August is a time when Italians swap their Armani for swimsuits and take to the beach. Financial worries and the regular office problems are put to one side in favour of long lunches with the family, writes Michael McAleer
However, for some Fiat workers involved with its new small car, due for launch at the start of next month, all leave was cancelled as they frantically prepare to change the brochures and handbooks of the previously monikered Gingo.
Threats of legal action from Renault - who said the Gingo name was too similar to its own small car, the Twingo - meant a swift name change has had to take place. Now back with the Panda name, it's the car Fiat hope will bolster overall sales. The new car is set to be the backbone of the Italian firm's Phoenix-like resurrection.
The last car to carry the burden of putting the firm back on track was the Stilo, Fiat's entry into the highly competitive small family segment, up against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and Ireland's best-selling car, the Ford Focus. Certainly it was a vast improvement on its predecessor, the Bravo/Brava.
Yet, despite its good design, particularly in the three-door version, the car has not exactly taken the world by storm. While it leads the C-segment in its home state, sales here for the first six months of the year were 1,026, compared to 6,131 for the Focus range, 4,432 for the Golf and 2,919 for the Opel Astra. All three competitors are also coming to the end of their lifecycles with replacements due in the coming months, while the Stilo should be in the full flush of youth.
Nevertheless Fiat keeps to the launch programme with the latest variant being an estate called the Multi Wagon. It's largely based on the same frame as the five-door version and therefore more boxy in looks than the sporty three-door model, so the Italians are keen to play up its people carrying potential. Some of the press material says it has "all the style and handling of a station wagon plus all the versatility and modularity of an MPV".
With the popularity of the Renault Scenic, Opel's Zafira and the forthcoming Ford Focus derivative, the C-Max, it's hardly surprising they want to play up its versatility in this area. Fiat estimates Multi Wagon sales to make up between 16 per cent to 30 per cent of model output, but it's likely to be closer to 10 per cent here.
The one thing you do notice is that it looks much bigger than the hatchback on which it is based. This is partly due to the fact that it's two inches taller than the other models in the Stilo range. In fairness it does offer up some potential to bridge the MPV gap. We travelled with various combinations of adults in the back and all found the journeys comfortable and never cramped. The extra height is most noticeable in the cabin which gets a much more airy feeling.
Total luggage carrying capacity is 510 litres with the rear seats upright, and 1,480 litres with the rear seats folded down. This is level with most competitors in the range.
Where the Multi Wagon fails to live up to its billing is in the adjustable seating. While we don't expect to be able to rotate the rear seat plans in the way you can in a full-blooded MPV, the fact that the seats don't fold down flat, not only limits the versatility, but also load carrying ability.
In the front, the extra height also gives a feeling of being slightly aloof from the rest of the traffic. Both visibility and driving position are impressive. Seating is comfortable and there is plenty of storage space and cupholders for those long drinking sessions which car manufacturers must assume motorists indulge in.
To keep its MPV theme going, the Multi Wagon also features two picnic trays attached to the back of the front seats. Good for keeping the kids amused and giving it that airline theme, they are however rather delicate and we would question whether used versions in years to come will still feature two fully operational trays.
Our car came with the Dynamic specification level, which meant 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning and a temperature variable glovebox, which can either be heated or refrigerated as desired, were standard.
The Multi Wagon retains the Stilo's easy to use controls, in particular those for the radio located on the steering wheel. It features the standard Fiat radio system, which has impressed us for some time, if not for outright sound quality then for user-friendliness. The Multi Wagon also comes with an on-board computer system that allows you to track trip distance and fuel consumption. It also features a speed-limit beeper, which chimes when you go above a pre-assigned speed. It means you spend less time clock-watching and more time concentrating on the road.
The Multi Wagon comes with three engine options, a 103 bhp 16-valve 1.6-litre petrol unit, or a 1.9 JTD diesel unit with either 80 bhp or 115 bhp.
Our test car featured the 115 bhp JTD engine from Fiat's common-rail turbo-diesel range and it powered its way from 0 to 60mph in 11.2 seconds - very capable for a car in its class.
It was this engine more than anything else that won us over to the Multi Wagon. With a top speed of 118 mph it offers a really gutsy engine, which recorded frugal fuel consumption in the region of 48 mpg for our mixture of town and country driving. All engines are matched to a five-speed gearbox.
In terms of safety, the Multi Wagon comes with six airbags, the front two being multi-stage bags, along with ABS. The benefits to handling are apparent and the car copes comfortably with our poorly cambered roads.
The Multi Wagon is a welcome addition to the Stilo range, particluarly in the 1.9-litre diesel format. For all the political and corporate machinations that dominate the coverage of the Fiat marque these days, the Multi Wagon and Stilo range proves that the Italian maker can still build competent and competitive cars.
Cold comfort for those stuck indoors working on renaming the Gingo to Panda, but perhaps more of a balm to the bankers on the beach who rely on a rising tide of new product success to keep the Fiat ship afloat.
FACTFILE:
ENGINE: A 1910cc common rail turbodiesel offering 115 bhp at 4,000 rpm and 225 Newton Metres of torque at 2,000 rpm.
PERFORMANCE: A 0-60 mph of 11.2 seconds and a topspeed of 118 mph.
SPECIFICATION: The Dynamic package, which includes remote controls for the radio; ABS; 6 airbags; air-con; 16" alloys.
FUEL: Urban: 37.7 mpg. Extra-urban: 61.4 mpg. Combined: 50.4 mpg.
PRICE: €26,975.
THE COMPETITION
Fiat Stilo Multi Wagon 1.9 JTD Dynamic. 1910cc; 11.2 (0-60); 118 max speed; 115 bhp; 50.4 mpg combined; €26,975.
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 TDi LX. 1753cc; 12.4 (0-60); 114 max speed; 90 bhp; 57.6 mpg combined; €24,110.
VW Golf Estate Diesel TDi 1.9. 1896cc; 12.1 (0-60); 116 max speed; 100 bhp; 53.3 mpg combined; €24,485.
Opel Astra Estate 2.ODTH Njoy. 1995cc; 13.0 (0-60); 119 max speed; 100 bhp; 48.1 mpg combined; €25,362.
Skoda Fabia Combi Elegance 1.9TDI. 1896cc; 11.5 (0-60); 101 max speed; 101 bhp; 56.5 mpg combined; €23,955.