All Fiat Stilo reviews

"A Stilo Abarth will be as comfortable tackling the long distance commute as it will be on your favourite B-road?"

It's an inescapable fact. If you're in the market for a quick three-door hatch with a dash of style, the chances are the Fiat Stilo Abarth won't have even crossed your mind let alone made it as far as a shortlist. Fast Fiats of the past have often been fun but fragile. The Stilo Abarth offers entertainment coupled with a welcome dose of durability.

If Fiat really wants to rule the roost in the 'C-segment' European Family Hatchback market, the Stilo must be the car that springs to people's minds, even if they don't ultimately end up owning one. So it is that no stone was left unturned when it came to cramming in as much technology as Turin could muster. In common with virtually every mainstream maker in this segment, Fiat looked to the VW Golf when developing the Stilo. As you might expect, the Italian car offers a lot more for the money: at £15,946, it's significantly cheaper than a MkV Golf with a 2.0-litre FSI engine, despite the fact that the Stilo's 2.4-litre powerplant offers rather more get up and go. In fact, the closest thing to the Stilo Abarth's 20v five-cylinder powerplant is the old Golf's 2.3-litre V5 engine. That too was good for 170bhp and had a delightful warble when you hit the right hand pedal. Now this engine has been deleted from the Golf line-up, the Stilo is carrying the torch for characterful five pot powerplants. You won't be able to buy a five-door Abarth any longer as in February 2004 the more family friendly car was badged a Prestigio and has subsequently been discontinued but the three door body style is the undoubted looker. Pay a little more for your Arbath there's also a hi-tech sequential 'Selespeed' gearbox to play with. This clutchless system is a step up from those auto slush-boxes that enable you to change up and down but ultimately over-ride your feelings. Based on a real manual 'box, it offers the choice of changing gear by pulling lightly on the steering wheel-mounted 'paddles' (just like a racing driver) or by simply nudging the gearshift. Switch to 'CITY' mode and the system can act like a conventional automatic ' though this can always be over-ridden by the driver.

All of this is part of what Fiat thinks today's more grown-up hot hatch driver will want. If your vision of GTis is of something boiling belligerently at the traffic lights, sprung like a kart and with a peaky, noisy engine, then this car, like many of its rivals, will be a revelation. A Stilo Abarth will be as comfortable tackling the long distance commute as it will be on your favourite B-road. In fact, whisper it, it may even be a bit better: other cars in the class can claim to offer a more involving driving experience. Mind you, the Stilo is probably more fun than a Golf ' and it includes a lot more hi-tech kit as standard, even discounting the Selespeed 'box. Most noteworthy is the CONNECT system located in the centre console that combines functions like a satellite navigation system, voice-activated carphone, voice recorder, trip computer and a stereo accessed through a 7" colour display monitor. There's even an 'infotelematic' system connecting you with an operator who'll help you find your way to local services. It doesn't stop there of course. We liked the 'My Car' functions for example, which allow you to personalise various settings according to preference. Whether you want all or just one of the doors to unlock when you use the central locking for instance: or whether you want the doors to lock at a pre-set speed for child safety. You might want to set a speed limit buzzer. Or get the stereo sound to adjust according to speed. 'Easy Go' is another example of careful hi-tech thought. Carry a transponder in your pocket or handbag and all you have to do to unlock the car is to pull on the handle. Once inside, you simply press a starter button and depress the clutch as the car automatically recognises the transponder's signal. Equally clever are the 'Superclosure' and 'Superopening' functions: here, you can close or open the doors, windows and sunroof simply by keeping the key turned for more than two seconds in the lock or depressing the remote locking button for the same period. Other smart touches include automatic headlamps that switch themselves on at dusk and guide you to your front door after you leave the car at night. There's also rain-sensitive wipers and a natty power steering system you can lighten for urban driving. Plus you'll find a standard cruise control system which has an optional radar that detects the presence of a vehicle in front and then automatically increases or decreases the Stilo's speed in order to maintain a given distance, pre-determined by the driver. Getting back to the GTi theme, there are the usual skirts and spoilers incorporated into a subtle bodykit with alloy wheels and front foglights. Plus all the usual driving aids ' ABS, ASR traction control and ESP electronic stability control. There are also six airbags, with a staged detonation procedure and a passenger seat sensor to stop them activating unnecessarily. It's the three-door Stilo that's offered in Abarth form and the 3-door Stilo that has the greater street presence, sitting 50mm lower than the five-door and measuring 70mm less in length. In order to give the three-door a 'more assertive stance', the Italian designers even made it 28mm wider, good news for those condemned to sit on what would otherwise be a rather cramped rear seat. It says much about the Abarth that we've spent most of this piece talking about hi-tech gadgetry rather than on-the-limit handling. Despite the promise of that famous badge, this Stilo really is that kind of car: fast but not frantic. It may not have the grin factor of previous fast Fiats but on thing's for certain: it will be a better all-round bet.