| Fiat has entered the small MPV segment with the Idea while also giving a facelift to the Stilo, but are they going after the same market?
The Idea (right) is Fiat’s answer to the growing mini-MPV market, but it is not necessarily stealing customers from the new Stilo (below) |
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Fiat seems to think there is a particular customer for the mini-MPV — a segment invented by Renault with the Scenic, which turned out to be
a success, though this was most likely down to its stylish look.
So will the Fiat’s answer, the Idea (pronounced i-di-a), woo customers
in the same way?
It’s a relatively small car – 1.70 m wide and 3.93 m long
– but in line with current trends, relatively high at 1.66 m. In
contrast to its exterior size, it is pretty roomy inside, especially in
the rear seats, and the raised roof allows for an open, if stiff, driving
environment.
Rear seats combine a 40:20:40 split/folding and 60° reclining backrest
with a 60:40 split/folding and sliding seat base. There are altogether
32 different seating configurations for the Idea, including front and
centre rear seats that fold forward to form flat table tops, as well as
folding into a “couchette” position that allows two people
to lie down fully for a nap, if that’s what you require.
With the rear seats fully forward, luggage capacity expands generously
from 320 to 412 litres, while folding all three seat backs fully forward
creates a hefty 1,420 litre space — probably essential in attracting
an MPV buyer, mini or not.
Five versions of the Idea are available at launch in three trim levels:
Active, Dynamic and Eleganza.
Under the bonnet are two options. First is the 1.4 litre 16-valve Fire
petrol engine with 96 ps (71 kW) at 5,800 rpm. It has a combined fuel
consumption of 6.6 l/100 km (42.8 mpg), doing 1–100 km/h in 11.5
seconds with a top speed of 175 km/h (109 mph). The 1.3 litre 16-valve
Multijet diesel engine option offers 71 ps (52 kW) at 4,000 rpm, has a
top speed of 159 km/h (99 mph) and accelerates from 0–100 km/h in
15.4 seconds. Combined fuel consumption on this engine is 5.1 l/100 km
(55.4 mpg). Both engines come with a choice of either a five-speed manual
or Dualogic, a clutchless five-speed sequential manual transmission.
The Fiat Stilo is currently in its Mark II incarnation. Choices include
the three or five doors and there is an estate version. The three-door
is 50 mm lower and 70 mm shorter, though 28 mm wider, than its five-door
brother. It has distinctive rear lights and wide shoulders designed to
distinguish it and make it more desirable from others in its family.
For the less sporty driver, Fiat’s five-door Stilo offers the sort
of interior space more usually found in an MPV. It has been labelled a
C-segment car, but is the longest and tallest in its class.
The Multi Wagon estate is 40 mm taller than the five-door with masses
of head, leg and luggage room. There is a wide choice of engines available
on the Stilo, including a powerful five-cylinder 2.4 20-valve petrol unit
developing 172 ps (127 kW) at 6,000 rpm. Others include four-cylinder
1.4 Fire, 1.6 and 1.8 litre 16-valve petrol units, as well as a 1.9 litre
common-rail diesel engine.
All come with a five-speed manual gearbox though the 2.4 litre is available
with a Selespeed transmission — a manually operated five-speed electro-hydraulic
gearbox with automatically activated clutch mechanism employed on Formula
One cars.
The Idea will not necessarily cross paths with the Stilo, though the five
door, with its similar functions, may be an exception. Fiat says this
internal competition is not necessarily a bad thing and can attract a
different buyer to the Fiat family, in this case via the mini-MPV route.
Even though Fiat’s reputation lies in small city cars, it needs
to make more products and show an interest in more segments to survive
in the competitive world of carmaking. Perhaps this was the idea behind
the Idea.
The good news is that with the Barchetta — a 2004 answer to the
iconic 600 revealed this year at Geneva — Fiat proves that it hasn’t
completely lost touch with its heritage.
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