Specifications
Model:
Fiat Croma 1.9 16v Multijet Eleganza.
Price:
£17 995 (about R209 000).
Engine:
1910cc, four cylinders, 16 valves, 112kW at 4000rpm, 320Nm at 2000rpm.
Transmission:
six-speed gearbox, front-wheel drive.
Performance:
208km/h, 0-100km/h 9.4sec, 6.13 litres/100km official average
People don't buy big sedans the way they used to, unless said sedans are wearing the automotive equivalent of a designer badge - which is why BMW sells more 3 Series than Ford sells Mondeos.
This is partly because people, or their car-providing employers, are more affluent, so the posh badges are more attainable.
And partly it's because people have migrated to station wagons, MPVs and even 4x4s.
All of which would be very bad news for Fiat were it to re-enter the world of big sedans and hatchbacks with another attempt at what it tried to do in the 1980s with the original Croma. It wasn't very successful then and, in today's label-obsessed world, it would be even less successful now.
What, then, have we here? A new Fiat Croma, that's what. But don't write the obituary yet. This is, uh, a crossover car (a term we have heard too often before) - this time crossing the boundaries between hatchback, stations wagon and MPV. Up to a point, anyway.
Think of the Croma as a station wagon slightly distorted upwards or a tall hatchback with an extended tail and you'll be there.
Thus the "new large" Fiat, as it was known within the company before its launch, is able to claim usefulness above that of the old Croma, which was simply a big hatchback with a particularly floppy body structure.
The new Croma isn't actually that large, if you use length as the measure. It's a sort of in-between size - bigger than the average family car (assuming such a thing still exists), but smaller than the car the boss would drive.
And if it doesn't sell in zillions, that's not too much of a tragedy. The Croma has been unusually cheap to develop; it uses the underpinnings of GM's Epsilon platform, better known to us as the Opel Vectra, and, rear suspension excepted, the Saab 9-3.
The body tries hard to disguise the Croma's height and bulk. The roof is about 100mm higher than that of a typical same-size sedan, which contributes to the Croma's fine feeling of space. This is its strong point; Fiat claims it's the most generous in the class and it's certainly far ahead of the Vectra.
That high roof allows the rear seat to be set high, with a relatively reclined backrest, so there's a good view out without the feeling of sitting in a bus.
Usable load space
Naturally, the rear seats fold to make a load bay, but not fully: the backrests merely fold down on to the cushions, so there's a big step up from the boot floor to the load platform formed by the seats.
The high roof means there's still a lot of usable load space and there's also a false floor, useful for hiding valuable items.
Talking about space, the glove compartment deserves praise for its 11-litre capacity when too many modern glove compartments can barely swallow the car's handbook. There's a three-litre central compartment, too, fed by cool air from the air-conditioning.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Croma's cabin is a plush feeling, high-quality space, as well as an airy one if you have the optional full-length glass roof.
The doors are padded to the base, the fascia is neatly and tightly assembled from decent materials and even the fake wood on top versions is used discreetly enough not to annoy.
There's a touch of Lancia about the ambience and if you specify leather trim you get very Italian diagonal stripes on the door panels.
MPV-like stance
It's a good interior apart from the driving position, which makes you sit too upright. The steering wheel is too high and far away, even at the near limits of its adjustment, so you're forced into an MPV-like stance, all the better to reach the high-mounted gear lever. It's one reason why the rear cabin space is so generous.
All Cromas have at least seven crash bags, by the way, and a Saab-like ignition switch set behind the gear lever. It keeps the key away from vulnerable knees.
And to drive? You might expect it to feel like a Vectra, but it doesn't. Fiat says it has engineered in a "Fiat feel", but this isn't the eager, revvy feel of the small cars for which Fiat is famous.
The Croma is a freeway cruiser, smooth, supple and quiet at speed, soft in focus but fluid in corners, with a more natural steering feel than you'll find in the current Vectra.
It reminds me of the way big French cars used to be. Gentle damping, however, means it might not be at its best on the choppy surfaces found on many of Britain's back roads.
Engine options
There are two petrol versions, with GM engines of 1.8 litres/105Kw (available in early 2006) and 2.2 litres/112KW, mated to five-speed manual or automatic transmissions
The three diesels, however are Fiat's own: 1.9 MultiJets of 90kW (with eight valves) or 110kW (with 16 valves) are in the range from launch, and the potent 2.4-litre, five-cylinder, 20-valve unit that, like the others, also powers the imminent Alfa 159, arrives later in the year.
It delivers 150kW and a huge 400Nm, and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that's also offered with the 112kW 1.9 JTD.
Both four-cylinder diesels normally come with a six-speed manual, as fitted to the 110kW JTD that I sampled. This will probably prove the most popular Croma engine; it suits the car's relaxed nature and sixth gear is long-legged enough for painless cruising.
Painless and helpful
Here is a car that objectively suits today's needs and driving conditions very well. You can load it up with satellite navigation, parking sensors, an MP3-compatible stereo and more, but even the base Dynamic model has all you could reasonably need. Nevertheless, it's the difference between "need" and "want" that will define the Croma's prospects.
As an adjunct to life, it's a painless and helpful companion; a well-priced automotive appliance. As an object of desire... well, it's a Fiat Croma. And normal definitions of desirability don't start here.