Fiat Bravo (95-02) - Review

Review by Parkers on
Concept-car looks, Italian flair and the promise of good build quality shifted the Bravo/Brava small family models from Fiat showrooms when they were launched in 1996. But by the end of its showroom life in 2002, even massive incentives like zero per cent finance over four years plus £1000 cashback were failing to pull in the punters. And hard-nosed buyers didn't even expect to pay the full discounted price! The result is weak residual values, which means that Bravo is now a bargain on the used market.
3 out of 5

Other Fiat reviews

3 out of 5

Performance

The smaller Bravo has a slight edge over heavier Brava; punchy engines have lots of pull in all gears; 1.6 satisfies most drivers, though 1.4 and 1.2 16v are both willing runabouts. The sporty five-cylinder twin-cam 2.0 HGT is only available in Bravo and is a serious Golf GTi rival. TD 75 turbo-diesel is only average, but the TD 100 and JTD units are speedy and smooth.

2.5 out of 5

Handling

All are front-drive with disc/drum brakes and independent suspension. Italian panache: perky engines, smooth gears, agile handling, responsive brakes; solid enough to feel secure and stable, yet lightweight enough to be fun; Bravo is sharper than Brava.