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Let’s get one factor straight: when most individuals suppose “quick Fiat sedan,” they’re most likely having a stroke. Earlier than you giggle your self right into a coma, hear me out. These Italian four-doors didn’t simply break down greater than your New 12 months’s resolutions — additionally they broke expectations about what reasonably priced sedans might do. Positive, they could have spent extra time within the store than what’s usually acceptable, however after they labored? Magic occurred.
Fiat has at all times been the scrappy underdog of the automotive world, like that buddy who one way or the other at all times wins at poker regardless of being broke. They took the straightforward philosophy of “make it deal with like a go-kart, look good, and hope it doesn’t catch hearth” and utilized it to sedans. The consequence? Vehicles that would make a morning commute really feel like a backroad journey, assuming you made it to work without having a tow truck.
What Makes These Fiats Really Stand Out
This checklist was impressed by our admiration for tiny Fiats that drove like observe weapons. However first, let’s outline what units a sedan other than a hatchback. Earlier than we dive into this checklist, let’s set up some floor guidelines. A sedan isn’t only a hatchback with dedication points — it wants a correct trunk and at the least a passing resemblance to grownup duty. That mentioned, Fiat handled these guidelines extra like “tips” and one way or the other made sedans that drove like their sizzling hatch cousins had been hitting the espresso a bit too arduous.
We’re speaking about automobiles that would dance by way of site visitors whereas your folks of their Camrys have been nonetheless determining which pedal did what. These have been four-door love letters to the artwork of constructing unusual moments extraordinary. Even after they have been being “economical,” they’d extra persona than most automobiles have at twice the worth.
Fiat 131 Mirafiori
The 131 Mirafiori was like that well-dressed Italian uncle who seems distinguished however undoubtedly has some “tales” from the outdated nation. Launched when Nixon was nonetheless president and gasoline was cheaper than remedy, the Mirafiori proved that Italian design might make even wise transportation appear like it belonged on the Riviera.
Underneath the hood, you possibly can get every part from a wheezy 1.3-liter four-cylinder that made much less energy than a contemporary garden mower, to a twin-cam 2.0-liter that really had some enamel. The true get together trick was the suspension tuning — Fiat engineers one way or the other made this household sedan deal with prefer it was auditioning for a getaway automotive position. The steering was so direct you possibly can virtually really feel the street floor’s emotional state.
However right here’s the kicker: the rally-bred Abarth variations have been official weapons. Whereas different producers have been constructing sedans that cornered like cargo ships, Fiat was on the market making four-doors that would embarrass sports activities automobiles on a twisty street. The 131 Abarth Rally received the World Rally Championship in 1977, 1978, and 1980. That’s proper: this “household automotive” was busy making Porsches cry on grime roads throughout Europe.
Fiat Tempra
The Tempra regarded like an accountant’s automotive however drove prefer it had been sneaking sips from the race gasoline. Constructed on the identical platform because the beloved Tipo hatchback, it inherited all the nice chassis DNA whereas including trunk house on your groceries and your dignity.
The key sauce was easy: take every part that made the Tipo a blast to drive, stretch it into sedan type, and faux it’s a grown-up automotive. The consequence was one thing that would haul your loved ones to Sunday dinner whereas making each on-ramp really feel just like the opening sequence of The Italian Job. The 1.8-liter variations have been significantly spicy, providing sufficient grunt to shock unsuspecting BMW drivers at site visitors lights.
What made the Tempra really particular was its full lack of pretension. It wasn’t making an attempt to be a luxurious automotive or a sports activities sedan — it was only a actually, actually good automotive that occurred to be formed like a sedan. The inside was about as fancy as a pizza field, however the driving expertise was pure Italian ardour.
Fiat Regata
If the Tempra was an secret agent, the Regata was that buddy who seems innocent however undoubtedly is aware of how you can throw a punch. This compact sedan took the “much less is extra” philosophy and ran with it, creating one thing that was most likely an excessive amount of enjoyable for its personal good.
Constructed on the Ritmo platform (as a result of Fiat loves sharing platforms greater than faculty college students love sharing ramen), the Regata inherited some critical dealing with chops. The steering was so responsive it virtually learn your thoughts, and the suspension setup made it dance round corners like a automotive half its measurement. The turbocharged variations have been genuinely fast — fast sufficient to make Golf GTI house owners nervous.
The perfect half? No person noticed it coming. When you have been busy trying out the flashy sports activities automobiles, the standard Regata was quietly planning to highschool all of them within the corners. It was the proper sleeper — assuming you possibly can preserve it operating lengthy sufficient to shock anybody.
