Test drive Fiat Ulysse 2002 - 2007 Minivan
Fiat Ulysse: Franco-Italian Wen
The second attempt to create a united minivan four European companies - Peugeot, Citroeon, Lancia and Fiat ended successfully. There are four new models on the catwalk: 807, C8, Phedra and Ulysse. The latter is on our test ...The origin of the species
To develop a new car yourself is always troublesome, and most importantly - expensive. We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars, long months of painstaking work, huge investments in production. First, the concept of the car is carefully worked out, that is, marketers conduct market research, interview potential consumers, and find out the opinion of dealers. And only then they set their requirements: you need a car of this type, with such and such characteristics, indicators and retail price. Everything is taken into account - the brand renom in a particular market sector, the success or failure of the same type of models that have already been produced earlier, the positions of competitors, their weak and strong places. The model has never been drawn by a designer, but the host of this project already clearly knows what his brainchild should be.
But in the end, you can still get a model, which the leading automobile publications then describe as mediocrity. No, it will probably be of high quality and functional enough to find its buyer, only all this will not happen as the manufacturer conceived. The grayness of the model for the manufacturer means the lack of stable demand, the inability to implement this model with good profit, constant advertising support and PR campaigns - in general, the constant costs of huge funds instead of the expected profits.
As a result, sometimes it happens that from the very beginning of production a new model is lost among more successful competitors, without forcing them to squeeze.
Naturally, in our age of total unification and maximum reduction in production, none of the manufacturers, even the richest, cannot afford to take risks. And a new model, especially not characteristic of a class manufacturer, is always a risk. It is good when the production gamut is quite extensive and the development of one model can give the beginning of a whole line of various cars. Then, at the expense of one development, others may appear. This is especially clearly seen in the example of platforms used, in particular, VW concern.
On one such platform there are several, sometimes even dozens, various cars that differ not only in price and design, but even class belonging!
Those who are such luxury as a universal platform cannot afford, try to use existing platforms, modernizing them under new clones. Or, if the developed model is completely new to the manufacturer, resorts to the services of other companies. A simple output of production rights is used mainly by small and young companies, and large manufacturers with experience prefer to agree on cooperation. Something like this was done by two companies - the French concern PSA, which includes Peugeot and Citroeon and the Italian concern Fiat, when they decided to jointly develop a full -size Van (see insert).
Neither the French nor the Italians, but the triumphal procession around the world of models as Chrysler Voyager and Renault Espace, had rested experience with both companies to both companies.
The experience of joint development of models before that only Fiat (back in the mid -eighties).
When the same VW did not hear about the platforms, the Italians released a whole series of middle -class models. True, then the Swedes from SAAB participated in the tandem, who did not have the means to independently develop the model. The result of joint work impressed everyone, as four completely different models were born, designed and made on the same base. And each of these models has become a really kind of phenomenon in the automotive industry: Fiat Croma, Alfa Romeo 164, Saab 9000, Lancia Thema. All of them, despite the completely individual appearance, various running qualities and cost, were developed on the same basis.
Cosmic design
The new Fiat Ulysse is the second generation of the model that has been on sale only this year - that is, you have a hot premiere. Even moreover, this Ulysse, painted in an interesting silver-blue mother of pearl, is the first copy imported into the territory of our republic!
The first impression is how good! No, really good. Usually, I am indifferent to single -collapse, but in this case ... I can’t even say for sure that I like it more: either an interesting design of the front, or original body proportions, or a futuristically decorated rear part.
What can I say, everything is clearly visible in the photographs ...
Inner world
If the body design can be called cosmic, then the Fiat Ulysse interior is otherwise than the coccipitis of the spaceship. Firstly, unusual architecture, and secondly, the interesting design of the panel. Everything begins with the abundance of devices.
