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51-766: The Fiat Bravo and Fiat Brava (Type 182) are small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1995 to 2003 (2001 in Europe). They were effectively two versions of the same car: the Bravo, a three-door hatchback , and the Brava, a five-door fastback . The Bravo name was revived in January 2007, with the all-new Fiat Bravo , a replacement for the Stilo . The new version was available only with five doors. The name Brava

102-616: A European market share of 23%. The European segments are not based on size or weight criteria. In practice, C-segment cars have been described as having a length of approximately 4.5 metres (15 ft). As of 2021 C-segment category size span from approx. 4.2m to 4.6m Examples include Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Citroën C4, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, BMW 1 Series, Audi A3, Škoda Scala, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. The most common body styles for C-segment cars in Europe are hatchbacks , and much less sedans and wagons/estates . In 2020

153-482: A factory car for free if he won all the races he entered. Abt almost succeeded; of the 30 races he entered, Abt won 29 and finished second once. Abt later founded Abt Sportsline . Abarth produced high-performance exhaust pipes, diversifying into tuning kits for road vehicles, mainly for Fiat. A racing exhaust was produced for the 1950s Lambretta models "D" and "LD". Original Abarth LD exhausts are now valuable collectors' items. Reproductions are available, which carry

204-633: A large margin. According to 2011 sales, compact cars are currently the second segment in Europe after the subcompact one (which in Europe corresponds to A-segment + B-segment ), with approximately 3 million units sold. Because of the Volkswagen Golf 's definition and long standing dominance of this class it is often referred to as the "Golf segment" in much of Europe. Mainstream compact sedans began falling in popularity since 1990s, when Peugeot stopped production of 306 in 4-door saloon form, and also sharply declining since 2010s, as well as

255-541: A sporty three-door hatchback or a practical five-door fastback . Peter Davis, Fiat's Styling Center director at the time, said that they started working on the Bravo and Brava immediately after they had finished working on the Coupe and the Barchetta. He said they wanted to push the design to the limit, break the rules and discover every angle of the car, distinguishing it from the competitors. Jeremy Clarkson reviewed

306-666: A traditional saloon of this size though, with Volkswagen using the Golf as the base for its Jetta saloon, and Ford launching the Escort-based Orion in 1983. Also in the 1980s saloons became popular again in certain Western European markets, often with a different model name than the hatchback, for example the Renault 9 (Renault 11-based), Fiat Regata (Ritmo-based) and SEAT Málaga . Some carmakers later created

357-627: Is an Italian racing- and road-car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its Italian subsidiary . Its logo is a shield with a stylized scorpion on a yellow and red background. Carlo Abarth was sporting director of the Cisitalia racing team starting in 1947. The following year, the manufacturer folded, and founder Piero Dusio flew to Argentina. Abarth, funded by Armando Scagliarini, took over Cisitalia's assets and on 31 March 1949, Abarth & C.

408-491: Is based in the Officine 83, part of the old Mirafiori engineering plant. The CEO as of 2022 is Olivier François . In 2015, Abarth's parent company was renamed FCA Italy S.p.A. , reflecting the incorporation of Fiat S.p.A. into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles that took place in the previous months. In 2017, Abarth collaborated with Yamaha to produce a limited-edition motorcycle, the "Sport Heritage café racer special". Named

459-600: Is because premium cars are included. From 2013–2018 premium cars had separate count, and are not included in mainstream total sales. Premium brands and models are marked italic . Electric cars are included in C-segment from 2020. year. 2019 – The compact car segment in Europe sees 5% fewer deliveries in 2019, as Europe’s #2 segment is down to 2.65 million sales, or 16.9% of the total European car market, down from 18% in 2018. 2020 – Sales of compact cars in Europe are down 24% to 2.03 million in 2020, perfectly in line with

510-457: The 1983 World Manufacturers' Championship ). On 1 October 1981, Abarth & C. ceased to exist, and was replaced by Fiat Auto Gestione Sportiva, a division of the parent company specialised in the management of racing programmes that would remain in operation through to the end of 1999, when it changed to Fiat Auto Corse S.p.A. Some commercial models built by Fiat or its subsidiaries Lancia and Autobianchi were co-branded Abarth, including

