Colour does amazing things to one's perception of a car. Fiat gave me a bright green Qubo to test drive and test my ability to live in the green zone for some time. Once I was over the colour shock, I could begin to look more seriously at what the car had to offer. This small MPV is based on Fiat's small Fiorino van, so for starters you know where it's coming from.

The new Fiat Qubo is a quirky compact MPV that has lots of room for its size, with plenty of storage. Its high room gives it an airy feel. There is a slight van feel to it. Diesel prices start at €16,265 before delivery charges.

The emphasis is on small car style, while being both functional and practical. And it serves those two masters well. The Qubo has lots of space. There is good headroom and a big practical boot with a big hatch-type door that opens up to provide some shelter. Just don't back into a car parking space if you intend to fill it.

For that you can rely on the twin sliding doors and they work well. Rear passengers will complain about the fact that opening the rear windows needs a lesson, but that is often a feature of small sliding door van conversions where windows often take the form of vents rather than big openings.

Fiat's impressive Multijet 1.3 litre turbo-diesel engine is another plus for the Qubo. The engine is both lively and economical. It's an engine that's at its best in a modest car like the Qubo. The acceleration pace is relatively slow, but well matched to the style and economy ambitions of the car. The 0 to 100km/hr acceleration pace is 16.5 seconds; that's comparable with competition such as the Ford Fusion and Renault Kangoo Kar.

The Qubo has a five speed gearbox the pace feels lively. There's just about enough torque to allow the car to accelerate smoothly for its size. The practical side of the Qubo is reflected in its economy. You'll be impressed as I was in the fuel economy level that can deliver a combined fuel economy figure of 4.5 litres/100km (63mpg). And the 45 litre means that you can get good range without stopping.

There are not many equivalent cars that can match this. Ford's slightly ageing Ford Fusion, with its 1.4 litre turbo-diesel engine, is equally thrifty but not as practical or spacious. The Qubo is more economical than the Renault Kangoo Kar, which has similar looks. Driving the car is easy. The gear lever is mounted halfway up the dash and it and the clutch are smooth to use. All of the other controls are near at hand with radio and mobile phone controls on the steering wheel. I was impressed with the bright interior of the Qubo, with its multiple storage areas. The car has plenty of cup holders for coffee or drinks on the move, with lots of cubbyholes for the kind of stuff that fills up side panels and glove boxes of most cars. This means that it fits the bill as a small family runabout. You can seat five and there's loads of storage room for all of the kids' stuff.

The safety kit is very complete in the Qubo. All models come with driver, passenger and side airbags as well as head restraints and three-point seatbelts for all five seats. ABS anti-lock brakes and EBD Electronic Brake Distribution are also part of the standard fit. There is no Euro NCAP rating yet for the Qubo, although Fiat is confident that it will score well.

The standard kit includes electric front windows, power steering and a fully adjustable steering wheel. It comes with the Fiat Blue&Me hands-free communication system that's fairly easy to set up. The Qubo is competitive, with an entry price of just €16,265, before delivery charges and scrappage grant opportunities for which it now qualifies, taking another €1,500 from the price. On price, it's more affordable than the competition.

The Qubo does what it says on the tin; it's economical, cheap to run, spacious and competitively priced. Its price represents real driving value, especially as a cheap to run second family car.

The Qubo look is 'different' and that's before you consider the colour; it's a shade noisy because there's probably a little too much of that tin to be seen.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment