Brave Donkey – Fiat Sedici
Fiat Sedici with all-wheel drive and a powerful diesel engine under the hood is an extremely versatile car. Works great in the city and on light off-road. This small Fiat offers the confidence and freedom of a large SUV.
Maybe this original Fiat doesn't captivate with its looks (especially in silver), its interior doesn't impress with quality, and it rivals a pair of rubber boots for overall sophistication. However, its versatility, everyday usefulness and the specific sense of freedom that it offers cannot be denied. Compared to today's stylish designer urban predators (see the Audi A1, Lancia Ypsilon) it looks like a cute pack donkey. Obediently, and sometimes reluctantly, he will do whatever you offer him. He will not hesitate to drive into difficult wetlands or on a monstrous curb.
As you probably know, the Fiat Sedici is the twin model of the (more popular here) Suzuki SX4. Both machines are the result of Italian-Japanese cooperation. The Italians took care of the styling, and the Japanese took care of all the technology - you see, a promising division of duties. Most Sedici and SX4s are assembled by Hungarians at the Esztergom factory. Fiat Sedici debuted in 2006 as an urban crossover. It received a slight facelift in 2009, but overall little has changed. Therefore, in fact, we are dealing with a design that has been on the back of the neck for more than 5 years.
From the very first contact, the Fiat Sedici gives the impression of a hard-working car. In appearance, it is clear that our donkey has styling trends somewhere in its segment. Probably, for these words, the designers of the Italdesign Giugiaro studio responsible for Sedici will throw a dead cat on the mat, but just look at these monstrous side mirrors - here style follows functionality, there is no difference. Numerous black plastic inserts and fake metal reinforcements on the “inflated” bumpers testify to the off-road aspirations of the Sedica. There is one interesting element here, namely, the rear window boldly “stretched” to the sides of the car (reminiscent of the Skoda Yeti). However, it is immediately clear that we are dealing with a small “station wagon”, which is not afraid of the wilderness, pits, stones and a driver in dirty rubber boots. The twin Suzuki SX4 feels much more civilized and… insipid. So, it's time to open Sedichi!
The interior also seems more geared towards working people. The biggest attraction is the huge multimedia combine touch screen with integrated hard drive, linked to navigation (option for PLN 9500). The Japanese are responsible for the interior. This is good... and bad. The good thing is that there is nothing to complain about ergonomics and space both in front and behind. The fit quality is solid and you can see that all components will last for many years of hard use. And this is bad because the black areas of the plastic are hard and their texture is difficult to accept by today's standards. A quick look at the switches, knobs and buttons immediately shows that practical aspects are important here. You can turn on the heated seats or air conditioning (standard) even while wearing welding gloves. Comfortable seats deserve praise, providing a high driving position, which means a very good view from the cabin. The trunk is not the largest. As standard, we pack 270 liters of luggage, and after folding down the split rear seatbacks, we have 670 liter at our disposal.
The impression of dealing with a purely versatile car is enhanced by the nature of the engine that powered our test car. Powerful for such a small machine, the 2-litre MultiJet diesel loudly announces its presence with a characteristic knock. The same unit can also be found in the Opel Insignia, where its noise isolation seems to be much better. But be that as it may, he must go. And rides great. 320 Nm in the small Sedici (weight 1370 kg) available from 1500 rpm provide confidence in any situation, and in combination with 135 hp. allow you to accelerate to 100 km / h in just over 11 seconds. It is a diesel, so dynamic acceleration requires hard work with a manual lever 6-speed gearbox. However, it works accurately and you can shift into the next gears with confidence and enjoyment.
As you pick up speed, you'll notice another benefit of Fiat's urban SUV - suspension performance. This is perhaps the biggest surprise in this car. Looking from the outside at the plastic inserts, 19cm ground clearance, such a high driving position, you would expect some sloppy cushioning and a lot of body roll in corners. But none of that. Despite the increased ground clearance, the suspension is surprisingly firm and allows you to ride confidently and quickly. Comfort suffers minimally, but the precision and stability of the handling in some way justify the uncultured suppression of large inequalities.
How greedy is our diesel donkey? In the city, you can easily get 8-9 l / 100 km. If you do not drive on the highway, it will consume 7 l / 100 km, and will withstand an average of 7,7 l / 100 km. As you can see, it is not too greedy, even when it uses its most interesting advantage - plug-in all-wheel drive.
Yes, this is perhaps the most important element of the Sedica that even defines this car. The operating modes of the drive are controlled using a button on the central tunnel. We have the ability to drive only with the front axle engaged (2WD), automatic engagement of the rear axle when front wheel spin is detected (4WD AUTO mode), and for special cases, permanent all-wheel drive (4WD LOCK) at speeds up to 60 km/h, when locked center differential with a torque distribution of 50:50. In practice, just leave the AUTO mode on, forget about grip problems and enjoy 100% grip, whether on wet pavement or dirt roads. It is this button in a small Sediq that gives a sense of trust in your car and the confidence that it will save you from many troubles. A feeling well known to owners of large SUVs.
Admittedly, Fiat (along with Suzuki) did a great job of building the Sedici. Difficult to classify, this B-segment car drives well, is solidly built, has a solid interior, and above-average on-road and off-road performance. So, let's move on to the issue of price, which largely determined the failure of a similar Fiat idea called the Panda 4 × 4. Our test sample, in the richest version of the Emotion, was equipped with the most powerful engine available on offer - in a word, it is at the top of the price tag. Starting price PLN 79 (currently PLN 990 for the promotion). Add to that a few luxury accessories (heated seats, tinted windows) that are on board our Sedici, and the price reaches 73 thousand. zloty. That's a lot for a small Fiat. Well, the basic version remains with a gasoline, 990-horsepower engine and no 98 × 120 drive for 4, but who needs a disabled donkey?
