Fiat Croma (Type 154)

Fiat
Fiat Croma (1985-1991)
Croma (type 154)
Production period:	1985-1996
Class :	Middle class
Body versions :	Station wagon
Engines:	Gasoline engines : 1.6–2.5 liters (61–117 kW) Diesel engines : 1.9–2.5 liters (55–85 kW)
Length:	4490-4518 mm
Width:	1760 mm
Height:	1433 mm
Wheelbase :	2660 mm
Empty weight :	1095-1240 kg
Previous model	Fiat Argenta

The Fiat Croma is a built from 1985 to the end of 1996 hatchback of the middle-class the automobile manufacturer Fiat . The car designed by Italdesign Giugiaro was the first car with a direct injection diesel engine .

Model history

General

Rear view

The Croma presented in May 1985 is the successor to the Argenta . He was in the context of a joint venture with the then not yet part of the Fiat group manufacturer Alfa Romeo , the Fiat subsidiary Lancia and Saab together with the car models Alfa Romeo 164 (1987-1997), Lancia Thema (1984-1994 ) and Saab 9000 (1985-1998). The market launch in Germany began in autumn 1985.

Visually, there were great similarities between the models from Fiat, Lancia and Saab, while the only thing that Alfa Romeo had in common with these models was the chassis and technology. Because of this, some parts of the four types of vehicle were interchangeable. For example, the doors of the Fiat Croma and Lancia Thema also fit the Saab 9000, but different solutions were found with regard to the attachment of the door strips.

The Croma and Thema models also took a different approach to occupant safety than, for example, the 9000. Fiat completely revised the basic body of its models - even before the facelift for the Croma and from the second series onwards - and made the passenger cell more stable, while at Saab, the original, jointly designed body was reinforced by further struts and "improvements" (such as side impact protection struts in the doors). Various chassis parts (dome bearings, struts, etc.) are also interchangeable in the vehicle types, and the windshield from Croma and Thema is identical to that of the Saab 9000.

TD id: The first direct injection diesel engine

Fiat was the first manufacturer to offer a diesel direct injection engine for its passenger car models with the 1.9 TD id in the Croma from spring 1987 . Until then, this engine was only offered in commercial vehicles such as the Fiat Ducato , as its smoothness did not meet the comfort standard for passenger cars. This is due to the fact that the ignition delay in engines with direct injection is longer than in chamber engines .

In collaboration with the Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli , an electronic injection control was developed at the Fiat research center near Naples, which enabled the engine to run more smoothly. The injection timing and quantity could be optimized by means of appropriate sensors and actuators adapted to the engine speed and load conditions. The engine used in the Croma had a displacement of 1929 cc and developed 68 kW (92 hp). Initially, however, this unit was only available on the Italian market, as the aim was to rule out possible teething problems associated with the development on the foreign markets.

However, this subsequently turned out to be a major marketing mistake as it missed the opportunity to distinguish oneself as the inventor of the pioneering technology of direct injection. Audi is therefore the first manufacturer of this type of engine to be anchored in the public consciousness in Germany. In fact, Audi had advanced its development on the diesel direct injection engine around the same time, but only brought it to series production after Fiat. With the introduction of the legally protected TDI seal, this misconception has largely remained in the public consciousness to this day. However, it is also known that the Fiat Group brought the first common-rail diesel engine for passenger cars onto the market in 1997 .

body

The Fiat Croma had one of Giorgetto Giugiaro ( Italdesign designed) five-door body with saloon , but with a large tailgate. Giugiaro thus met the stylistic requirements of a vehicle of this class at the time, without foregoing the practical advantages of a tailgate. A similar solution was chosen with the Daihatsu Applause , introduced in mid-1989 .

On the German market, the Croma had electric front windows, power steering and central locking as standard. By using galvanized sheet metal, the corrosion problems that often occurred with the previous models could be prevented in the long term.

Model maintenance

1991

Fiat Croma (1991-1993)

In January 1991 the Croma was revised for the first time.

