2008 Fiat Ritmo Reviews

Fiat vans are a common sight but it seems like only yesterday that the company re-entered the passenger car market with the launch of the Punto hatch.Punto has since been joined by the retro look Fiat 500 that we drove recently and now another larger hatch called the Ritmo.We were pleased to find that both cars are finished to a much higher standard than the Punto.Ritmo also sees the debut of a brand new Fiat logo.It is larger than Punto and sits on a modified version of the platform that underpinned the earlier Stilo.It is also slightly longer and wider than its cousin the Alfa 147, but we are told the new 147 (make that 149) will share the same platform.Ritmo is designed to go head-to-head with the likes of VW's best-selling Golf.It is offered in two grades with a choice of 1.4-litre petrol or 1.9-litre diesel turbocharged engines.Our test car was the petrol 1.4-litre Ritmo Sport T-Jet priced from $32,990.It is a good looking car and the combination of burgundy paint, charcoal alloys and piano black trim inside create a smouldering kind of appeal.Far from being a bit of a yawn, the 1.4-litre turbocharged engine produces a surprising amount of pep.It is good for 110kW of power at 5500rpm and up to 230Nm of torque at 3000rpm, if the sport setting is selected.The trend is towards smaller engines in Europe where the same engine produces anywhere from 52 to 137kW, with a 150kW unit said to be in the pipeline.The dash from 0-100km/h takes 8.2 seconds and it has a top speed of 208km/h.Fuel economy for this model is rated at 7.1 litres/100km, but we were typically getting between 8.8 and 9.0.Once up and running, disengaging the overboost Sport button improves economy.To get the best results from the car you need to keep the engine on the boil, but with a slick six-speed manual and a nice note from the exhaust that is easily accomplished. In fact, it can be a difficult task getting the car off the line quickly without spinning the front wheels.Although its fitted with electronic stability control, the system is designed to provide some wheel spin. The sports suspension can be a rough at times, but it pays dividends in the handling department.Point Ritmo at a corner and it hangs on nicely, with controlled slide at the limit.Stability control and six airbags are standard and the car has a five-star safety rating.The Sport model adds a rear spoiler, sideskirts, sports pedals, sports seats with lumbar adjustment of driver's seat, leather sports steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake knobs, sports upholstery, red brake callipers and 17 inch alloys fitted with 225/45 tyres. Climate air and Blue&Me integrated telematics system are also part of the package.It offers Bluetooth hands-free technology with steering wheel controls, instrument panel with multifunction display, MP3 audio file player from a USB port and SMS text reader.Rear leg room is adequate and the deep boot could easily accommodate a full-sized spare, but unfortunately a space-saver is provided. 

