Published:
26 April 2012The entry-level Bravo gets an 89bhp 1.4 motor, a lightly modified edition of the long-lived Fiat FIRE engine with 128 lb ft of torque that returns 44.8 mpg and 146g/km of CO2.
A more popular petrol option is the 1.4 T-Jet is an extensively reworked, turbocharged version producing 118bhp, the downsizing process providing 10 to 20 percent fuel economy and emissions improvements over comparable 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines.
As far as diesels are concerned. The 1.6-litre Multijet is the centrepiece of Fiat’s family of common-rail direct-injection turbodiesel engines and comes in either 103bhp or 118bhp form.
The 118bhp motor puts out just 115g/km of CO2, and will return 57.6mpg on the combined cycle. It’s also exceptionally refined. The higher powered car gets a variable geometry turbo and this, coupled with a more relaxed and meaty power delivery means smoother, more effortless performance. The only criticism we can find of the engine is a hint of breathlessness at low revs - even though Fiat claims that maximum torque arrives at just 1500rpm.
The Bravo 2.0 Multijet 165 diesel is now the most powerful Fiat Bravo, fitted with Fiat’s new common-rail 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. It is an upgrade of the old 1.9-litre range-topper that enjoys a power boost of 15bhp – up to 165bhp – and added a further 40lb ft of torque, to 266lb ft at 1750rpm. It emits 10g/km less CO2 (139g/km) than the older unit and, at 53.3mpg, it delivers 2.9mpg more than the 16v 1.9-litre engine on the combined cycle.
It provides a strong and steady stream of power and doesn’t noticeably run out of grunt until the top end of the rev range. Top-gear cruising is similarly effortless and, despite the known weakness of the bouncy Fiat Bravo ride, it's easy to maintain a steady, quiet and comfortable motorway pace. It capably blends petrol-like refinement with gutsy diesel clout that the other engine options in the range don’t deliver.
