Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £13,255 to £17,650
Handsome-looking hatch; nicely finished interior and efficient new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engines; good new 1.6 diesel.
Lumpy ride on the biggest wheels, engines could be quieter at speed, no external boot release, optional sat nav has ultra-vague instructions.
A vast improvement over the unloved Stilo but no more than an average car in its class.
In the 150bhp Sport models with 18" wheels and 225/40 tyres, the ride is lumpy over poor surfaces - more so in the lighter-nosed 1.4 than in the 1.9 diesel. But there is no pitching, and the jolts aren't magnified into choppy body movements because the Bravo's damping controls the suspension well. Non-Sport Bravos with higher-profile tyres (and slower-responding steering racks, incidentally) give a fairly supple, loping ride and relaxed progress.
The Bravo is generally quiet when cruising with good suppression of road roar, though the diesels aren't the quietest, and the air-con fan needs to work hard to keep the temperature down on a warm day - which suggests the system, automatic in top models, isn't very powerful.
Rear seat room is adequate but we can't agree with Fiat's claims of class-leading space. It's fine for shoulder room but legroom and headroom are easily matched by rivals. The rear seats fold fully, though, unlike those of some rivals. The cushions flip forward and the backrests fold down into the vacated space to create a flat and low load floor. Storage space includes a generous glovebox, a double-decker front centre armrest and a rear armrest which opens to reveal pop-out cupholders.
Annoyingly, you can't open the tailgate from outside unless you have the keyfob remote control in your hand. Otherwise you have to go back inside and press a button on the facia.
Equipment levels are basic (un-named, 1.4 16v 90 engine only), Active, Active Sport, Dynamic and Sport. All models have electric front windows, remote central locking, a CD player, the dual-mode power steering and electric door mirrors. Active versions add air conditioning, curtain airbags and foglights, and Active Sport models have a leather steering wheel, sports seats and trim, a lumbar-adjustable driver's seat, sports pedals, 17" alloy wheels, a rear spoiler and side skirts, and front armrest.
Dynamic models have Active spec plus electric rear windows, a leather steering wheel, Bluetooth phone kit and MP3-compatible stereo, driver's seat lumbar adjustment, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, 16" alloys and front armrest. Sport models have Active Sport kit plus lowered/stiffened suspension, stability control, cruise control, Bluetooth phone kit and MP3 input, bespoke interior trim, red brake calipers and chrome exhaust tailpipe.
Options include metallic or pearlescent paint, leather upholstery, heated front seats, the Skydome large glass roof panels, parking sensors and Fiat's Connect full-screen sat-nav/stereo/phone/voice control/'infomobility' system - whose navigation instructions can be infuriatingly vague and sometimes come too late.