Fiat Linea
After years of Fiat being about as related within the sedan sport as a vegetarian at a barbecue contest, the Linea confirmed as much as remind everybody that the Italians nonetheless knew how you can make four-doors with soul. Constructed on the Grande Punto platform, it introduced official fashion to the compact sedan phase when most rivals have been designing automobiles with all of the visible enchantment of fridge bins.
The 1.4 T-Jet engine was the actual hero right here: a turbocharged four-banger that made 120hp and sufficient torque to make merging truly enjoyable. Positive, 120hp doesn’t sound like a lot in right this moment’s world of 300hp grocery-getters, however in a automotive that weighed about as a lot as a well-fed golden retriever, it was lots to get your blood transferring.
The Linea additionally proved that Fiat had discovered one thing about construct high quality through the years. Whereas their earlier sedans have been about as dependable as Italian politics, the Linea truly stayed collectively lengthy sufficient for folks to understand its charms. Novel idea!
Fiat Siena
The Siena was Fiat’s try to show that rising markets deserved automobiles with character, not simply low cost transportation that occurred to have 4 wheels. Based mostly on the Palio platform, it introduced Italian aptitude to locations the place “Italian aptitude” often meant “costly to repair and arduous to seek out elements for.”
However right here’s the factor: it truly labored. The Siena mixed the agility of its hatchback siblings with the practicality of a correct sedan, all whereas being robust sufficient to deal with roads that may make a Land Cruiser nervous. The suspension tuning was significantly intelligent, providing sufficient compliance for tough surfaces whereas nonetheless sustaining that distinctly Fiat-like connection to the street.
In markets like Brazil and India, the Siena turned a real success story, proving that you just didn’t want to decide on between affordability and driving enjoyment. It was like Fiat lastly discovered how you can make its attraction work in the actual world, not simply on European B-roads.
Fiat Tipo
When Fiat revived the Tipo identify for his or her new sedan, it was like watching Rocky come out of retirement — you needed to root for the underdog, however you weren’t positive in the event that they nonetheless had it. Seems, they did.
The fashionable Tipo sedan takes every part good about modern Fiat engineering and packages it in a form that really is sensible. The 1.4 T-Jet engine (sure, they saved the nice one) supplies sufficient efficiency to maintain issues attention-grabbing, whereas the chassis tuning strikes that excellent Fiat steadiness between consolation and engagement.
What’s actually spectacular is how the Tipo manages to really feel premium with out truly being premium. The inside is light-years forward of Fiats from the unhealthy outdated days, the know-how truly works, and — miracle of miracles — the factor doesn’t disintegrate if you happen to have a look at it flawed. It’s like Fiat lastly grew up with out shedding its sense of enjoyable.
Fiat Duna
The Duna was Fiat’s proof that you possibly can make a sedan out of actually something if you happen to tried arduous sufficient. Based mostly on the Uno platform (as a result of when you might have a superb factor, you milk it), the Duna was mainly a four-door Uno with delusions of grandeur — and one way or the other it labored.
This factor was so easy it made a hammer look difficult, however that simplicity was its energy. Gentle weight, responsive steering, and suspension tuning that prioritized enjoyable over every part else made the Duna a real pleasure to drive, even when it regarded like one thing a funds rental firm would apologize for supplying you with.
The true magic occurred in South America, the place the Duna turned a cult favourite. It proved that you just didn’t want fancy engineering or unique supplies to create one thing particular — typically you simply wanted Italian ardour and a whole disregard for standard knowledge.
Fiat Marea
The Marea was like that basically good child in class who no person appreciated till years later. On paper, it ought to have been successful: smooth styling, superior engineering, and genuinely spectacular dynamics. In actuality, it was about as commercially profitable as a vegan steakhouse.
Right here’s the factor concerning the Marea: it was truly good. The platform was shared with the Alfa Romeo 156, which suggests it had critical efficiency credentials hiding below that conservative exterior. The suspension setup was significantly subtle, providing a journey high quality that put costlier automobiles to disgrace whereas nonetheless sustaining that important Fiat dealing with character.
The Marea’s greatest downside was that it was too good for its personal good. Folks anticipated Fiats to be low cost and cheerful, not subtle and competent. It was like when your ex saved sending you flowers however wouldn’t delete Tinder off their cellphone — utterly lacking the purpose!
