The Bravo unusual in this class for being handsome – svelte, even. In engineering terms it scores for being a front-runner with a downsized engine.
The new car is heavily based on the old Stilo – fortunately with significant refinements – but new are the downsized 1.4 petrol T-Jet engines, both fitted with turbochargers to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
The base 89bhp 1.4 motor is a lightly modified edition of the long-lived FIRE engine, while the 1.4 T-Jet is an extensively reworked, turbocharged version producing either 118bhp or 148bhp, the downsizing process providing 10-20 per cent fuel economy and emissions improvements over comparable 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines. It’s the 150 T-Jet that we test. The diesel line-up consists of the familiar common-rail 1.9s of 118bhp and 148bhp, while all engines come with a six-speed gearbox bar the base diesel.
The Bravo’s suspension is a MacPherson strut front/twist beam rear axle set-up. It’s less sophisticated than the fully independent multi-link arrangements of the Ford Focus and VW Golf, but it has been extensively refined, with hydraulic rear axle anchorage bushes, for instance, and a variety of modifications intended to improve the front axle’s strength and precision.
The Bravo has achieved a five-star EuroNCAP occupant crash rating, though only two stars for pedestrian impact – and much attention has been paid to noise suppression.
