It won't be here until January, and in the normal course of events we wouldn't have seen the car in detail until the international launch in September, but I was one of just three Irish journalists who had the chance this week to get up close and personal to the new Fiat Stilo, which will replace the Bravo/Brava.
I saw the car debuted at the Geneva Show in February, but that was a static presentation, with no chance to look inside. The press session at the end of the Fiat Auto International Dealer Conference in Milan was an unexpected opportunity for 'touch and feel' of a wide variety of Stilo versions, which were used as a backdrop for Fiat Group boss Roberto Testore's closing speech in which he said the auto division's goal was to sell 3 million vehicles worldwide by 2003, compared to some 2.5 million sold in 2000.
The Stilo will play a very important part in Fiat Auto's 2008 target for for global car sales of 4 million, of which 300,000 would be Lancias, 500,000 Alfas and the rest Fiats.
The cars I saw this week were smart, snappy, versatile, innovative, and show a much more imaginative attention to interior and packaging detail than the vehicles they'll replace. And there was more than a hint of the possibility of further variants apart from the essential 3- and 5-door introductory options which were on display.
Both of those are clearly aimed at different market segments. The 3-door is sportier in execution and style details, the 5-door almost has compact MPV proportions, and it doesn't take much imagination to visualise a true MPV on the platform.
The 3-door has both a lower roof and a lower hip point for the front occupants, which emphasises the sporty feel. The 5-door, on the other hand, has both easier entrance and a higher driving position, to suit the older owner and family needs.
I remember when I first saw the Stilo that there was more than a hint of VW Passat front end, but looking at a number of the cars together there was little doubt that it has its own visual personality, with cues that emphasise strength. If Bravo/Brava was rather soft in looks, this new middle-ranger from Fiat is forceful. And elements such as the front and rear lights are a long way from the current car. The rear view of the Stilo is very strong, and rather surprisingly reverts from the vertical lighting system which has been a distinctive part of the Punto series.
The interiors, we were promised earlier in the year, would be something quite advanced for Fiats, and certainly my view last week seems to bear this out. Again, strong dasboard design has eliminated many of the rather fiddly elements which cheapened the look of some current and previous Fiat car insides.
Plastics are 'soft-touch', the steering wheels are a substantial handsful, and different levels of trim detailing help to individualise a car. Indeed, individualisation is going to be a key part of Fiat Auto's improved levels of customer care, with a promise of 'more freedom to customise'. We were told that (in main markets anyway), buyers will be able to add or subtract items from their car's specification up to two weeks before actual production, and will be even able to change the colour up to a week before it begins its roll down the assembly lines.
The 'sporty' theme in several of the cars on view included white instrument dials and strongly sculpted seats. For others, there were lifestyle elements such as larger-than-usual folding sunroofs, and very flexible seating-luggage options. A front passenger seat that folds forward to make a table, and aircraft-style rear passenger trays are probably a first in the class. Room for me in the back was better than in some larger cars I've driven in recent times, and there's a 'recline' facility which is great for relaxed passengers on long journeys.
There's a strong emphasis on safety, and the Stilo will be the only car in its class to be fitted with eight airbags. Disc brakes all round are a feature, as are the usual ABS and a number of more sophisticated electronic safety and control aids.
It's too soon to talk much about engines, but the Stilo will come with a choice of four petrol and two common rail turbodiesel engines, so we're likely to have some state-of-the-art power units. One neat point about the quality of the car is the use of hydraulic struts to hold the bonnet up. Not that's there's much for the driver to do or even look at when that bonnet is up!
The Stilo will also have the most comprehensive information packages in the market, and will be unique in this segment with its CONNECT system allowing internet, traffic, and consumer information to be linked directly to the car. Although the system will not be available in Ireland until somebody commercialises the digital mapping which has been undertaken of our road network (only Poland and the Eastern European countries are also left out of this loop), Fiat expects that 24,000 customers will have subscribed to the system by the end of this year, and 600,000 are expected to be linked in their 'mobile service portals' by 2005. Already, 11% of Alfa Romeo 147s are ordered with the system.
Roberto Testore forecast this week that 'the complete integration between product and service will make Fiat Auto a world leader in mobility'.
Fiat auto's Commercial Director, Juan Jose Diaz-Ruiz, said that the rollout of the Stilo will be 'a fundamental moment' for the company and will be marked by a very concentrated rebranding of the Fiat marque as producing cars for 'Life in Primary Colours'.
There's certainly 'stilo' in the company's determination to be up with, and even ahead, of the best.
June 2001
by Brian Byrne