Launched in May of this year Fiat Automóveis Brasil’s new B-segment Fiat Argo hatchback ends 2017 with a positive vote of confidence from both the public and the media in Brazil with no less than seven awards coming from five different publications chosen by journalists and consumers.
The new hatchback, which replaced the Palio in the showrooms, was chosen as the “Melhor Compra”) "Best Buy" by the authoritative magazine "Quatro Rodas" in the hotly contested category reserved for cars priced up to R$50,000. The publication analysed 31 new car segments, ranging from the popular mass-produced cars to niche convertibles.
Among the key highlights of the Argo, "Quatro Rodas" reckons, are the 3-cylinder Firefly 1.0 Flex engine, multimedia center and electric steering. Other positive points are the low value of servicing and insurance. The adoption of a ‘floating’ 7-inch multimedia system, as well as the well-designed layout of the cabin’s functional areas (control buttons, air conditioning and air vents) caught the attention.
The journalists of the "Jornal do Carro", from the state of São Paulo, chose the Argo as the winner in its traditional “Os melhores” ("The Best") award. The hatchback also picked up a further award in its category in the publication’s “Melhores de 2018” ("Best of 2018"). In total, thirty-four awards were delivered by the newspaper.
In addition to the brand-new design, the new Argo’s positives start with its plethora of safety features, many of which are being seen in B-segment for the first time. The safety aspects include front-side airbags, reversing camera with dynamic lines and parking sensors.
Meanwhile, standard across the range comes electric assistance, Start & Stop, air conditioning and seats with ISOFIX that allow the attachment of children's seats to the body. Higher end specification levels of the Ago include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control (TC), Hill-Holder and a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The “Os Escolhidos 2017” ("The Chosen 2017") awards honoured the Argo in its category. The exhaustive selection was made up of two parts, a popular vote combining with a jury of seventeen specialised vehicle journalists from across the country. This was the second edition of the awards that includes most of Brazil’s traditional media.
The Argo was also the winning preference of the 21 journalists who chose the 2017 edition of "Carsughi L’Auto Preferita". The hatch was picked as their best car in the category between 1.1- and 1.6-litres.
The award-winning specification of the Argo they chose was the “Drive 1.3” level. The Firefly power unit family, in both the 1.0 and 1.3 litre versions, offers the highest and most optimally distributed torque in the segment, reducing the need to press the accelerator pedal at all times. The strength of the Firefly, and its low consumption rate, is the result of a combination of the adoption of two valves per cylinder, a high compression ratio and minimum rates of internal friction.
The Betim-built supermini was finally chosen by “Car & Driver” magazine as the best hatchback in its category of "The Best" awards and was further picked by its readers as the best car.
