs, 18 inch alloys and an interior trim highlighted with high gloss coloured inserts.
Across the range fuel consumption is above average with the 2.2-litre petrol returning 32.8mpg in mixed motoring and the two diesels 46.3.
Of the three it is the 150bhp diesel which has the edge - and at 9.6 seconds 0 to 60 it is half a second quicker under acceleration than the 2.2-litre petrol Croma - but its real advantage is low exhaust emissions of 161g/km compared to 204 from the 2.2-litre.
For business users - and Fiat anticipates up to 70 per cent of its sales will be such - that results in a 19 per cent tax charge from the high performance diesel.
Couple that with 18,000 mile service intervals and a predicted 35 per cent three year residual value and the Croma has all the right ingredients to make it highly attractive in the fleet market as well as being a very capable family car.
Words: Chris Russon
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