FIAT STILO 1.8 16V ABARTH. TEST AUTO AL DÍA (2003)

The FIAT Stilo was another strong attempt by the Italian brand to change its image in mid-size segments like the C. It was launched on December 5, 2002 in Argentina, with a market that year reaching around 90,000 units. It was clear that it wasn't going to be a sales success in 2003, but the excellent product that FIAT do Brasil built was once again burdened by a difficult optional extras policy that confused customers and added enormous costs to the product itself. The car tested wasn't patented; if you look for it by the license plate DQK 517, it was from FIAT, not the car itself, so it will be difficult to determine what became of it. However, it showed all the optional extras available for a Stilo, from the Sky Window roof, the eight airbags, and the NGI interior. For a long time, it was the longest description in our tests, and many will be surprised by what a 2003 Stilo offered. Of course, putting everything into the car increased by more than 50% from the initial price. Few 2003/05 Stilos are sold, much less Abarths (which should have come with the 167-hp 5-cylinder 2.5-liter engine), and I doubt there was another one with as much equipment as this unit, which was a kind of showcase of what was available. The message was contradictory. It managed to show everything FIAT had done for the customer, but the price was ridiculous. In 2003, without social media, the comments were personal, and the week the program aired, everyone told us the same thing: "That FIAT is impressive... but they're crazy about the price."