Bravo Fiat, Bravo!
By: Henrie Geyser
The perky new Fiat Bravo T-Jet Sport is as delightful as toasting the setting sun in Tuscany with a raven-haired Italian lass, a bottle of Chianti and a bowl of the region's spicy caccuicco fish stew.
And that's quite a bold statement, considering that there are few better combinations than Italian women, wine and food AND that the Bravo's predecessor was the Stilo which was about as attractive and as exciting as a half-eaten slice of night-before pizza.
Interestingly enough, the Bravo is built on much of what was the Stilo platform, but the difference is quite remarkable. In fact, a number of fellow motoring scribes have described the Bravo's styling as not unlike that of supercar Maserati.
Certainly in looks it out-dazzles most of its B-segment opponents. It's got a nice cocky stance and a boot spoiler, bee-sting aerial, pert rear end and narrow front grill add to its cheeky appeal without making it look like a boy racer.
The fact that our test car was black (which happens to be my favourite car colour) also helped, because it was a perfect match for the sporty charcoal and metal-coloured 17 inch wheels.
The living quarters ooze youthful exuberance with two-tone red-and-black (also available in blue-and-black) contoured seats, door armrests and red stitching around the steering wheel, handbrake and gear lever covers.
The attractively shaped centre console is mainly black with shiny metal trimmings and the gauges are well positioned and being red and black on grey makes them look great and easy to read.
What impressed me about the Bravo is that the adjustments for the sound system, air conditioning, trip computer are as simple and as user-friendly as the rest of the lay-out, for even though Fiat has a good reputation for making slinky city cars they tend, like the French, to be a little, mmm, quirky when it comes to cabin functionality and lay-out logic.
On the list of nice-to-haves the Bravo has many tick-offs including electric windows (one touch) and mirrors, central locking, steering audio controls, a fully adjustable steering column, headlight leveling, front and back foglamps, a central space under the armrest with “keep cool” function for water bottles or cold drinks, plus front, side and curtain airbags.
Boot space is better than anything in its class and the back seats fold down. A full-size spare wheel is well concealed yet easy to get to.
Traction and stability control, ABS brakes with EBD and hill-hold, a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, isofix child seat anchorages, plus clever lights that turn with the car when the headlights are switched on also add to the Bravo's appeal.
But what really blew my socks off was the enthusiastic performance by the 1.4-litre turbocharged engine. It churns out 230Nm and 110Kw which is substantially better than its main competitors and its 0-100km/h time of less than nine seconds also makes it the quickest of the bunch.
The six-speed gearshift is slick and quick and out on the road the T-Jet boxes well above its weight when it comes to performance, handling, and ride quality.
The engine is quiet at cruising speed and even when you stomp down on the loud pedal all you will hear is a mild whistle and a healthy growl from the super responsive mill. There is hardly any torque steer or irritating turbo lag and it handles the corners with aplomb.
Overall, my only mild mutters about this Bravo are the location of the boot opening switch on the passenger side, the glove compartment lid which opens onto the legs of the front passenger and the tight confines of the back seat, particularly for tall passengers.
As a total package the T-Jet Sport is extremely appealing, particularly if you take into consideration its R201,000 price tag, which is less than most others in its class and which includes a five-year service plan.
The only question mark is whether Fiat will stand up to its commitment to improving service levels and general customer service. If they can get that right then this chirpy T-Jet Bravo will be extremely difficult to beat - and I will buy it long before I even consider the oh-so-chic Fiat 500.
More by Henrie Geyser
More...ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Henrie Geyser has worked as a journalist in Cape Town, London and Windhoek for the Argus Company (now Independent Newspapers) and spent 12 years at The Cape Argus in Cape Town. He then owned and ran a public relations consultancy for 13 years. He joined the online publishing industry through iafrica.com, where he worked for five years as News Editor and Editor. He now freelances for a variety of print and online publications, on the subjects of cars, food and travel, among others; and is a member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists.
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