The Idea (pronounced Id-daya if you're Italian) is a mini MPV pitched squarely at small families. The Giorgetto Guigaro designed car takes up little or no road space and is super town friendly while the interior feels massive.
There are seat belts for five but only four adults will fit comfortably. A big plus point is that all the seats are useable as the front passenger airbag can be switched off to allow a rearward facing baby seat.
The car is easy to drive thanks to the well positioned gear lever and of course Fiat's super light 'City' mode selectable power assisted steering.
So what is the big idea (sorry!) I mean concept? Well, Fiat says it is all about efficient packaging for the urban environment. Fair enough and while the exterior looks like a tall Punto with hints of Panda thrown in, Idea is hardly distinctive but show me any mini MPVs that are.
Just like the clever Opel Meriva all the exterior panels have been pushed out to the max in order to free up more space inside. The seats are mounted relatively high so you sit tall and upright and it is a given that you get a commanding view of the road from any seat.
Acres of glass and tonnes of headroom help make the interior bright. The Idea starts at €16,995 (1.4 litre petrol) and is pitched against the likes of Fusion 1.4 (€16,855), Matrix 1.6 GLS (€20,150), Meriva 1.6 Life (€18,900) and Yaris Verso 1.3 Luna (€18,500).
First impressions place the Idea roughly in the middle of that company.
Fiat offers three specification levels 'Active', 'Dynamic' and 'Emotion' or 'basic good and posh' to you and me.
My test car this week is the posh spec 'Emotion' Multijet (diesel) and it cost a cool €22,495. It may have all the toys including a pull down convex mirror to help keep an eye on rear seat passengers but for similar money you could get a Ford Focus C Max!
Overall the quality of trim and finish falls shy of the Opel Meriva and I have to question Fiats thinking in putting so much standard equipment in to a car that needs to sell on price first ad foremost. Don't get me wrong all cars should have the kitchen sink as standard but as Fiat has found out with the Stilo Irish people find it hard to get there heads around a fiat costing similar money to say a Toyota even if it has higher specification. Irish people just want and have been used to cheap Fiats!
Idea's interior features an awful lot of light grey plastic especially on the overhead bins and surrounding trim. While it is bright the plastic was already getting grubby.
Another niggle that needs to be looked at is Idea's sound insulation or lack thereof. The Idea is hard to live with at cruising speeds with both road and wind noise dominating the driving experience. Otherwise it is grand on the school run. The instruments are centrally mounted for all occupants to see with the exception of the person who matters most - the Driver!
Fiat hasn't changed the position of the speedometer, which is the furthest dial from the Driver's line of sight. This represents very poor ergonomics as the rev counter and speedometer look almost identical. Both are very hard to take a glancing reading from. Initially there are two engines to choose from, one petrol and one diesel.
The 1.4 litre, 16 valve, 'Fire' petrol engine (95 Bhp/128 Nm) is a nice yoke but the Multijet diesel is yer only man. It has a tiny displacement of just 1248cc yet pushes out a massive 180Nm of pulling power and 70Bhp.
It is very pocket friendly as not only does it run on the mere promise of fuel (I've averaged well over 50Mpg) but that Supermini like engine size means you'll also save on road tax. Petrol versions start at €16,995 for the 1.4 litre 'Active' (€18,995 Dynamic, €20,495 Emotion). Multijets start at €19,495 (€20,995 'Dynamic', €22,495 'Emotion').
So is the 'Notion' sorry 'Idea' a good... 'thought'? Sort of. It needs more thought and a price cut of a couple of grand wouldn't go amiss.
- Michael Sheridan
RTÉ Guide
