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Fiats Idea has quietly carved out a useful niche for itself, but now buyers can get a revised and refreshed model. Andy Enright reports
Just when you think youve seen it all, a car manufacturer will do something that completely surprises you. Naturally, some are a little less predictable than others but Fiats second generation Idea model wasnt exactly what we were expecting. The drill for facelifting a car part way through its life is usually to revise the headlamps, tail lights and front grille, maybe tinkering with the trim levels at the same time. Keep things simple.
Get the biggest bang for your buck. Fiat obviously thought otherwise and have made a few more extensive alterations to the Idea line up.
What prompted the remedial action? After all, Fiat are proud to point to healthy Idea sales. The answer lies, rather curiously, in the success of models like the Idea. These supermini-MPV vehicles have proved a very attractive alternative for motorists with young families and more and more manufacturers are chancing their arms. Vauxhall have a revised Meriva and Peugeot have weighed in with their innovative 1007.
Other manufacturers are greedily eyeing the revenues that Fiat have earned. Therefore, this take on the Idea theme needed to be a little more comprehensive than the usual mid-life makeover. Thats not to say that Fiat have resisted the temptation to give the Idea a revised face. The front end looks a good deal more dynamic now, with indicators incorporated into big headlight pods that fit flush with a nose section featuring a grille finished in chrome rather than black.
Black is also out for the front bumper inserts which are now body-coloured. Chrome inserts feature on the tail lights and the door pillars at the side are finished in black to emphasis the Ideas clean, one-box design. It must be tough to style such an upright vehicle as this and still make it look good but Fiat Centro Stile have managed it with the Idea, a model thats a lot less gawky-looking than any of its key rivals. That said, wed welcome an Idea that stole a few of the Grande Puntos design cues.
The range has been realigned a little too in order to make it less confusing. The 1.4-litre 95bhp petrol engine is offered in three guises, Active, Dynamic and Eleganza, the latter pair getting a six-speed gearbox. Prices range from 10,295 to 13,195 for these variants.
Theres also a 70bhp 1.3-litre Multijet diesel thats offered in Active trim at 11,090 or a 90bhp version of that engine that comes in Dynamic guise and is priced at 12,990. So, five good Ideas but in order to flesh out the detail a little bit, its worth taking a look to see what each version offers.
"Factor in some very good engines, keen pricing and boosted equipment levels and you have a package that looks extremely tough to top."
Car makers usually take advantage of the mid-life facelift to slyly lever in a price rise of a couple of hundred pounds but Fiat have thankfully resisted. Not only that, but standard equipment levels across the range have taken a significant boost. Every model now gets a stereo radio/CD, remote central locking, driver and passenger airbags, electric front windows, Dualdrive power steering, Follow Me Home headlamps and anti-lock brakes. One of the advantages of being part of a group that builds a range of bigger, more sophisticated vehicles is access to their technology at cut-price rates.
Therefore, building-in big car features is, from a manufacturing point of view, relatively simple. Check out the parking sensors and curtain airbags as fitted to the Dynamic version or the SkyDome glass sunroof and automatic Dual-Zone climate control with pollen filter in the Eleganza model. Its a win-win scenario for car maker and car buyer. Aside from the extra features, the interior of the Idea has been revisited too.
The dashboard colours are lower contrast two-tone and the instrument binnacle is finished in high-gloss, a welcome move away from the almost ubiquitous textured plastics that have dominated vehicle interior design for the past few years. Splashes of chrome on the gear lever, air vent handles and storage compartment handles give the Idea a smarter look and feel. Improved upholstery is also offered across the range. What has stayed the same is the clever seating system.
No need to mess with a decent formula it seems. The rear seats are split 40-20-40 and can move back and forth either together or individually, prioritising either legroom or luggage space. The seat backs can also be reclined for comfort which is a distinct rarity at this price point. The rear seat backs can fold forward as does the front passenger seat to allow you to carry some very long items.