A small tidy with an abundance of control lamps and a liquid crystal screen, located right behind the steering wheel, is supplemented with three classic dials (speedometer, tachometer, temperature/fuel) located on the top floor, in the center of the panel. The level below is a screen that displays all the information regarding the work of the audio system, a clock and various warning information. Even lower is the radio itself, and under it, on the tide of the central console, an automatic check selector and several control keys.
The keys themselves, or rather, the inscriptions on them also cause associations not with ordinary cars: where did you see the Escape key in your car? In the same place, on the tide, there is a climate control unit - also with a small screen. To the left of it are the main switches of the telephone management functions and other communication devices. By the way, Ulysse even knows how to read SMS calls aloud ...
If you think that these are all Fiat Ulysse electronic bellows, you are very mistaken. A few more buttons can be found on the ceiling - from here all three (!) Luke are controlled, as well as the rear side doors. The latter, by the way, are equipped with an electric drive.
But this is not all, in front of passengers of the middle row, on the side door racks, next to the airplane deflectors, there are several more buttons. Firstly, the buttons of the electric winding and opening/closing the door. And secondly, there is still a separate round control of the climate control, with its help you can change the temperature or completely turn off the air supply to your deflector. Now everything seems to be ...
The tested ulysse tested has the designation of HLX Emotion Ca. This is generally the most expensive and sophisticated version of Ulysse: leather interior, automatic transmission, climate control, etc. Although, in the best traditions of Fiat, this did not mean a sky -high price tag. For example, this version costs from 21.555 EUR. The five-door Ven Fiat Ulysse can be both five or eight-seater.
Depending on the version and wishes of the customer. But only an eight -seater version is delivered to our market, which, however, is easy to turn into a five -seater if desired. It is enough just fold and remove the rear seats.
True, one question arises: if suddenly, by chance, you bought something very cumbersome in the store and want to transport the purchase on your Ulysse, where are you going to go unnecessary seats? Unclear...
But the electric drive of the rear side doors is really interesting and relevant. He pressed the button - and the door, squeaking with a zummer, slowly opens. It looks especially interesting in the parking lot: there is a car for itself, and suddenly her door opens - pedestrians simply shy away. True, sometimes it seems that the door opens too slowly. Especially when you are already next to the car and wait. The command of the command would not have prevented either by accidentally clicking on the door closing button, you must first wait for its complete closure, and only then give the return move - the command to open the door. And for a full cycle, the opening-cover takes about fifteen seconds!
The flour of the choice
A 2.0 liter gasoline engine, and even in combination with a four -speed automatic transmission, is far from the best option for such a heavy and large single -combat. Although the idea itself is good, since some customers, especially representatives of foreign companies, acquire precisely gasoline versions, because diesel, in their opinion, do not go on our roads for a long time. Equipping such a car of an automatic checkpoint also makes sense: the luxury car should be as comfortable as possible. But only in the case of Fiat Ulysse, the combination of these devices seems not very successful.
To begin with, the 136 -horsepower gasoline motor is difficult, because he needs to take at least 1570 kilograms - Ulysse weighs so much. And the machine gun in this case is only an additional brake - its four steps are clearly not enough to fully implement all the engine capabilities. Although the machine itself is very good, it does not dash the programs, even in Kik-Dawn mode, works quite smoothly in normal mode, almost inaudibly switches the gears during smooth pedaling and behaves very well during overtaking. But if you are used to driving quickly and assertively, then with such an automatic Ulysse engine you are unlikely to like it. The maximum torque indicator in this motor is tightened to the very top - the peak is reached at 4100 rpm. Naturally, in such long gears of a four -speed checkpoint, the motor is not very often in the moment. It would be possible to fix the situation with a fiat ulysse hood of a 2.9-liter gasoline engine V6, which is also in the range, but such a version is not delivered to our market. Its 204 horses and scrap craving on the bottom would easily defeat some stretch of automatic checkpoint, turning Ulysse into a kind of comfortable Yankee. But such a luxury is not available to us ... Conclusion: it makes sense to pay attention to the JTD turbodiesel with a capacity of 109 hp. And although it comes only in combination with a mechanical checkpoint, in comfort the car will lose little. After all, the diesel engine is much more elastic and more painful than a gasoline analogue: the peak of its torque, and this is impressive 270 nm, is reached at 1750 rpm - almost immediately after idle revolutions!
