Fiat Croma (05-07) - Review

Everyone on board gets plenty of head and legroom. Unlike most cars this size, there's a full size middle seat in the back which is large enough for an adult to travel comfortably. At speed it's notably quiet, with little wind and road noise, thanks to a specially engineered windscreen, but under heavy acceleration, engine noise is evident, although this dies down once the Croma is cruising. It's light and airy inside, helped further if you have the optional full-length sunroof fitted, plus all models have air conditioning.

The Croma makes a strong case as a spacious family car. There's 500 litres of luggage space with the seats in place - these split and fold for extra room and take the total space available up to 1610 litres. Every car also comes with a useful coolbox and there are a number of cubbies and storage areas, including an armrest bin for the driver and a holder for sunglasses (from Eleganza spec upwards).

The dashboard is logically designed, with all the buttons and switches where you'd expect them. But there's little to excite in terms of design - the only quirk is that the ignition is by the handbrake, similar to that on a Saab. The steering wheel adjusts for height and reach and the seat height can be adjusted too. However, the seatbelt position is fixed and cannot be changed to suit the driver. The seats are supportive and comfortable on longer journeys and there's the sort of headroom that you'd normally expect in an MPV. Visibility is good - with a clear view front and back - although chunky windscreen pillars can be obstructive at junctions.