| A Week at the Wheel | Cambs, England | Fiat Bravo T-Jet 150 |

Inside & Out:

The design brief for the Fiat Bravo appears to have been as simple as taking a Grande Punto and enlarging it in every direction to make the bigger car. In actual fact the family resemblance is only striking from the front and rear views with the profile being very different, the Bravo's longer wheelbase elongating the shape noticeably. As a consequence the car actually disappoints slightly as a design overall, though colour and wheel choice are critical to its appearance. It is pretty and interesting from some angles but bulbous and bland from others - compared to its stable mate, the Alfa Romeo 147 for example.

Inside, the Bravo scores highly. It's biased towards comfort rather than sportiness, thus avoiding unnecessary conflicts with the 147, and the general theme of the interior is laid out accordingly. Equipment levels are decent and the space and quality is good. It doesn't rival the VW Golf, but it's up there with the Ford Focus and compares favourably with the SEAT Leon and Peugeot 307. We certainly found the interior comfortable and up to the rigours of everyday family life with practical stowage and the like well considered and catered for.

Engine & Transmission:

Small turbocharged engines are very much the future for cars of the Bravo's ilk and this plays right into Fiat's hands. Diminutive, sparkly and potent engines have long been a strength of the company and turbos have featured periodically through the marque's recent history. The 1.4-litre four-cylinder unit in the Bravo is relatively highly strung, offering 150bhp and 152lb.ft of torque; both quite high specific outputs, but the engine is flexible and keen. Performance is approaching warm hatch levels with 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and a maximum of 131mph. The in-gear flexibility is equally impressive, as are the levels of refinement and economy. Also, emissions are on a par with a 1.8-litre normally aspirated engine, whilst performance is nearer that of a 2.0-litre. The benefits are plentiful and obvious.

Ride & Handling:

Fiat has spent a good deal of time and money trying to make the Bravo compete with the best; the Ford Focus remains the dynamic benchmark in this class and while the Bravo doesn't topple the leader it does stand up well to comparisons with the rest of the class. There is virtually no torque steer from the punchy little engine and the steering response is sharp, quick and accurate. Ultimately it lacks a little feel and composure in comparison to the Ford, but then so do most rivals.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

Price wise the Bravo is very competitive, especially factoring in the good levels of equipment on offer. Private buyers may like to consider depreciation and study market values carefully before purchase, but servicing and insurance costs look reasonable.

After a week, the fiddly trip computer indicated an average of 30mpg; more motorway mileage would have boosted that figure further. We saw nearer 40mpg at a cruise.

Overall:

It says a lot that the Fiat Bravo meets or exceeds the class average in most areas. Purely considering previous form would condemn the Bravo to the role of also ran, but in this case it stands comparison with the majority of the existing offerings on the market, A solid all-rounder with a degree of flair in the design, the Bravo performs well and is a car worthy of consideration in the sector.