561-608: The Autobianchi A112 Abarth , a lightweight and inexpensive " boy racer ". The A112 Abarth was introduced with a 58 hp engine, soon followed by a 70 hp one, and a specific "A112 Abarth trophy" was run from 1977 to 1984. In the 1980s, Abarth name was mainly used to mark performance cars, such as the Fiat Ritmo Abarth 125/130 TC. In 2000s, Fiat used the Abarth brand to designate a trim/model level, as in

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612-555: The Fiat 124 and Fiat 125 ) and Lada Samara (since 1984) were very popular in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1970s and 1980s. The modern-day Lada 's compact cars are Lada Priora and Lada Vesta . There was also the lineup of the AZLK -factory, Moskvitch (from 1947 to 2003): 400 , 402 , 408 , 412 , Izh 2125 (the first Soviet hatchback ), 2140 and Aleko . At the start of

663-655: The Fiat Stilo Abarth. On 1 February 2007, Abarth was re-established as an independent unit with the launch of the current company, Abarth & C. S.p.A., controlled 100% by Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., the subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. dealing with the production and selling of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles . The first models launched were the Abarth Grande Punto and the Abarth Grande Punto S2000. The brand

714-572: The Ford Escort , Vauxhall Viva , Austin Allegro and Hillman Avenger were still only available as saloons or estates, although some cars of this size, like the BMC/BL 1100 and 1300 saloons and Italy's Fiat 128 featured front-wheel drive from their launch during the 1960s. The C-segment was revolutionized in 1974 with the launch of the Volkswagen Golf , a front-wheel drive hatchback, which

765-642: The liftback bodystyle like the Peugeot 309 , which replaced the Talbot Horizon in this sector at the end of 1985. Since the mid-1990s, premium brands usually associated with larger and more expensive cars have entered the C-segment with more affordable hatchbacks and saloons. The first such example was the Audi A3 in 1996. Subsequent cars of this type include the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class . In

816-584: The "Squadra Abarth" racing team lined up celebrated drivers, including Tazio Nuvolari , Franco Cortese , and Piero Taruffi . Notably, Tazio Nuvolari made his last appearance in racing at the wheel of an Abarth 204A, winning its class in the Palermo–Monte Pellegrino hillclimb on 10 April 1950. Alongside racing, the company's main activity was producing and selling accessories and performance parts for Fiat , Lancia , Cisitalia, and Simca cars, like inlet manifolds and silencers . On 9 April 1951,

867-491: The 1960s, the post war economic boom had produced customers who wanted something of intermediate size. These were usually saloons during the 1950s and 1960s. The world's first hatchback , the 1958 FR layout Austin A40 Farina Countryman model that was a co-development of BMC and the Italian design house Pininfarina at a time when this was unusual. It had a lift up rear window and drop down boot lid. It

918-617: The 1970 GS, Peugeot 304 and Renault 14 . During 1980s, Citroën replaced the GSA with the 1983 BX that was between the sizes of the small family car and large family car, in an attempt to cover both markets with single model. The Citroën ZX was the model which celebrated the entry of PSA Group (now Stellantis) in China during early 1990s. Cars of the Soviet/Russian brand Lada : VAZ-2101 , VAZ-2103 , VAZ-2106 , Lada Riva (based on

969-582: The 1970s, the two most popular sectors of the UK market were small family cars and large family cars . From its launch in 1962, the BMC 1100/1300 was often Britain's best selling car; other locally produced compact cars included the Ford Escort , Vauxhall Viva and Hillman Avenger . Imported small family cars that were popular in the UK included the Citroën GS and Datsun Sunny 120Y . British Leyland replaced

1020-419: The 1st decade of 21st century, coupé convertibles (cabriolets) with components from these vehicles were being also built. Examples of this are the Peugeot 307 CC and later 308 CC in the first generation, third-generation Opel Astra TwinTop , second generation Ford Focus Coupe-Convertible , and Volkswagen Eos . Early successful compact family cars by French manufacturers are Citroën GS A hatch version of

1071-536: The Abarth name; how Fiat feels about this is not known. Lambretta even held several 125 cc motorcycle land speed records during the 1950s due partly to the exhaust that Abarth developed for them. In 1958, Abarth developed the Abarth Alfa Romeo 1000 in collaboration with the Milanese manufacturer. They sent an engineer, Mario Colucci, to oversee the process. Abarth was impressed with his skill, and while

