Remember the Croma, Fiat’s top of the line model that combines elements from a hatch, an MPV and a station wagon - nope? We’re not surprised. The Croma was yet another unsuccessful attempt from Fiat in the mid-size category based on the Opel Vectra and conceived during Fiat's short marriage with GM. Now Fiat wants to resurrect the Croma from obscureness by enhancing its styling.The Nouvo Croma features a completely redesigned front-end consistent with the Fiat ‘family look” introduced with the Grande Punto and repeated on the Bravo. Less obvious are the new rear bumper and sideskirts along with new chrome detailing on the window frames and rubbing strips. Inside, Fiat has refreshed the cabin with the introduction of new cloth or leather upholstery for the seats as well as a new steering wheel and a revised instrument panel. -Details and high-res images after the jump
The Nuova Croma, the Station Wagon interpreted by Fiat
The model in brief
The Nuova Croma makes its debut, the Station Wagon as Fiat sees it, a car full of innovation and substance, with new styling and a more rational range. It can boast both second generation Multijet engines and a lavish array of comfort, safety and infotainment equipment.
The Nuova Croma is a benchmark for its segment, with an amazingly roomy interior, and an excellent level of ‘well-being on board’ however long your journey is, thanks to equipment worthy of a flagship that is now the standard outfit, and above all for the original ‘styling’ formula inherited from the previous model – the ‘Comfort Wagon’ concept – that makes it, once more, the roomiest car in its segment.
With its even more dynamic look, the Nuova Croma immediately communicates a new approach to the car. It was designed to meet the needs of European society, where there is a growing trend among ‘new families’ (young families with children) to pay more attention to substance, and to demand safety and reliability from the family car: all at an accessible price. Which is why the new model is ideal for people who need space, practicality and low running costs during the week for professional reasons, and demand a good-looking, comfortable, safe station wagon for their free time, to that they can travel with the whole family in complete peace of mind.
Revamped dynamic exterior styling
With its elegant, distinctive styling, the Nuova Croma is even more dynamic thanks to a number of styling changes introduced by the Fiat Style Centre. To start with, consistent with the Fiat ‘family feeling’ introduced with the Grande Punto and reiterated on the Bravo, the front of the Nuova Croma features original drop-shaped headlights with distinctive Italian styling, highlighted by a stylish burnished finish; the design of the front air inlet and the grille with its wide links and Crome Shadow painting, is also new.
There is a new rear bumper, very similar to an air extractor, which gives the car a sportier look, and the same dynamism conveyed in the side view by the new light clusters, together with the wings, rear spoiler and new sideskirts. Last but not least, the model’s elegant look is underlined by the combination of polished black pillars with new chrome detailing on the window frames and rubbing strips.
The interior of the car has also received a number of styling changes that underline the typically Italian refinement (new cloth or leather upholstery for the seats and an original Wenghe-effect treatment of the mouldings) as well as a new steering wheel and a richer, more elegant instrument panel.
Class-beating access and roominess
The Nuova Croma is available with one bodywork version, which is one of the roomiest in its class; 478 centimetres long, 177 wide, 160 tall, and with a wheelbase of 270 cm, measurements that translate into an extraordinary amount of space inside.
The model’s distinguishing features are the generous amount of headroom for passengers, and the space between the seats (the best in its category), while the raised driving position guarantees excellent control over the road and better exterior visibility, even for rear passengers.
Thanks to the flat floor and the raised front and rear H points, it is extremely easy to get in and out of the car. What is more, the new model has one of the largest glazed areas in its market bracket (3.254 m2), and guarantees excellent acoustic and vibrational comfort, thanks to painstaking analysis of the passenger compartment and specific suspension calibration.
Another strong point of the Nuova Croma is the modular luggage compartment with its loading volume of 500 litres that becomes 1,610 litres up to the roof with the rear seats folded down. The luggage compartment is fitted with a practical Cargo box system that exploits all the available space: a removable shelf the same size as the luggage compartment that creates a continuous floor, level with the bumper ledge, to simplify loading and unloading. It also acts as a cover for a lower storage area 16 centimetres high, where fragile or valuable items can be stowed away from prying eyes. The lid of the cargo box can also be stored on the bottom of the well to increase loading capacity.
