Fiat Bravo II – plus two doors and a bit of charisma
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Fiat Bravo II – plus two doors and a bit of charisma

Cars Fiat brands have never been considered prestigious in Russia. And in vain - among the many models in each decade there was something unusual and stylish.


Take, for example, the Fiat Bravo. A platform-mate of the Brava hatchback and the Marea station wagon, which was also produced in a boring sedan body, this car surprised with some kind of sporty component.

Under the hood of the Fiat Bravo, you could occasionally find 2,0-liter engines with 147 and 154 hp. With such power units, the car in the “top” version could surprise both in the city and on the highway.

Fiat Bravo II – plus two doors and a bit of charismaThe first generation Fiat Bravo is also not bad. Photo: youtube.com

The second generation of the Fiat Bravo, which debuted in 2007, was no longer so uncompromising. This model was produced only in a five-door hatchback body. But the common "roots" of the platform with Alfa Romeo played a role here too.

Despite the budget, the car will be stylish. And the engines under its hood are mostly turbocharged. Because of this, the Fiat Bravo II still attracts attention on the roads.

You can buy such a car in Russia. Since its production ceased in 2014, you can only do this on the used market. But the prices are affordable - on average, the second-generation Bravo costs about 500 thousand rubles. And the range is from 380 to 900 thousand.

The car belongs to the so-called "eternal" category. This means that it is illiquid in Russia. That is, it is difficult to sell it at a high price. Accordingly, the price when buying can be safely reduced by 20-25 percent.

Appearance and body


For fans of the Italian car industry, of which there are few in Russia, one look at the Fiat Bravo II is enough to understand "where its roots come from". It has nothing in common with the first-generation Bravo. Rather, it is a rethinking of the Stilo, but with elements from Alfa Romeo and Lancia.

Fiat Bravo II is distinguished by its compact dimensions. Photo: youtube.com

Fiat Bravo II turned out to be streamlined and somehow harmonious. And at the same time, there are sporty features in the appearance. In general, it is a typical "Italian", possessing:

✅ Impulsiveness
✅ Compactness
✅ Elegance

The main advantage of the car's design is that it does not age over time. Even now, the model looks stylish.

As for the body's resistance to corrosion, it can boast of high-quality galvanization. But after an accident and repair, this no longer helps. Therefore, cars at the bottom of the market often come with rotten thresholds and rear arches.

The optics are plastic, the headlights quickly turn yellow. Will polishing help? It's hard to say, you need to try. The first few times it will save the situation, but you won't be able to remove the top layer of plastic forever.

Salon


Inside, the designers clearly focused on the dashboard. It turned out in the spirit of Alfa Romeo - sporty, with two "wells" of the speedometer and tachometer. The plastic is high-quality, but only on the dashboard. Everything else corresponds to the class of inexpensive compact hatchbacks.

Fiat Bravo II dashboard like a sports car. Photo: youtube.com

The front seats are simple, although there is more than enough space for the driver and passenger. But the back is already cramped. This suggests that the Fiat Bravo II is not very suitable for the role of a family car. Perhaps only one or two children, but at most of primary school age.

But the luggage compartment is large for its class. It is declared to have 400 liters of volume. And the space can be increased by folding the rear "sofa".

As for electrics, there is a lot of them. There are seven airbags, ABS, ESP, hill start assist system. There is no need to mention the full electric package – this has been the norm for Italian cars since the second half of the 1990s.

Engines


Traditionally for Russia, diesel engines are not welcomed in passenger cars. Accordingly, of the 24 Fiat Bravo II units available for sale on the used market, only one runs on heavy fuel.

The Fiat Bravo II's instrument wells are mesmerizing. Photo: youtube.com

Therefore, we will not go into detail about diesel engines. They have volumes from 1,6 to 2,0. Power - from 90 to 165 hp. The last option is a two-liter engine. All power units are turbocharged.

By the way, Italians make pretty good diesel engines. Another issue is that the quality of Russian diesel fuel does not always meet the standards. And first of all, because our people like to fill up with heavy fuel not at AZL, but somewhere cheaper. And "tractor" diesel fuel is not always "digested" by an Italian engine.

The petrol engines under the hood of the Fiat Bravo II are only available in 1,4-litre capacity. Despite their modest figures, almost all of them are turbocharged, except for one – 90 hp. The remaining engines have a capacity of 120 to 150 “horses”.

The atmospheric 16-valve engine even provides the compact car with acceleration dynamics of 12,5 seconds to 100 km/h. This same engine is the most trouble-free in the line. As a rule, malfunctions are associated with the failure of various electronic sensors.

This is what the petrol turbo engine looks like under the hood of the Fiat Bravo II. Photo: youtube.com

Turbocharged engines are demanding of fuel quality. These power units are forced to operate in a different temperature regime, which adds problems. Sometimes the superchargers themselves crack.

Note for tuning fans! All Fiat Bravo II petrol turbo engines can be modified. To do this, it is enough to install a new turbo kit, and 200-250 hp can be removed from the engine even on the "native" piston.

When choosing a car with a turbo petrol engine, it is recommended to thoroughly diagnose the power unit. Unfortunately, the "hot" Italian guys and girls who were their first owners did not hesitate to squeeze the "juices" out of cars, competing with everyone. And the resource of 1,4 liter engines is far from unlimited.

Therefore, the best option for those who want to minimize engine-related problems is a naturally aspirated 1,4-liter petrol engine with 90 hp.

Other technical features


Most cars on the Russian used market have mechanical gearboxes, but sometimes you can find robotic ones. It is better to stay away from the latter. The units are not the most reliable, and no one in Russia really knows how to repair them.

There is, of course, little space in the back of the Fiat Bravo II. Photo: youtube.com

If the "robot" breaks down, it is replaced with a contract unit from EU countries. But this does not guarantee operability - it is a lottery, nothing more, because it is unknown who and how operated this unit before.

It is easier with manual gearboxes – they are reliable and easy to repair, but there are nuances here too. For example, all gearboxes that were installed on turbocharged Fiat Bravo II, namely M32 GM and C635, are inferior in reliability to C514. The latter was installed on cars with naturally aspirated petrol engines.

But the clutch is a short-lived unit in all versions. As a rule, the slave cylinder fails.

The Fiat Bravo II has a McPherson type front suspension, and a torsion beam at the rear. The Italians have abandoned the complex and expensive-to-repair multi-link suspension. If the suspension is in good condition when you buy it, it will not cause any problems in the future.

Should I take it?


The Fiat Bravo II is a relatively universal car, more intended for city driving. Its front and rear bumpers are high enough to avoid scraping them on curbs.

But the latter does not mean that you can safely drive a stylish Italian car to go fishing or to the forest. The crankcase and subframe of the car are located low, you can break the first and damage the second.

The Fiat Bravo II doesn't look very good in white. Photo: youtube.com

The oil filter is strangely made. It seems that it was designed under the careful guidance of auto repair shop technicians who were short of income. It is not possible to remove the element just like that – first you will have to dismantle the guard and side plastic.

In general, the car is far from being for everyone. There are much simpler models to maintain and repair. But they do not have the Italian style.

If you don't need dynamics, then we recommend buying the Fiat Bravo II with a 1,4-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine with 90 hp. This modification is the most reliable in the line.
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