Fiat Croma

11:17am Tuesday 19th September 2006

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IT'S surely one of life's great mysteries: why does a company that makes great small cars keep mucking up the big ones?

Fiat's past record makes painful reading if you are a fan: the Regatta, the Marea and the original Croma were dreadful.

So what do we have here? A new Fiat Croma named after possibly the least inspiring 'big Fiat' of the lot.

The Croma name hasn't been seen on British roads for more than a decade - and nobody has missed it.

But don't write the new one off yet because those cunning Italians have re-examined what people want from a family vehicle and come up with a crossover - a car that straddles several classes.

In this case the new Croma is said to offer the practicality of a peoplecarrier, the luggage capacity of a family estate and the driving manners of a well-sorted hatchback. If it can manage all that then this Croma could truly be the Fiat to break the mould.

The Croma endured a difficult birth. Much of its underpinnings are shared with the Vauxhall Vectra/Saab 9-3. That's because the Fiat is a spin-off from the General Motors' Epsilon platform. Why? Because when the Croma was conceived, GM and Fiat were thinking about a merger.

When that idea fell apart the erstwhile partners found that plans for a large Fiat were too well advanced to kill the Croma so this vehicle will be the only passenger car to emerge from the short-lived US-Italian alliance. As such it offers a fascinating glimpse of what might-have-been if the merger had gone ahead.

Built at a factory in Cassino, the Croma is also a cheap entry into the big car market for Fiat. The company reckons it can break even even if it only sells 35,000 units a year worldwide. Bosses are targeting 50,000 but even that is a drop in the ocean compared with the sales of the Ford Mondeo, VW's Passat and, yes, the BMW 3-Series.

There's a tiny badge on the Croma's flanks that tells the sharpeyed punter that this vehicle was styled by the famous designer Giugiaro. The same man is responsible for the terrific new Grande Punto but I couldn't help thinking that with the Croma, he's played it too straight.

It avoids the van-with-windows look that blights many an MPV but the Croma has none of the new Punto's visual pizzaz. Come on guys, this is an Italian car - it's supposed to crackle with drama and excitement, not just blend in on the M25.

At least Fiat's claims that the Croma is one of the most commodious cars in this class hold up to close scrutiny.

The rear, in particular, is a great place to spend time as a passenger.

The back seat is slightly higher than the front for a better-than-normal view of the road ahead and the backrest is canted for greater comfort.

Top marks Fiat.

The rear chairs also have ISOFIX mountings for a child seat. This is, after all, supposed to be a family car.

Up front, the driving position is rather upright but that's all the better to reach the high-mounted gear stick. There's a small computer readout between the main instruments that is easy to see at a glance.

The handbrake is far too close to the centre console. I had to contort myself every time I wanted to engage the pesky thing.

The central-locking button is also rather oddly placed, on the far side of the gear lever, and requires quite a stretch.

The trim is obviously well put together - there were no trace of the rattles and groans that used to make a trip in my boss's old Regatta such an assault on the ear drums.

Some of the switchgear is a reminder of just why Fiat has a patchy record in large cars. The stalks, for instance, feel like something you'd expect to find in a supermini and not a big family car. Even though it has a large cabin, the Croma certainly doesn't stint on luggage space. The boot is large and well shaped.

With the rear seats folded, the carrying capacity is 1,610 litres, while the spare tyre is a space-saver type.

A folding arrangement allows valuables to be stowed out of sight and the absence of any visible door locks should also enhance the Croma's resistance to attack by a thief.