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Weekend roadtest : Fiat Bravo 1.6 Eco Dynamic diesel
publication date: Sep 24, 2011
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author/source: Robin Roberts
Sometimes, what is not obvious is clearly the first
choice for many.
The family friendly Fiat Bravo 1.6 Eco Dynamic is a
good case in point. While most motorists would look at Focus or Astra for sound
family transport, the five-door Bravo does all that its rivals can, and pound
for pound it's a more logical choice.
The range runs to 10 models between £15,200 and
£19,600, three trim levels and petrol or diesel engines ranging from 90bhp 1.4
to 165bhp 2.0 with only one automatic diesel offered in a range of 6sp manuals. |  |
The Bravo 1.6 Eco Dynamic is towards the top of the
range and is a good all rounder with a lot of practicality, fairly brisk
performance and really good economy. It is not a sports hatch, but a sensible
hatch.
The 105bhp four-cylinder engine has been set up to
extract economy without too much demand on a driver. Start up is a little
slower than some diesel rivals but it soon settles down to a steady throb and
it's not too noticeable in give and take motoring, and it's very muted on the
motorway.
For a diesel it stretches every gallon over 55 miles
but in urban use it did not seem to be very flexible and I wondered if it could
have been better tuned to further reduce gear changes and eek out economy still
further.
The high gearing for fuel economy has also meant it is
not particularly quick through the six-speed manual box but the light clutch
and precise pattern to the changes do compensate.
The Bravo comes with the pioneering dual weighted
power steering which allows a driver to select normal or lighter city modes and
this is a very good feature, particularly if the car is to be used by more than
one driver and each prefer different amounts of assistance.
The traditional handbrake has a high travel action but
it held the car on a steep slope and the brakes underfoot showed a good balance
between assistance and power, slowing the test Bravo very easily and with
utmost control.
| Secondary switches were gathered around and on the
steering wheel for the most frequently used controls and while they look good,
their operation is not as clear as it might have been.
The central console
carries the sound system including CD player above the air conditioning
controls.
There are central and side vents, four powered windows but no sunroof
on the basic car, although it is a £1,025 electric option. |  |
Visibility is fairly good but you cannot see the front
of the bonnet or the tail, the lights are good and the wipers clear a huge area
of glass at the front and the back window also has a small yet effective wiper.
Access is good and the room inside is reasonable. The
cloth covered seats have fairly good adjustment in the front and all offer good
support.
You can hear the suspension coping with the bumps
beneath the Bravo but it does a good job of absorbing the shocks. It rolls
slightly on bends and feels nose heavy in some corners but the handling is very
safe and you are never alarmed by the car's attitude.
Noise levels are generally dominated by the road noise
with some additional contribution when the engine is pushed with determination
through the gears but wind and other mechanical noises are very low.
You have to work hard to make rapid progress but it's
very settled on main roads and the economy is extremely good for a five-door family
car.
|  | VERDICT
The overall impression of the Fiat Bravo Eco Dynamic
is that this is a very capable car which does a lot of things very well and
nothing really badly and is listed at a highly attractive price at a time when
value for money is a priority for many. ©Robin Roberts |
Fact file: Fiat
Bravo 1.6 Eco Dynamic
| £18,200 | | Mechanical: 4cyl,
105bhp 1598cc, 6sp | Insurance group: 7/
14
| Performance: 116mph
maximum, 11.3sec 0-62mph
| Fuel consumption: 55mpg
| Emissions: 115gkm
| Warranty: 5YRS/
Unlimited
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