Bravo takes over from an unrewarding Stilo model in the Fiat range to give the mid-range models a needed boost. Fiat has returned to the Bravo name for this mid-range hatchback model and brought with it some style and features. Michael Moroney drove the entry level model and compliments it style.

Fiat's new Bravo has improved styling and safety features. It includes a Bluetooth feature as standard and prices start at €19,495 before delivery charges.

Fiat design is following a family trend. The new Bravo takes a similar wedge shape to the successful Grande Punto model. Fiat is obviously banking on the design working as well as that of the smaller model and that has given confidence for the success of the new Bravo.

The shape is modern and the interior carries that through in terms of styling. Fiat has some hints of the Alfa Romeo interior styling in the new Bravo, giving it a lift in terms of the quality feel.

Now the new Bravo is entering an even more competitive market than the Stilo that it replaces, with loads of new cars on the block, all of which have impressive features. The question for Bravo is can it match them if not beat them in terms of owner desire?

I've had the entry level Bravo out for a test drive to get a feel for what the car offers. In the first instance it's a big improvement over the Stilo. It looks better, feels better in terms of the build quality and has additional safety and user features to make it more attractive.

The entry-level model comes with a 1.4 litre petrol engine and it's priced at €19,495 to be somewhat competitive. This engine is rated at a maximum of 90hp, which in power terms is relatively low for the sector, but higher than the entry level Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.

Engine torque rating is also relatively low at 128Nm and combined these give an acceleration figure of 12.5 seconds in a 0 to 100km/hr race. That's about average across a comparison of 14 equivalent cars in the same sector of the market. It's marginally slower than the older Stilo that it replaces.

On the test drive it was easy to spot the sluggish nature of the car. The combination of the six-speed gearbox with this entry level engine meant that other than on motorways driving involved a good deal of gear changing.

This drove the rev counter needle to a higher figure than I would normally like and this has some impact on the fuel economy rating. On paper the fuel economy figures are good at 6.7 litres/100km (42mpg), but it just seemed not easily achievable in practice. This was due to the lower engine power.

More recently, Fiat is offering a new 120hp version of the Bravo with what is called a T-Jet engine. I drove it recently on a short run and you can feel the difference between it and the entry-level model. It delivers great driving power and there is little compromise in terms of economy, so that's the one to go for.