Fiat Stilo 5-door Abarth Review

[Normal_aspirated]

Another version of Fiat Stilo, which already launched here in SG. Check out at this Yahoo UK webby:

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-a...t-stilo-19.html

 

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(2005-08-01)

It might be a veritable box of tricks, but does Fiats Stilo have what it takes to make progress in a tough market segment? Vanessa Hinkley wonders if the pen is mightier than a Ford.

 

Quite why Fiat christened their new family hatchback the Stilo is anyones guess, but you can rest assured that the decision came after intense deliberations at the highest level. Focus groups, customer consultations and management meetings would all have come into play during the name selection process, before the Italian manufacturer finally settled on the French word for pen. Whatever it means, it fits in nicely with Fiats previous moniker policy; Seicento, Punto, Bravo, Doblo Stilo. Why not? Of more importance than the cars name is its potential to do battle with the established giants of the UK family hatchback sector - Fords Focus and Vauxhalls Astra.

 

The Stilo has got its work cut out but Fiat are confident that its up to the job. On first impressions, the 5-door model that had the pleasure of my company for a week looked tidy and well-proportioned. There were some nice touches, like the rear light clusters and the 5spoke alloy wheels, but nothing too extrovert. Understated and practical were the themes that came across more than any aspirations toward sporting or styling excellence.

 

Inside, the car is bigger than the neat exterior might have led you to believe. Youll find gadgets galore, with the buttons and dials to control them positioned sensibly on the centre console. Theres a quality about the car that many buyers might not have automatically associated with Fiat and plenty of interesting features that might be familiar to MPV owners. The 5-door Stilo is an unadulterated family car, if youve got a partner and offspring that need to get from A to B, and occasionally to C on weekends, it could be just the job.

 

Alternatively, theres a Multi-Wagon estate models thats also worth considering

Here we come to the nitty gritty, the area where Fiat hope the Stilo can score points over its rivals practicality. As spacious, relaxed family transportation the car takes some beating; it will seat five in comfort for a start. The front seats are wide and you can adjust them to your hearts (and your heights) content. Our model had electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats plus the sliding/reclining rear bench - as you can imagine, there was a whole lot of sliding going on.

 

The boot isnt as spacious as youll find on some family hatches but the movable rear seats give you the flexibility of opting for legroom in the back or additional space in the luggage compartment. As is the style these days, the seats will contort into numerous configurations to accommodate oddly shaped loads, theres even a ski tunnel through the back seats for those wintertime trips to the Alps. Safety is another Stilo strong point, with no fewer than six airbags standard on all models. ABS and traction control are other welcome additions.

 

Covering all the electronic gadgetry thats offered as standard, or in the Stilos options list, would be a monumental task, but there are some innovations that stand out from the crowd. The days when a particularly lanky member of your family borrows your car, sets the seat right back and plays with your carefully adjusted mirrors, need annoy you no more. The Stilos electric and heated front seats allow you to save your preferred driving and mirror positions and return things to how you like them at the touch of a button when you get into the vehicle. In addition to this, theres the City function that renders the steering as light as a feather to ease urban motoring, the rear parking sensor that foretells of impending collisions when youre reversing, and the Dual Zone climate control that lets you set different air temperatures for driver and passenger ideal if you ever have to give a polar bear a lift.

 

Admittedly, most of the Stilos more impressive toys are optional extras and will be absent from standard versions but if you had the cash, and the inclination, you could order a Stilo that would put most executive saloons in the shade,

There are four engines to choose from in the Stilo, if you exclude the 2.4-litre 20-valve unit that powers the sporty Arbath version. Three of these run on petrol and the fourth is a JTD diesel. I sampled the most powerful of the three petrol offerings and found it to be a pleasantly engaging drive.

 

Theres acceleration there when you need it and cornering is assured enough, although the 5-door Stilo is taller than its main competitors and this is reflected in a certain amount of body roll. This car wasnt designed to carve up racetracks, however, and the comfortable ride matched to light functional, controls make it good family transportation on the road. If you want more dynamic looks and sharper handling, the 3-door version is the one to consider. The only problem I came across in using the Stilo was that I tended to whack my elbow on the central armrest when applying the handbrake but this could just be me splitting hairs over what is an accomplished, drivable car.

 

Youll need

[Normal_aspirated]

i think this Stilo Abarth 5-door is priced below the Alfa 147 2.0L one, and looking at the specs.......it can outrun it but do not hv tat kinda fierce looks

Edited January 16, 2006 by Normal_aspirated

[Jts156]

nothing a good pimping couldn't fix!

[Normal_aspirated]

u mean Prodrive upmarket kits for the Stilo?

or an extreme make-over?

