Fiat describes its new Croma, launched in South Africa in November, as the next evolution of the station wagon - luxury sedan, station wagon and MPV rolled into one.
Essentially it's a higher-than-normal station wagon, presumably suited to taller-than-normal families. It's very spacious and has the raised driving position that South Africans tend to favour.
And its seats are at just the right height for adults to slip on to rather than down and into.
However, Fiat has missed an opportunity to make the Croma as practical as it could be. If you're after maximum cargo space and versatility then a mini-MPV such as a Renault Scenic or Citroën Picasso still presents a better option; the Croma has none of their clever seat-adjusting arrangements.
Its rear seats merely fold in a 60/40 split but not flat unless you fold the seat squab as well - a cumbersome exercise.
The standard boot is quite spacious at 500 litres, with a wide door that swallows bulky objects. The one clever item is a double floor under which smaller or more fragile items can be stored. There's also a cover to hide possessions from the ungodly as well as a cargo net to prevent luggage making uninvited acquaintance with passengers under hard braking.
The spare wheel is a thin space-saver.
Cabin storage space is generous and includes a large glove box and a lidded bin between the front seats.
Fiat brags that Giugiaro is responsible for the Croma's styling but the design isn't one of the best to come out of that famous Italian styling house. It's a bit of a mish-mash with long overhangs and a high roof, not sure whether it wants to look like an MPV or a station wagon.
Not one of Giugiaro's best efforts in my opinion though some people said that they liked it.
Cabin space is generous and four passengers will fit without squabbling over leg or elbow room. The high roof, large windows and (optional) sunroof enhance the sense of space.
Standard "luxuries" are plentiful: radio/CD player with steering-wheel controls, central locking, power windows and air-con with separate air vents for the rear seat.
The rich-feeling, thick-pile cloth upholstery gives the cabin a warm ambience and the clean, uncluttered fascia is of a decent quality, too. Various extra-cost options are available, including leather upholstery, automatic air-con, rear parking sensors, two more crash bags in the rear and xenon headlights.
Anti-lock brakes and the basic seven crash bags earned the Croma the maximum five stars in EuroNCAP crash testing.
However, there are a few design faux pas such as the unnatural-feeling interior doorhandles that hinge downwards instead of sideways or up and snap back to hurt your fingers when you're not used to them.
Tail-door problem
The parking-brake lever is too far back and requires a bit of contortion to operate. The steering, though adjustable for height and reach, doesn't go low enough and shorter people might struggle - though the height-adjustable driver's seat compensates for this to an extent.
The tail door can be opened by a button on the key fob but worked haphazardly. Sometimes it wouldn't work at all - and there seems to be no way to open it manually.
The Fiat partially redeems its flaws with a useful hill-holder feature which stops the car rolling back when pulling off up a slope.
A 110kW/320Nm 1.9-litre turbodiesel version will arrive later in 2006 so for now the Croma is available with only one engine - a 2.2-litre petrol that makes 108kW and 203Nm.
These are decent outputs on paper but the Croma's performance is strangled by its obesity. At 1510kg, the car is overweight and frustratingly sluggish around town.
The manual option costs R215 000, the automatic R227 000.
At low rpm the Croma's about as eager to get moving as a lion after a heavy meal. It ain't going to catch much, least of all gaps in the traffic. It takes a great deal of revving to disturb this engine from its slumber so it's just as well that it's a particularly quiet unit that stays smooth and tranquil even when red-lined.
Vague steering
Once on the go the Croma shakes off some of its lethargy and maintains cruising speeds on the freeway without feeling unbearably sluggish. The claimed top speed is 210 km/h - which is believable - but Fiat's contention that the Croma accelerates from 0-100km/h in 10.1 seconds is optimistic in the extreme.
The weight problem again rears its head through the curves. The corpulent Croma feels about as sharp as a bag of marshmallows. It's not that the grip isn't good - its 215mm tyres cling to the tar fairly well and there's traction control - but the car's soggy feel and vague steering do little to invite enthusiastic driving.
But then it is a family vehicle and not a toy for conquering mountain passes.
The upside is terrific ride quality; the softly sprung Croma glides like a swan over most surfaces. The build quality seems good and the car feels solid, bereft of rattles or squeaks.
The running costs aren't bad. Service intervals on the engine are a longer-than-normal 30 000km and the combined town/freeway fuel consumption is a very acceptable 8.7 litres/100km. However you'll have to pay extra for a maintenance plan that other motor companies include in their pricing.
SUMMARY
Fiat's "next evolution of the station wagon" has good space, refinement and safety but a mini-MPV with multi-configurable seats still makes a more versatile family vehicle.
This petrol version's sluggish performance can become tedious so maybe it would be better to wait for the turbodiesel. By then Fiat might have seen the light and started offering standard maintenance plans with its vehicles too.