Country & Base – Italy – Torino
Key Models:
- 500 [city car]
- Panda [city car]
- Punto [supermini]
- Bravo [family hatch]
- Doblo [van-based MPV]
- Qubo [van-based MPV]
RAC Cars Need To Know:
Fiat made its reputation building small, inexpensive cars and it has recently returned to doing what it always did best, abandoning its attempts to persuade buyers into larger cars and concentrating on small, predominantly front-wheel drive hatches. The cute Fiat 500 revived Fiat's fortunes in the city car sector and the launch of the 500C convertible model has provided another shot in the arm to sales. It makes a super used buy, and the TwinAir two-cylinder engine is already in strong demand.
The Fiat Panda suddenly looked a little old hat when the 500 was released but if you need a little more space and don't want to pay quite so much, it still makes an awful lot of sense. The launch of an all-new Fiat Panda in 2012 will also serve to make the outgoing model an even bigger bargain. Pick of the range? Probably a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel.
The used Fiat Punto has evolved into a sleek and mature supermini, although it's not quite at the cutting edge when it comes to driving dynamics. It does feel a very classy item, especially if you can find a low mileage car in one of the higher specifications. Try a GP, Sporting or rare new Fiat Abarth version if you want something that feels a cut or two above the usual supermini boxes. The Fiat Bravo makes a far better used buy than new thanks to its massive depreciation, and the advice here would be to not look at anything less than three years old as a result.
