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.

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.