Fiat Cronos
The Cronos represents fashionable Fiat’s try to show they’ve discovered from their errors whereas preserving every part that made them particular within the first place. Constructed on the Argo platform, it’s just like the religious successor to all these nice Fiat sedans of the previous, however with the advantage of Twenty first-century engineering.
The 1.8-liter E.torQ engine supplies genuinely enough efficiency (excessive reward for contemporary economic system automobiles), whereas the chassis tuning maintains that distinctly Fiat really feel. It’s not making an attempt to be the quickest or the fanciest — it’s simply making an attempt to be essentially the most enjoyable, which is strictly what a Fiat ought to do.
What’s significantly spectacular is how the Cronos manages to really feel fashionable with out shedding its soul. The inside is definitely good, the know-how works as marketed, and the entire thing feels prefer it was designed by individuals who truly get pleasure from driving. Revolutionary ideas, apparently.
Fiat Argenta
The Argenta was Fiat’s try to show they might construct a correct govt sedan, and for a short, shining second, they really pulled it off. Based mostly on the Ritmo platform however stretched and refined, the Argenta supplied real luxurious with out the everyday Italian reliability nightmares.
The Twin Cam engines have been significantly candy, providing efficiency that would embarrass costlier German rivals whereas sounding like they meant enterprise. The suspension tuning struck an ideal steadiness between consolation and management, making the Argenta equally at dwelling on the autostrada or threading by way of metropolis site visitors.
Sadly, the Argenta’s greatest downside was its badge. By the early ’80s, Fiat’s repute for electrical gremlins and questionable construct high quality was so well-established that even a genuinely good automotive couldn’t overcome the stigma. It’s like that one buddy who at all times suggests essentially the most horrible actuality TV reveals — no person even bothers opening Netflix to seek out out at this level.
Fiat 132
The 132 was what occurred when Fiat determined to get critical about constructing a correct mid-size sedan. With styling by Bertone and engineering that really labored, it was like watching the category clown all of the sudden ace a closing examination.
The true get together piece was the twin-cam engine, which supplied real efficiency credentials. We’re speaking about 0-60 instances that have been truly respectable for the period, plus a high pace that would embarrass automobiles costing twice as a lot. The suspension was subtle sufficient to deal with European roads, however tuned with sufficient Italian aptitude to make each drive entertaining.
The 132 proved that when Fiat truly tried to construct a critical sedan, they might compete with anybody. The issue was getting them to strive persistently, which was about as seemingly as discovering dependable Italian electrical methods.
Fiat 125
Earlier than the BMW 3 Sequence was a twinkle within the Bavarian carmaker’s eye, there was the Fiat 125: the unique compact govt sedan with real efficiency credentials. This factor was so forward of its time that different producers spent the following decade making an attempt to determine what Fiat had finished proper.
The Twin Cam engine was the star of the present, delivering efficiency that made modern sports activities automobiles nervous. We’re speaking a couple of household sedan that would genuinely embarrass Porsches in the precise palms, all whereas carrying your baggage and sustaining some semblance of respectability.
What made the 125 really particular was the way it balanced all its numerous personalities. It could possibly be a snug household automotive, a succesful freeway cruiser, or a backroad weapon, relying on what the state of affairs referred to as for. It was like having three automobiles in a single, which was lucky since you most likely couldn’t afford three automobiles in 1967.
The Lasting Appeal of Fiats Intelligent Sedans
Right here’s the factor about Fiat sedans: they show that automobiles don’t need to be excellent to be excellent. Whereas German producers have been obsessing over construct high quality and Japanese corporations have been perfecting reliability, Fiat was busy making automobiles that really made you need to drive them.
Positive, you may need wanted your mechanic on pace dial, and sure, {the electrical} methods have been designed by individuals who apparently thought Lucas was too dependable. However when these automobiles labored — they usually did work, more often than not — they delivered driving experiences that automobiles costing twice as a lot couldn’t match.
They remind us that automobiles are imagined to be extra than simply transportation home equipment. They’re imagined to have character, persona, and soul. They’re imagined to make you smile whenever you hearth them up within the morning and provide you with one thing to stay up for moreover your vacation spot.
In right this moment’s world of algorithmic design and focus-group-tested blandness, these Fiat sedans stand as monuments to a time when producers truly took dangers. They weren’t excellent, however they have been completely imperfect in all the precise methods.
So the following time somebody tells you that sedans are boring, remind them about these Italian four-doors that proved standard knowledge flawed. They won’t have been the quickest, essentially the most dependable, or essentially the most luxurious, however they have been undeniably particular.
And in a world filled with transportation home equipment, particular is strictly what we’d like extra of.