Edited January 16, 2006 by Normal_aspirated

[Jts156]

either way there'll be an improvement..

[Normal_aspirated]

wat about these?

 

taken from this webb:

www.caressentials.co.uk/ bodykit_pages/FIAT_stilo_bodykit.htm - 14k

Edited January 16, 2006 by Normal_aspirated

[Normal_aspirated]

for more about Prodrive upmarket kits from UK.......checkout this webby:

 

http://www.italiaspeed.com/new_models/2005...er_uk/0505.html

 

With Fiat Auto's UK dealers support and recent Spainish Grand Prix........the 2-door Stilo MS edition with Prodrive is making so many heads turning in UK markets........and soon be in SG?

 

Only 200 units of this limited edition are allocated to the UK market.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Normal_aspirated

[Jts156]

this one's the nicest by far..

[Normal_aspirated]

I oso saw the 3-door version of Stilo Abarth ......main difference is the center console has a larger LCD screen which can use GPS services to show road maps., i think. The "Shoe-Marker" version dun have this LCD screen

Edited January 21, 2006 by Normal_aspirated

[Normal_aspirated]

Another review on the Stilo Abarth 1.6L version:

Check out this webby:

http://www.carenthusiast.com/review/road_t...est_review.html

 

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Yellow cars make me smile. I remember as a young 'un arguing with fellow engineering students that Ferraris should in fact be yellow, not red as the rest of the world seems to think. The colour red is often associated with Italian sports cars, but let's face it, those cars don't need a paint job to stand out in the crowd. Back in the real world though, red does nothing for me. Yellow however, really says, "hey, look at me", and for that reason alone, I smile broadly when I see the Stilo 3-door for the first time.

 

I am already a fan of the Stilo's styling before I spend a few days with our test car. The three-door version is particularly well sculpted, with a welcome bias towards sportiness. The car is identical to the five-door from the front bumper to the A-pillars, where the bluff front end attempts to add some Germanic solidity to the Italian flair. Look closely and you will see complex detailing in the headlights, and cohesive design from the grille and bonnet to the (almost) F1-style door mirrors. From there, the 3-door car has longer doors and a rakish C-pillar shape. The cars 'shoulders' are more pronounced as well, and finish in a flourish at the pretty rear lights and pert hatch, which is adorned by a subtle spoiler. I was quite surprised at how many double takes this car produces, though I personally would want sexier alloys than those fitted. They are stylish, and quite Italian, but not really sporty. I guess Fiat did not want to step on the toes of the Abarth version.

 

Inside the Stilo, I'm afraid style rises above substance. It must have looked great on the designer's computer screen. The layout works well, and the seats are wonderfully supportive, but the execution is not up to scratch, and pictures don't show that. Sit in a car in a dealership though and you will begin to appreciate what I am trying to convey. The controls are all rubbery. I am all for soft-touch knobs and buttons, but the Stilo is more Sinclair Spectrum than Bang & Olufsen when it comes to tactility, which is a real pity. Having driven a number of Alfa Romeo 147s (the Stilo's upmarket brother), I'd say that the Stilo feels like a cheaper version of that car. At

Edited January 25, 2006 by Normal_aspirated

[Jts156]

nice.. fiat seems to have a thing for 5cyl cars eh? the fiat coupe for instance..

[Felipe]

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i think this Stilo Abarth 5-door is priced below the Alfa 147 2.0L one, and looking at the specs.......it can outrun it but do not hv tat kinda fierce looks

 

i dont think its priced below the 147 2l. 147 is going for ard 92k. if the stilo is just a few k lower, dont see ppl going for it. plus they get penalise with 2.4l road taxes.

[Normal_aspirated]

5-cylinder engine.............very smooth & very torquey.

[Normal_aspirated]

when u get thrilled by N.A. 2.4L 5-cylinders 20 valves engine plus the enhanced MS edition spec.......the road tax dun matter anymore. Juz enjoy the ride.

Edited January 26, 2006 by Normal_aspirated

[Felipe]

true lah, tats if the MS edition indeed cost ard 90k. i think it's much higher...will check it out after cny

[Remus]

cun lah.....

[Normal_aspirated]

maybe to change yer mind about fiat cars.......

 

Got it from CarsFromItaly webby:

http://www.carsfromitaly.com/fiat/index.html

[Normal_aspirated]

  Quote

Another review on the Stilo Abarth 1.6L version:

Check out this webby:

http://www.carenthusiast.com/review/road_t...est_review.html

so sorry guys, got the Stilo model incorrectly: Correction is Fiat Stilo Dynamic 1.8L c/w 1.8 litre 4-cylinder engine which i believe is the same as the engine of Fiat Punto HGT 1.8L. (paiseh!) Edited January 31, 2006 by Normal_aspirated