But its big brother is making a splash of its own. And a noisy one at that.The 500 sits at the base of Fiat's attack on Australia as far as size goes, starting with the two-door, 1.2-litre $22,990 Pop model. Bigger, but with a lower starting price, are the 1.4-litre and 1.9-litre Punto 3 and five-door hatch from $19,990. Biggest brother in the Fiat world is the Ritmo five-door hatch, which starts just under $30,000.Ritmo is called Bravo elsewhere but as Mazda already had the name on its vans, Fiat opted for the Italian word for rhythm. It arrives in Australia in four different models. Two different spec levels can be matched with either a 1.4-litre petrol or 1.9-litre diesel engine. Prices range from $29,990 to $36,490. Buying an Italian car is all about emotion. People get these cars because they want the look, the feel and the style — even if in the past build quality was questionable.Alfas have suffered in the past from reliability dramas. And the former generation of Fiats didn't gain the catch phrase “Fix It Again Tony” for nothing. Emotion sells, though. Which is as good a reason as any for Fiat to name its base model Ritmo the Emotion. The higher-specced model is the Sport. I tested the diesel Emotion in Sydney and it stirred quite a lot of emotions — and senses.The first was my hearing. I have driven quite a few small diesels in recent times and this is definitely on the noisier end of the scale. The chatter from the diesel engine is clearly audible in the cabin.To test it, I turned to one of our long-term fleet cars, a slightly smaller and cheaper non-European (but a diesel competitor nonetheless) currently in our garage: the Hyundai i30.A simple back-to-back comparison drive revealed the Korean diesel sounds considerably quieter inside.Then again, you can always pump up the sound system and enjoy a whole lot of other things about the Ritmo.The car was designed by the same bloke who created some recent Ferraris and it shows. There is a lot of style about the Ritmo. It starts at the front with the small grille, the style of the headlights and the slightly raised bodywork behind them that extends to the windscreen and leaves the bonnet sitting stylishly lower. Very Italian.Then there's the gradual shaping of the side windows, tracing to a well-rounded rump that gives the car a certain chic feel. It's too big to be cute ... but it does border on sexy. And much more than either the bambino or the Punto models will ever do.Fiat proudly proclaims that the Ritmo is powered by a jet engine. Well, in name at least, they are correct.The 1.9-litre Multijet diesel boasts 110kW of power and a considerable 305Nm torque. Acceleration is good, and the 0-100km/h benchmark arrives in a decent nine seconds.There is plenty of pull, too, in the lower range. Currently only manual gearboxes are available, though you can expect some auto boxed-versions by the end of the year.However, the lack of an auto is not a hindrance here. The six-speed shifts easily up through the range although there is a noticeable gap between third and second when changing down.The big value in buying a modern diesel is in fuel savings.The official claimed fuel use figure is just 5.6 litres per 100km. That meant I didn't trouble the local garage for a refuel in the time I had the car.And even though diesel prices are running at record highs of around $1.60 a litre, the oilers are still a great buy, particularly if you are not just keen to save money, but also to help the environment, there's a $3000 slug on buying an equivalent diesel to a petrol Ritmo, but you can expect to get that money back reasonably early in the car's life.Inside the car there is plenty of room for the driver and front-seat passenger. Five-door hatches make better sense than three doors for rear-seat access and there is reasonable leg room in the back.The design of the car also enables a sizeable boot area. The groceries fit easily as should luggage for two or, indeed, a small family.Instruments and controls are well laid out and the dash has a tactile finish that gives a more dynamic look to the plastic interior.Airconditioning and fan controls are easily reached. One unusual control is the ability to change the lightness of the steering. Depressing a button on the dash switches between a normal and a sportier feel but the overall effect when driving seems fairly minimal. One hitch with the layout of the controls is in the seat adjustment. The handle to move the driver's seat forward and back is below the front of the seat. It's too small, and worse, it's not easily found.Standard features include electric windows and side mirrors, cruise control, power steering, remote central locking, a good sound system, airconditioning and alloy wheels.For an extra $3000 the Sport model gains a better look, with a rear spoiler and sideskirts plus climate control airconditioning, sports pedals, front sports seats, leather sports steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake knobs and 17-inch sports alloy wheels.It also gains the Blue&Me integrated telematics system, which is a joint venture with Microsoft.That covers Bluetooth mobile phone technology with steering wheel controls, an instrument panel with multifunction display and an MP3 player with USB port and SMS text reader. And there's one other key factor that might attract buyers.While you wallow in the attention of other motorists, relishing the dynamic Italian pizazz and style, there isalso a comforting thought.The Ritmo is one of the safest cars on our roads today.With a five-star safety rating for adult-occupant safety, the Ritmo recorded 33 points in EuroNCap testing. It has six airbags, ESP electronic stability program anda chassis designed to increase passive-safety by minimising the impact of pedestrian accidents.

Developed by the Fiat Style Centre, the exterior design looks like a more grown-up version of the Punto hatch and has a distinctly sporty flavour, including a Maserati-style grille.As with all new European cars, the Ritmo has a long snout to pass European pedestrian safety regulations.The five-door hatch is slightly larger against its key rivals.Compared with a VW Golf, the Fiat hatch is slightly bigger in every area, including wheelbase.The Ritmo's luggage space, with the rear seats in place, is 400 litres compared to the Golf's 347 litres.Australia is expected to get two engines, the 110kW/305Nm 1.9-litre JTD and 110kW/206Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged TJET, in with Sports or Luxury specification in either six-speed manual or robotised manual guises.Fiat says the 1.4 has a 0-100km/h sprint time of 8.5sec while returning 7.1litres/100km on the combined fuel economy cycle. The 1.4 also has over boost that lifts peak torque to 230Nm.The 1.9 JTD is almost as quick as the petrol engine, reaching 100km/h in 9sec and returning 5.6litres/100km on the combined fuel economy cycle.As expected of Fiat, buyers can expect a full range to be available in Europe, including a wagon, hot Abarth models and possibly a coupe.However, Fiat's Australian importers Ateco Automotive will initially concentrate on the petrol and JTD hatches but is tipped to fill out the range with the Abarth models later.As with the Punto, the new Ritmo has a five-star Euro-NCAP safety rating. The equipment list locally is expected to be on a par with its rivals.That means cruise control, alloys, climate-control airconditioning, stability control and six airbags. Logical dash layout with large buttons. Expect prices to start about $30,000, right in the VW Golf, Mazda3 and Ford Focus arena.The performance of the 1.9 JTD was strong and even the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol had a good burst of mid-range enthusiasm on the roads around Bologna, Italy, and felt like a strong 2-litre four. In sharp corners the car exhibits some steering rack rattle, which feeds back through the steering but the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension is well sorted. But overall the packaging and performance is on the money.Inside the cabin has a nice Italian air about it, the layout is logical, seats comfy and there's plenty of room in the back. Most drivers will find the driving position acceptable.However, small children may whinge about not being able to see out of the rear side windows because of their shallow depth.