Exclusive equipment and solutions to travel in maximum comfort
The raised driving position and ergonomic controls make travelling in the Nuova Croma particularly enjoyable. And there are numerous exclusive accoutrements to choose from: a brand new DVD player, the Blue&Me™ system (also available in the NAV version), the ‘Interscope Sound System’ Hi-Fi and CONNECT Nav Plus. The Nuova Croma also proposes the best the market can offer in terms of automatic devices that help to reduce the fatigue of driving, for example Cruise Control, a rain sensor, parking sensor, tyre pressure sensor and Follow-me-home headlights that stay on for a few seconds. We should also mention the ‘adaptive cornering’ function of the front foglights, that are activated automatically with the dipped beams on the basis of the steering angle.
And finally, to raise the level of comfort even higher, the Nuova Croma adopts a reliable, tried and tested suspension system, with MacPherson struts at the front and Multilink suspension at the rear, tyres designed specifically to enhance comfort and safety, and electro-hydraulic power steering that makes all manoeuvres more comfortable.
Powerful, elastic engines that respect the environment
Original outside, spacious and quiet inside. The Nuova Croma is the Station Wagon from Fiat, designed for people with very different needs, taste and life styles, but who all share one thing: they want their car to be comfortable. And for people who also want exciting performance, the Croma offers the powerful 200 bhp 2.4 Multijet engine (combined with a 6-speed automatic sequential gearbox), which tops its class for specific power: 83 bhp/litre.
The Nuova Croma comes with two sparkling petrol engines (140 bhp 1.8 16v and 147 bhp 2.2 16v, the latter not available in Italy) and three Multijet turbodiesels (120 or 150 bhp 1.9 and 200 bhp 2.4) which reiterate Fiat Group Automobiles’ superiority in the field of diesel engines. All the engines meet EU Stage 4 emission standards, and the diesel units are fitted with particulate filters. They are offered with 5 different gearboxes that exploit the engine performance in full; all the petrol engines are combined with 5-speed transmissions, with the option of sequential automatic transmission on the 2.2 16v, and all the diesel engines have 6-speed gearboxes (the sequential automatic unit is offered as an alternative on the 150 bhp 1.9 Multijet, and as the standard unit on the powerful 200 bhp 2.4 Multijet 20v).
Class-beating safety
The Nuova Croma was designed and built to achieve the highest safety standards, and has been awarded the prestigious five-star NCAP rating that puts it at the top of its class, thanks to an array of sophisticated devices that are standard equipment on the model, starting from passive safety features such as: 2 ‘dual stage’ frontal airbags, 2 side airbags at the front, 2 curtain-bags and a knee-bag for the driver (rear sidebags are available on request).
The new Fiat Station Wagon behaves predictably at all times, thanks to the sophisticated electronic devices it incorporates to control dynamic behaviour: from braking to drive. They include ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution) and, above all, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) which is standard throughout the range. The ESP on the Nuova Croma incorporates a number of additional features: ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) which limits drive wheel slippage when road grip is poor; MSR (Motor Schleppmoment Regelung) which intervenes if the driver changes down too abruptly, to return torque to the engine and prevent excessive dragging of the drive wheels; HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistance), electro-hydraulic brake assistance, which automatically intervenes during panic braking; and finally, the Hill-holder that helps the driver on hill starts.
A broad, comprehensive range for a car of ‘substance’
The Nuova Croma is a car of substance that comes in an extremely comprehensive range. Different solutions are offered on different markets, but they all offer the same value for money. In Italy, for example, the range includes a choice of 4 engines (the 2.2 petrol engine is not available), 5 outfits (Classic, Active, Dynamic, Emotion and Must), 10 bodywork colours, and 4 interior environments, available in a choice of cloth, Castiglio and two types of leather.
We must not forget that the Nuova Croma range offers every customer, no matter how demanding, a choice between different options and accessories which may underline the model’s practicality and versatility, or cater for the customer’s practical and emotional demands. The Nuova Croma is perfect not only for the modern family, but also for businesses and professionals. And as a result, Fiat Automobiles Financial Services proposes a range of purchasing solutions and use formulae aimed specifically at these customers.
