Test Drive Fiat Croma since 2008 Wagon
Thoughtful Croma.
This is the biggest, most expensive and most unusual passenger car in the Fiat model line. It is impossible to make it up and evaluate it. It should be handled on the roads dry and slush, smooth and with potholes; Light and with heavy luggage to understand what it is capable of. We editors exploited him for several months, and agreed that the main purpose of Croma serve the family. And the main feature is, perhaps, in the same: the universal is always going correctly, regardless of the temperature and mood of the driver or from the weather. And such cars, I can assure, not too much in the world. Having placed appearance
Matre Judjaro knows his work: last year he made another little miracle, turning, in general, an unbroken model in a real cutie. She is as big, but it appeared style, and even some true Italian sensuality. Croma, known since 2005, and Croma, which appeared in 2008, are two different cars. Although it is only about restyling. Several stroke workshops, and you are no longer a workhorse, but almost the circus artist: it's nice to look at it, she promises a good trip.
The most important and significant changes, in the rad who changed the perception of the model is due to the new design of the front. Transparent headlights (they can be xenon) with yellow stripes of turn signs make it elegant. And the bumper of a complex shape with two trapezes of the radiator lattice and air intake, unusual fog platforms are extremely modern. Locking the roof line, the rear lights like the fasteners of the feed and sidewalls everything is elegant enough, and everything speaks about the dynamics and functionality of the car.
CROMA, by the way, was originally created as a wagon, and the model does not have other bodies. Hence the organic of the appearance and, of course, practicality. Suffice it to say that a two-piece luggage compartment equipped with a curtain and grid has a volume of 500 liters. Well, if you fold the rear seats that all 1610 liters above the floor, which turns out to be slightly raised to the front.
Mixture of Italian with Swedish That's what is in the cabin with an excess, so it is light. Especially in the version with a panoramic roof, opened a curtain equipped with an electric drive, even to the rear seats, and you go like in aquarium. And the head on a sunny day will not break too much, because the roof is also transparent, but toned. And the light, by the way, gives the feeling of additional space inside. But Croma and without that car is not close: on the front seats, separated by a tunnel with a small armrest, which hides the same compact compartment, two even large people will feel free. Like the back, where the armrest will also be at their disposal. In the second row you can be pressed and threesome, but already without proper comfort.
The front seats themselves in Croma are comfortable, not tough, with some hint of lateral support. Adjustments, however, mechanical, but you can raise and lower the seat and choose the degree of lumbar backpage. Skin-sheathed three-spin rabbar moves in height and on departure. Although personally, I didn't have enough longitudinal range of adjustment, I wanted to push the steering wheel a little more on myself. However, in this regard I confess to me difficult to please. In my old good Saab 9000, with whom I broke up and I do not remember how many years ago, it was more convenient. Why did I remember about him? Because the platform has Croma and Saab 9000 / 9-5 one. And the ignition castle on the right below, under the handle of the automatic transmission. But the aircraft design of the front panel and the center console from Croma wipe: everything is easier, functional. But in general, it is not bad, I would characterize the decoration of the interior like this: Elegant simplicity. From the buttons and keys not ripples in the eyes, the purpose of each clear at first glance. Plus, the salon is diverse a decoration of leather, wood and metal.
Although one seat heating button is not easy to find: it is located directly under the seat cushion, left below. Somehow cold winter in the morning, I launched the engine, pressed it on it, and again I remembered my former Saab 9000. Because the warmer did not become bottom. In general, at first the heating system of the driver's seat (exactly the driver, everything was in order with the passenger) worked in times, and then stopped functioning at all. Exactly the same thing was in Saab, and I remember well how many times I forced the servicemen to bother with heated. From which I concluded: together with the Croma platform, inherited wiring from the Swedish car, with all its glitches. After all, it's funny cars different, absolutely dissimilar, between them, and children's diseases are the same. However, all this manifests itself not immediately, is treated, and does not spoil the general positive impression.
Croma is very well equipped: two-zone climatic installation, cruise control, rain and illumination sensors, audio system with CD player, alloy 17-inch discs. In the test version, in addition, panoramic hatch, leather seats, xenon. What does it mean to
Now we'll deal with what I meant when CROMA said always right. And, first of all, we note that this model received a higher rating of 5 stars in the Euroncap rating, and 4 more stars in the same rating for protecting children. It is clear that safety is ensured primarily, features of the design, as well as nine pillows, active head restraints, belts and fastenings of ISOFIX children's seats. I would add to this: this car and generally arranged in such a way that almost excludes unnecessarily dangerous situations.
The point is not that it can not quickly go as if he can. Perfectly known for years tested on many models (for example, on Opel Vectra), a 2.2-liter 147-strong engine guarantees the declared acceleration and the maximum speed of 205 km / h. It was checked, and the speedometer was mistaken in the most side. The accelerating dynamics of 10.7 seconds is not very impressive, but the motor demonstrates the thrust in a wide range of revolutions and dials the turn of smoothly, without failures. His opportunities are enough to say, accelerate on the highway and confidently overtake the wagon. But it is definitely not suitable for playing in checkerels, throwing between rows and machines. It is for the better: the car was done for the family, and not for Nürburgring.
Delivering riding is all the more difficult to imagine with a 5-speed automaton: the ACP guarantees comfort and imperceptible switching, and not the lightningness of reactions to feed and reset the gas. The box is endowed with the possibility of manual transition from stage to the step, but manipulate the handle makes sense only in some situations, for example, on a slippery road to reset the speed, slowing down the engine. It should simultaneously notice that CROMA brakes are excellent and, of course, they are equipped with ABS systems and the distribution of braking effort.
The main thing, from my point of view, the dignity of the station wagon is amazing for the front-wheel drive car smoothness. Moreover, with any load. Multi-dimensional suspensions and in front, and at the same time they protect the irregularities of the road, you practically do not feel shaking even on the Kremlin paving. Of course, such settings have the opposite direction: Croma is noticeably cubed in steep turns. What also does not have an aggressive ride. But these rolls are quite exclavement, because with normal motion at high speeds, the suspension provides a confident move, at all do not form connections with the road. Behind the wheel, you always know exactly where the front wheels are sent, you do not need to cheer. And, most importantly, the car is absolutely predictable in the reactions to the driver teams. Having moved at a speed in the turn of Croma will strive to the outward virage to all the hull, and when you twist the borant, it will become stern. But it is easily corrected short and, again, smooth driving steering. In addition, there is a stabilization system. The steering itself with an electro-hydraulic amplifier is also intelligible, which does not allow with minimal skills to be mistaken with an angle of rotation. In general, this wagon is created for pleasant and safe family travel. How profitable it is in operation, I will probably tell you in the following material under our traditional Ai-Market rubric. In the meantime, it is only mentioned that Croma 2008 release at the time of this issue in the light could be purchased for 940,000 rubles.
Oleg Osipov
A source: Magazine Automotive News [April 2009]