On your marks!
The first impression of a trip to Fiat Ulysse is an incredibly large car! If it were not for her huge external mirrors, maneuvering would turn into continuous torment.
Nothing through the rear window is not visible at all - the eight -seater car is still, and as for visibility forward, it can be said that it is normal. With the exception of one moment: the monumental multi -storey panel of devices with a very unusual architecture takes so much space that the hood, and even more so the front edge of the car is not visible at all. It is better to turn around and park with a margin.
But Fiat Ulysse was very surprised by his maneuverability: it unfolds almost in place. This helps a lot in the city when you have to maneuver between the rows, going around the stream neighbors.
Surprisingly, Fiat Ulysse feels very good on the damaged city streets, there is no shortage of dynamics or maneuverability. Large mirrors help a lot, in addition to the Ulysse itself and neighboring cars, another half a world can be seen. True, it is better not to go to frankly flight maneuvers driving this car, but Ulysse does not provoke this.
Its style is a measured and smooth movement, without fussy jerking in lanes, without emergency braking and accelerations in a kik -doward.
If only because the driver's seat (leather, slippery) is devoid of any side support. I twisted the turn - and you no longer drive a car, but simply hold onto the wheel so as not to slip off the chair. In general, there is nothing to try to make GTI from the luxury van - not the sizes, the wrong power ...
Fiat Ulysse also on the highway. With its size, mass and internal space, the machine is a real tourist - it can easily be waved through it throughout Europe. The pendants are a little harsh, especially at the joints, but the smoothness of the move as a whole corresponds to the concepts of a comfortable car. The car seemed even a little imposing, but without prejudice to controllability. High speed maneuvers, as well as speed maneuvering at a low speed, Ulysse performs without problems. Although it cannot be said that he likes it. A car with a high center of gravity is noticeably rolling in corners, but at the same time very willingly changes the trajectory at obviously high speed. Addressed to class and dimensions, of course ...
The consumer is always right!
The market of full -sized minivans is a very specific sector where the buyer is not so much important as the most complete compliance with its requests. One certainly needs an all -wheel drive model, the other is a luxurious and roomy office lump. The third - in general, just an accelerated machine is needed: unpretentious, roomy and reliable. But Fiat Ulysse opens a new niche - this is a large, even a very large car for a private owner.
Despite its size, it does not look like a minibus, and an unusual design erects the model to the rank of prestigious. Equipment, especially electronic bells and whistles, is much cooler than in most new prestigious sedans, not to mention the middle class models.
The previous generation of Fiat Ulysse, as the current one, was created as part of the cooperation of two concerns, French and Italian. France was represented by the PSA concern, and the Italian side, represented by Fiat and Lancia brands, played for the interests of the Fiat concern. As a result of this cooperation, four twin minivans were born. These were Peugeot 806, Citroen Evasion, Lancia Z and Fiat Ulysse, also presented in the cargo version of Scudo. Time has shown that such a strategy justifies itself. All four cars, despite the identity of the design and the similarity of the appearance, found their consumer. And what is most interesting, while they managed to practically not compete. Various quality of the assembly and interior decoration, different pricing policy of all four marks, finally, image ballast - as a result, all models were perceived as independent.
Opinion Ag:
An unusual car is a family minivan, sophisticated by electronics at the BMW 7 level. And the price is pleasantly surprising, the lowest among competitors.
+Spacious salon
+Good visibility from the driver's seat
+High degree of equipment with electronics
+Interesting design
-Archaic four -speed automatic
-Benzine 2.0-liter motor is not too suitable for such a large and heavy machine
-Thews pendants