Test drive Fiat Stilo 5 doors 2001 - 2006 hatchback

The alternative is doubly

In 2001, the newly -made Italian golf Fiat Stilo put a bold point at the end of the era of bio -design, which was personified by the sweet couple of Bravo/Brava and their sister Marea. Then the only Fiat station wagon Marea Weekend disappeared into the abyss of the past. He perished so that a year later a new carriage on the basis of Stilo appeared to the world.

 

And not just a wagon, but a multivagan. And more recently, we decided to find out what it meant. The word is beautiful painfully.
 
Until now, the importers of Italian cars imported Stilo to Russia in only two forms: a three -door and five -door hatchbacks. Like brave predecessors, Stilo with different number of doors differs great from each other. Squature and rapid, three -door looks like a materialized clot of energy. Some rear headlights are huge, transparent! .. The five -door, on the contrary, looks rather restrained and has a higher and narrow body. But the highest (and the longest) of the stylish family is the Multiwagon station wagon, which was born later than everyone else, a little more than a year ago, and just got to Russia.
 
Stilo Multiwagon is really high. A little more and the minivan would have turned out. And so a normal station wagon. The car looks very much: the carriage went to the brothers with his face, but the stern of it is original. Despite the fact that the stylists tried to visually facilitate the back of the station wagon, crossing the racks, the food still looks rather heavy. Now, if the wheels were slightly more, however, this does not spoil the general positive impression of the car. On the fifth door is a huge handle with a trunk opening button. You won’t miss the button: just take the handle, how the electric drive immediately works, and the massive door easily follows by hand. And there it is spacious, but, frankly, simply. From a modern station wagon, you expect a surprise, well, for example, there is some kind of system of organizing internal space or a cunning shelf with height adjustment. Or, in extreme cases, nets for fixing the cargo. But Multiwagon has only one feature, and even that is a common place for all similar cars: a cholel-cutter. From Fiat, which two years ago struck us with the number of all kinds of bells and whistles, we expected something more.

  

But not more. The dimensions of the trunk, the opening and loading height do not allow much to be desired. At least for a car of this size. For carriers of refrigerators, the rear seat folding in parts is provided. Incidentally, in more expensive trim levels there is such a piece in urban conditions as the opening glass of the fifth door: through it, small hand luggage can be thrown into the trunk.
 
Our Multiwagon was in the simplest configuration of Actual, which was not at all at the dawn of the existence of STILO. However, even in the database, the car has such important positions as ABS, EBD and Brake Assist, not to mention the pleasures like a Dual Drive two -faced steering wheel, air conditioning, music and servants of glasses and mirrors.

 

We again became convinced that Stilo is a very good option for the city: high landing, the lightest steering wheel, comfortable suspension and tenacious brakes. Yes, and the 1.6 engine (the only option possible for Russia) demonstrates a perky disposition, however, only after the tachometer arrow passes along the zenith scale.
Nevertheless, the strongest side of the multivagon is that it belongs to the small detachment of Italian cars. And it is already valuable to us. And also to those who are looking for an alternative to worthy and for reasonable money in everything. And an alternative station wagon is doubly alternative.
 

The car was provided by the Center-Spraz company, the official importer of Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia.
During the test, the car is insured by LLC Nation Center.
 
Text: Kirill Brevdo
Photo: Roman Ostanin
 
 
 
 

 
 

Source: Wheel magazine [No. 82/2004]