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1122-651: The BMC 1100/1300 with a variety of models: the 1969 Austin Maxi , the 1971 Morris Marina , and the 1973 Austin Allegro . A second-generation Ford Escort (jointly designed in Britain and Germany) was released in 1974. The same year, the German Volkswagen Golf front-wheel-drive hatchback was released, becoming one of the first significantly-imported small family cars in the UK market. The sporty "GTI" version of

1173-526: The Bravo/Brava received a mild makeover. It was discontinued in 2001, being replaced by the Fiat Stilo . The cars were advertised as being silent, futuristic, economical and offering "The Choice". Fiat's Italian adverts said "Fiat Bravo. Fiat Brava. La Scelta", which roughly translates as "Fiat Bravo. Fiat Brava. The Choice", hinting at the fact that they 'were very similar cars but with the option of

1224-738: The European version of the Escort was replaced by the global Ford Focus MkI model. General Motors released the Vauxhall Astra Mk3 update in 1991 and the all-new Astra Mk4 in 1998. Rover Group introduced the Rover 200 Mk2 in 1989. The Rover 200 Mk3 was introduced in 1995, replacing the Honda Concerto-based Mk2 with a UK-designed car. Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. ( pronounced [ˈaːbart] )

1275-504: The Fiat Bravo and Brava in 1995 on Top Gear , stating that "This is how an ordinary car can look like, if you put a bit of effort into it". He also stated : "I'm in a three-door hatchback, which you can buy for less than £10,000, and I'm having fun, and it's only got a 1.4-litre engine! A good-looking car that's nice to drive and cheap to run too." Clarkson also said that the car felt rigid, there were no squeaks or rattles, and all

1326-566: The Fiat Group's racing department, managed by engine designer Aurelio Lampredi . Abarth prepared Fiat's rally cars, including the Fiat 124 Abarth Rally and 131 Abarth . In December 1977, in advance of the 1978 racing season, the beforehand competing Abarth and Squadra Corse Lancia factory racing operations were merged by Fiat into a single entity named EASA ( Ente per l'Attività Sportiva Automobilistica , Organization for Car Sports Racing Activities). Cesare Fiorio (previously in charge of

1377-680: The Golf sparked a huge demand for "hot hatches" in the UK and many other countries. The third-generation Vauxhall Viva was produced until late 1979, when it was replaced by the Vauxhall Astra (a rebadged Opel Kadett D which was initially produced in West Germany and Belgium). The Astra was part of a late-1970s transition in small family cars from being predominantly rear-wheel-drive saloons , to becoming front-wheel-drive hatchbacks (by then increasingly popular in mainland Europe). The Austin Allegro – introduced five years earlier –

1428-478: The HGT model, which produced 147 PS (108 kW) and which could take the car to a maximum speed of 213 km/h (132 mph). In 1999, the 155 HGT model replaced the older model, offering greater power of 155 PS (114 kW). Two turbodiesel engines were also available: both were 1.9 L four-cylinder units, one producing 75 PS (55 kW) and the other making 100 PS (74 kW). The Bravo/Brava

1479-708: The Lancia rally team) was appointed director, while Daniele Audetto was sporting director ; the EASA headquarters were set up in Abarth's Corso Marche (Turin) offices. The combined racing department developed the Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo Group 5 racing car which won the 1980 World Championship for Makes and the 1981 World Endurance Championship of Makes . It also created the Lancia Rally 037 Group B rally car, which won for Lancia

1530-567: The UK was the 1981 Triumph Acclaim , a licensed version of the four-door Honda Ballade with a Honda-designed engine. The Acclaim was replaced in 1984 by the Rover 200 . In late 1985 the Peugeot 309 became the first Peugeot to be built in the UK at the Ryton plant . Ford began the 1990s by replacing its 10-year-old Escort (and the Orion saloon version) with the Ford Escort MkV . In 1998,

1581-490: The car remained a one-off, Colucci was given the position of Abarth's Technical Director in 1960. Colucci's first design was a mid-engined, tubular framed roadster using the 750 engine called the Abarth Spider Sport. This car had an unfortunate gestation period and never attained much success in competition, while Abarth himself favored the rear-engine layout and kept offering both types. The Spider Sport series

