FIATBravo 2007 - 2010

　　The Italian automaker made its move into the European compact segment and introduced the second generation of the Bravo in 2007, bringing styling to a table where everyone else tried to convince customers with their technical advantages.

　　Unfortunately for the Italians, 2007 marked the beginning of the world financial crisis, which bit deep into the automakers' pockets. Fiat already had some troubles, hoping their cars would do well. But all of a sudden, the market shrunk.

　　Designed by Fiat's own styling center, the Bravo showed a front fascia with swept-back headlights that resembled some of those installed on supercars. Moreover, the slim upper grille and the sporty-looking bumper with side scoops and foglamps made a good impression. From its profile, the ascending beltline towards the C-pillars and the blackened B-pillar tried to convince customers that it is a sporty compact hot-hatch, even if it wasn't fitted with a powerful engine.

　　Inside, the dashboard design took inspiration from the sporty vehicles built by Alfa Romeo. At the same time, the tall center console created a cocoon-like feeling for the driver. In addition, Fiat offered as an option a performant infotainment unit with sat-nav and touchscreen. The bolstered bucket seats at the front were comfortable. Their higher-mounted position allowed the carmaker to create better legroom for the rear-seat passengers. At the back, the split-folding bench allowed customers to increase the trunk space when needed.

　　Under the hood, the carmaker offered a wide engine range, gasoline and turbo-diesel. Apart from the base model, all other units were turbocharged and provided enough oomph and Italian feeling for their drivers. The six-speed manual was standard on the entire range, while selected versions received a six-speed automatic.

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