During the Fiat Group investor presentation in New York, CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed that the C-segment Bravo had already more than achieved its sales targets for 2007 by the end of August. The presentation emphasised the strong points of the Fiat Bravo, in particular that the project was successfully realised in a record-breaking 18 months from the design freeze. It has already regained C segment leadership in Italy for Fiat - one of the most competitive new car categories in the market. Fiat is confident that its research tells them that it has built up a strong image profile against its main competitors in all key markets.

The specification level mix of the Bravo say Fiat is "better than forecast" with "medium and high trim level above 90 percent" and the market "share of [the] sporty version nearly double" initial projections. Fiat set out a 2007 sales target back at the launch of 70,000 units building up to a 2008 target of 120,000 units. In New York yesterday Marchionne was able to reveal that by the end of August 79,000 orders had been taken, with 60,000 units sold. This is helped by the fact that the Bravo has now reached all the major European new vehicle markets, starting its roll out in Italy on 31st January and followed by France (Mar 17), Spain (Apr 19), Germany (Apr 21), and the UK (Jun 30).

The next strand of Fiat's Bravo market penetration involves broadening range of environmentally friendly engines available during the final months of this year. This has seen the 1.4 T-Jet 120hp version in the last weeks joining the already-launched 150hp gasoline engine version. Both these units offer 10 percent lower CO2 emissions. Also set to join the range will be the new 1.6 Euro 5-compliant diesel engine which will also see its commercial launch in all key European countries before the end of the year.
 

However it is the market arrival of the 120 bhp T-Jet that is the current focus of customer attention. In the UK and starting at just £12,895 for the Bravo 1.4 T-Jet 120 Active option, the car significantly undercuts 1.6-litre engined rivals such as the Peugeot 308, Renault Mégane, Ford Focus and Toyota Auris. “This engine should prove to be the mainstay of our new Bravo range, competing as it does with the 1.6 litre engines of all our rivals,” says Andy Rowe, Commercial Director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd. “As well as very competitive pricing, the new engine version beats all our main rivals as a complete package, being on a par with the best for emissions, fuel consumption and power output.”

Three versions of the new Bravo T-Jet 120 will become available in the UK: new Bravo T-Jet 120 Active, which costs £600 more than the base 1.4 90bhp unit; T-Jet 120 Active Sport which costs £13,595, and T-Jet 120 Dynamic which is priced at £13,995.

At the same time as the introduction of this new engine, Fiat is repositioning the Bravo in the UK market. From 1 October, new Bravo prices increase by £500 on all versions, except the entry Bravo 1.4, which remains at £10,995. However they remain confident that the new Bravo remains an attractive proposition when compared with competitors such as the Ford Focus, Renault Mégane, Vauxhall Astra, SEAT Leon and Mazda3.