A lot has been changed both externally and in the interior; the car got a new, more aerodynamic front (fenders, bonnet, bumper, lights and grille) and a new rear (rear lights, bumper and plastic trim between the lights on the tailgate). The look of the basic body was not changed, the innovations only concerned bolted parts. The interior was completely changed, a new interior was added. The display fittings have also been adapted to the new era. On the German market, the carburettor and other catalytic converters were no longer available, as was the 1.6 series. The base model was now the 2.0-l-8V intake manifold injection with 85 kW. Under the outer shell, the Croma got a significantly reinforced body and the passenger cell was completely redesigned to increase occupant safety.

1993

Fiat Croma (1993-1996)

In June 1993, another minor facelift was carried out, which was primarily recognizable from the outside by the new radiator grille, which now managed without the central cross strut.

As part of this revision, the 2.0 16V (with Bosch Motronic) and 2.5 V6 engines with the well-known Arese six-cylinder engine from Alfa Romeo were also available. The V6 in the Croma was a 12V and almost identical to the V6 engines of the Alfa 155.

In addition, safety has been improved with the introduction of a driver airbag.

Technical specifications

The vehicle had front-wheel drive and a manual five-speed gearbox or an automatic transmission , initially available with three and, after the facelift, with four speeds.

Success and response

A Fiat Croma on the Tour des France (1993)

The Croma was able to show considerable sales figures in the 1980s. But from 1990 onwards, sales figures fell significantly, especially in Germany, after the magazine Auto Motor und Sport carried out a crash test with several European mid-range vehicles. In this case, the car performed unexpectedly poorly. In this regard, there are justified assumptions that in some cases unsuitable vehicles were used for these crash tests. In the case of the Fiat Croma, a dubious vehicle from pre-series production is said to have been used, whether it was from the supposedly bad intent of the German testers or because of sloppiness at Fiat who made the vehicle available is unclear.

Despite the passenger cell, which was significantly reinforced in series production, as part of a revision in spring 1991 and the later introduction of a driver airbag in 1993, the reputation of the Croma was ruined and the bad image was retained, especially on the German market.

Regardless of this, the vehicle had advantages over its competitors. The Croma was the first car to have a direct injection diesel engine from 1988. The top engines, a 2.0 turbo with 150 hp or a 2.5-liter V6 with 159 hp, were extremely remarkable for the time. The equipment was also at a very high level compared to the competition, with electrically adjustable and folding exterior mirrors, air conditioning, a large tailgate and a headlight cleaning system, ABS, fog lights and a central locking system that can be operated from the inside - not a matter of course at the time.

In contrast to the sister models from Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Saab, the Fiat was positioned one class lower in terms of price and equipment, in the middle class. Its main competitors in the German market were primarily the VW Passat , the Opel Vectra and the Ford Sierra . The Croma, however, offered very good space conditions and was offered at extremely low prices compared to German manufacturers.

Around 450,000 copies of the Croma were made between May 1985 and December 1996. Since Fiat already had two brands of mid-range vehicles with the Lancia brand, which had been part of the group since 1969, and the manufacturer Alfa Romeo, which was taken over at the end of 1986, there was no direct successor on the market in favor of the Lancia Kappa and Alfa Romeo 166 models after the end of the construction period introduced.

In June 2005, as part of that co-operation with General Motors of on the Opel Signum based Fiat Croma (type 194) put on the market.

literature

• Automobil Revue , catalog 1991 and 1996.
• Fiat Croma owner's manual . Fiat Automobiler Danmark A / S, August 1986 (Danish).
• Fiat Croma owner's manual. Fiat Auto Sverige AB, October 1989 (Swedish).
• Fiat Croma owner's manual. Fiat Auto SpA, January 1991.
• Fiat Croma owner's manual. Fiat Auto SpA, January 1994.

Web links

Commons : Fiat Croma (Type 154)  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Fiat Air Technologies ( Memento of the original from July 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.