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Golf in Italian

Fiat Stilo is a representative of golf class, very popular in Western Europe, and now actively gaining momentum with us. The competition in this segment of the market is extremely acute. Italian novelty will have a hard time in Russia - rivals, who have already conquered a place in the sun, such as Peugeot 307 and Ford Focus. Meanwhile, the FIAT brand is not quoted in our country too high, mainly due to the cheap UNO, Tipo, Regata, etc., which in domestic conditions, quickly rot or simply scattered in the post-perestroika period. What can Stilo contrast opponents?

Fiat Stilo, in three- and five-door bodies of the body in the fall of last year, was replaced by a not too popular pair of Fiat Bravo/Brava. The three -door Stilo, and even in the hot version of Abarth, visited the motor test a month ago, so this time we took a five -door car. And as a background for her performance, they chose an old acquaintance - Ford Focus. Despite the fact that the car has been produced for several years, it still looks quite fresh and interesting (Focus has been in a slight tuning from Wolf, which added the appearance of dynamism), and everything that is already written is written about how it drives.

Outside, Stilo looks very serious. Massive sidewalls with a clear facet - transition to a window sill, hard, relief sub -stamping on the hood - everything works on the image of a solid car. And no unisex, so fashionable in this class. Big beautiful headlights - a real work of art, as well as an almost complete absence of blockage in the sidewalls, are attracted to the front - they are almost vertical, including above the window sill.

Passing a wide door, you fall into the arms of a leather chair. All adjustments are electric, and allow you to quickly find the optimal landing. There is also an adjustment of the lumbar backup. Do not tear off the steering wheel - the diameter and cross section are perfectly selected. On its knitting needles are the audio control buttons. The lining on the steering wheel looks somewhat awkward - it seems that they forgot about it and attached at the very last moment.

The steering wheel switches are endowed with a standard set of functions-everything is without comments, there is an additional third lever, which is laid for cruise control. By the way, on our Stilo cruise control was equipped with a radar to observe a safe distance to ahead of the coming car (this has not yet been found in a golf class). Funny little thing. On the one hand, it is convenient: depending on how it moves, your car itself dumps or gains a move. And on the other hand, this system does not know how to emergently slow down, so you still have to be on the alert.

The instrument shield is very concise and comfortable. The speedometer, a tachometer and a display of the on -board computer are dominated here. On the central console under the ventilation deflectors there is a radio with a CD player (the sound is very good, there was even a subwoofer in the trunk in the car). Below is the climate control unit with a separate (as in large) temperature adjustment for the driver and the front passenger. Before the latter - as many as two glove boxes, the lower - empty, very impressive capacity, and in the upper there is a six -disks CD changer - while Stilo is stuffed with airbags in full program, including frontal, side and curtains.

One of the highlights of this car is the hatch in the whole roof. It consists of several sections that can be shifted as you like, one or all together. In the maximum version, the rear passengers may well stand (for example, to wave the flag of your favorite football team).

However, even in a sitting position, they are not deprived of comfort. Places in the shoulders are enough for three, the knees do not rest on the backs of the seats, even if they are completely pushed away. The only problem is that the hatch drive mechanism ate a decent volume, and the head almost reaches the ceiling. And this is with a growth of 175 cm. (In the back of the Ford Focus cabin, there is more place, especially above the head.) You can slightly improve the situation by changing the angle of inclination of the back. In addition, the rear seat has a longitudinal adjustment, and two retractable segments are built into the pillow, which form children's seats in the raised position. In addition, in the backs of the front seats there is a retractable plastic table (almost like in aircraft).

The trunks of the Italian and the American are almost the same, but the first part of the cargo compartment eats the subwoofer.

The overall impression of the Stilo salon is more and more likely than that of Focus, primarily due to the much richer configuration of the Italian machine (Focus resulting in the Focus test turned out to be almost naked). But it is impossible not to note a rather high - for Italians - the quality of materials and the thoroughness of the fitting of mating details (not without reason from 900 million euros spent on the creation of Stilo, only 200 million went for development, and 700 million to modernize production).

Let's see how things are on the go. Italians are very temperamental people, and motorists on their cars are the same. Up to 2000 vol./Min. Stilo almost does not go, but after four thousand a very powerful pickup begins - and so up to seven thousand (the motor makes noise very strongly). The combination of such steep properties of the engine and very stretched gearboxes is somewhat embarrassed - touching the traffic lights, from the habit there is a chance to stall, the situation exacerbates the soft and non -informative clutch pedal. But, if you do not give backs to fall below four thousand, then you can lead an active life in the stream, especially since Fiat reacts promptly, without hesitation and excessive rolls.

It spoils the situation by a weak reactive effect on the steering wheel, especially in the near -Stolium zone. With an increase in the angle of rotation, it becomes more adequate, but I would like more information content. In maximum turns, Stilo shows a slight insufficient rotation, and even if the demolition has begun, the car can be returned to the true path by dropping the gas.

Tuning the suspension, the designers found a successful compromise between comfort and sports. Fiat almost imperceptibly overcomes joints and small irregularities, and serious potholes are almost completely extinguished without a hint of breakdown - the suspension is powerful and energy -intensive. The brakes were pleased with the excellent ratio of pedal and effort on it, as well as excellent efficiency. ABS, before joining the work, waits to the last, and turning on, does not annoy the overly strong vibration on the pedal.

In terms of controllability, Ford Focus occupies a worthy place in its class. The steering has excellent reactive effort, allowing even in slipping it is easy to control the machine. Plus - a perfectly configured suspension with almost neutral rotation. Focus literally diverses in turns, perfectly prescribing the trajectory. It is a little tougher and noisier than Stilo, passes, but this is a small fee for the fact that Focus can give an advanced driver.

Stilo ahead of the smoothness of the course. But he responds less clearly and unambiguously to control influences, and hesks more in turns. However, for a family car, this is a sin of small.

How much will Fiat Stilo be popular in Russia? Hard to tell; In Italy, for example, Focus is better sold. In the minus, Stilo is not a high reputation of the Fiat brand, all the worsening position of the company itself and the still unknown cost of operation. The plus is a very flexible configuration system and, of course, a unique hatch. It remains to compare prices.

Italians are proud that much of what is an option for other cars, Stilo is included in the standard equipment. This, of course, is great, but a machine with 1.6 liters of a motor and a mechanical checkpoint costs $ 17.300. If you add the same hatch - $ 18.500. And in the richest equipment - $ 26.600.

Ford Focus has lower prices. For a car with a similar power unit in the basic (completely naked, even without music and air conditioner), the configuration is asked $ 13.900, and in the most complete one, which, however, is slightly inferior to Stilo equipment - $ 21.600. Choose ...

Text: Alexander Nadens
 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 7/2002]