Bravo! In Italian it means ‘well done!’ and it’s a word understood in every country on earth. It’s that familiarity with the word, as well as the ‘well done’ meaning, that lead Fiat Auto to use name for their newest car, launched internationally on Feb 1 and due in Ireland in June.
Bravo is a very important car for Fiat and the company spared no effort to get it absolutely right. Frank Stephenson, who had worked previously as Head of Design at some of the world’s leading motor companies including Ferrari, was in charge of the design team responsible for the Bravo. He wanted Bravo to be ‘absolutely Italian’ in appearance, and that’s the reason why the new Bravo is such a stylish and sexy car to look at.
With sleek and simple body lines, the short front overhang, a very curvaceous rear end and a new front grille bearing the new Fiat logotype, the Bravo will definitely stand out from the crowd. It looks elegant, aerodynamic and rather powerful. In other words, it’s another work of motoring art from Italy.
The new Bravo appears quite compact, but some brilliant engineering means it is extremely spacious and therefore very comfortable for driver and passengers. For example, the transverse roominess, i.e. the width of the car at shoulder height front and back, is the best in class. That means greater comfort for all, a vital consideration at a time when more people spend more time in their cars.
The design and engineering team also took into account how the average height of our population is increasing and so a driver 2 metres tall can sit comfortably in his seat and passengers up to 1.8 metres tall will be comfortable in the back seats.
The Bravo is a sporty looking 5 door saloon that has the style to look like a 3 door coupe. Even so, it is a very practical family car. The boot space measures 400 litres with the rear seat in place (that’s the best in class) and that space can be increased up to 1175 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
The new Bravo range will arrive here in June; full details of prices, engines and equipment levels will be released nearer that launch date.
