Fiat Croma

Fiat's Croma offers great interior space and a smooth ride. But what category does it own?

What's New
Fiat made the strange decision to re-use the Croma name for its brand new flagship model. Strange, because the original Croma from 1985 was a completely forgettable hatchback built on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo 164, Lancia Thema and Saab 9000.

The new Croma is a more distinctive car even though it was also styled by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, the man responsible for the original. Despite the local Fiat agent marketing the car as a 'Super Saloon', it doesn't take more than a cursory glance to confirm that it's really a large five-door hatchback.

With its upright rear tailgate and taller-than-average stance, the styling falls midway between that of a conventional hatchback and an MPV. While the nose treatment is a little plain, the narrow rear lamp clusters and bumper-mounted licence plate mean there's a more than a hint of Alfa Romeo in the rear-end design.

Because of the car's height, the seats are positioned such that you can open the door and slide straight onto them without having to climb up or crouch down. They're big and plush chairs too, and the cabin also feels extremely airy thanks to the panoramic sunroof that's fitted as standard to all Cromas here.

It's actually made out of two huge glass panels, and the front one slides backwards to let fresh air in at the turn of a knob. Flexible blinds - electrically-operated in front and manual behind - are provided to completely block off the sun's rays if required.

How it Performs
It's undemanding to drive, with slick, well-weighted controls and superb all-round visibility making it a cinch to manoeuvre around town, yet it retains its composure on more demanding roads.

As long as you don't expect razor-sharp steering, the Croma won't disappoint. While it leans quite a lot in corners and there's some body movement over sharp bumps, the upside is a smooth and quiet ride as well as extremely low noise levels. It flows effortlessly down the road when cruising and both driver and passengers step out feeling none the worse for wear after long journeys.

The four-cylinder engine revs smoothly throughout its rev range and it's impressively economical too, given that its 147 horses are required to pull more than 1.5 tonnes worth of car. Throttle response is generally decent, although the automatic transmission can sometimes be reluctant to kick down to a lower gear when overtaking. Switching over to the manual mode does the trick.

How it Stacks Up
The Croma's unique 'crossover' design means buyers might compare it to established medium saloons such as the Peugeot 407 and Volkswagen Passat. At $123,800 with COE, the Croma looks a bit expensive in this company, although in mitigation it does come fully loaded with standard equipment, including a first-in-class driver's knee airbag.

However, as a high-riding five-door hatchback with the space and comfort to rival many luxury cars, the Croma is effectively in a class of its own. Fiat had the guts to launch such a unique car in this very competitive (and conservative) class and it deserves to succeed, if for this reason alone.

Technical Specifications

MODEL Fiat Croma ENGINE Engine: 2,198cc 16V in-line 4 Max Power: 147bhp at 5,800rpm Max Torque: 203Nm at 4,000rpm TRANSMISSION 5-speed automatic TOP SPEED 205 kmh 0-100km/h 10.7s