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1632-588: The cars were redesigned, the A/C unit was swapped with the automatic one from the Fiat Coupé , and other small details about the cars were changed throughout the range of trims. The 1.9 turbodiesel was phased out in favour of 1.9 JTD diesel units (now with and 105 PS or 77 kW), to give even better economy and refinement. In the Greek market, all later model Bravas received the rear deck spoiler as standard. In

1683-457: The company's headquarters were moved to Turin ; Abarth began his well-known association with Fiat in 1952, when the company built the Abarth 1500 Biposto on Fiat mechanicals. In 1957, Abarth entered a deal with Fiat whereby they were paid direct fees for successful competition finishes. Abarth accordingly went on to enter their cars in countless hillclimbing and sports-car racing events across

1734-461: The end of 1999, Fiat introduced the Abarth accessories for the Bravo, available were more aggressive wheels and bodykit, performance was the same as the 2.0 HGT model. It was produced from 2000 to 2002. The Brava was produced from September 1999 to 2003 in Brazil for the home market and export, but in the former, the engines available were: Small family car In 2011, the C-segment had

1785-488: The highest selling C-segment cars in Europe were the Volkswagen Golf, Škoda Octavia, Ford Focus, Mercedes A-Class, Toyota Corolla, SEAT León, BMW 1-Series, Audi A3, Citroen C4, Peugeot 308, Renault Mégane, Kia Ceed, Opel Astra, Mercedes-Benz CLA and Volkswagen ID.3. 200,000 – 300,000 sales (Best-Selling) 100,000 – 200,000 sales 50,000 – 100,000 sales Notes: Jump in segment total sales after 2019. year

1836-399: The name on estate cars / Station Wagons so it is largely forgotten. This hatchback layout was further pioneered along with the European switch to front wheel drive FF layout with the smaller 1964 (Fiat) Autobianchi Primula . The modern C-segment market in Europe can be traced back to the 1968 launch of the Renault 6 , the first successful hatchback of this size. The hatchback bodystyle

1887-405: The other. Both cars had a two-star safety rating on Euro NCAP . The cars came with all-new engines, the base model using a 1.4 L 12-valve engine producing 80 PS (59 kW). Three other petrol engines were available: the 103 PS (76 kW) 1.6 L 16 valve; the 113 PS (83 kW) 1.8 L 16-valve engine and the top-of-the-range 2.0 L 20-valve inline five unit used in

1938-466: The overall market. And while Europeans bought more small crossovers than compact cars in the first three quarters of the year, in the full-year score the pecking order is returned to “normal”, with an advantage of 17,000 sales for the compact class. This result is mostly due to a wave of VW ID.3 (self)registrations, especially in December. We expect small crossovers to become Europe’s #2 segment in 2021 by

1989-785: The rear-wheel-drive saloon format of the Mk2 with a hatchback and front-wheel drive. (A saloon version called the Ford Orion was added in 1983.) Only in 1983 was the Austin Allegro replaced by the Austin Maestro hatchback. In 1984, the Vauxhall Astra Mk2 hatchback/estate/cabriolet was released, alongside a saloon version called the Vauxhall Belmont . The first significant Japanese-designed compact car in

2040-697: The reduced sales of 4-door Ford Focus . During the late 1990s, compact MPVs increased in popularity as a competitor to the compact car, with models such as the Renault Scenic and the Citroën C4 Picasso becoming popular in Europe. By the early 2010s, demand for compact MPVs was declining, due to the rise of the compact SUV . After the Second World War, European manufacturers usually featured two vehicle types: small economy cars that were usually saloons and large saloons . By

2091-459: The switches inside had a quality feel. The Bravo/Brava received a mild facelift in 1999. The 1.4L 12v engine was dropped in favour of the 1.2 16v unit from the Fiat Punto , the 2.0L 20V engine of the HGT model gained VVT and VIS systems upping the power from 147 PS (108 kW) to 155 PS (114 kW), the dashboard was redesigned and improved across all trim levels, the grilles of

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2142-443: The world, mainly in classes from 850 to 2000 cc, competing with Porsche 904 and Ferrari Dino in the higher echelons. Since they were paid based on the number of results, Abarth entered their cars in every conceivable class and in countries across the entire world. Hans Herrmann was a factory driver from 1962 until 1965, winning the 500 km Nürburgring in 1963 with Teddy Pilette . Abarth promised Johann Abt that he could race

2193-492: Was also built with 700 and 1000 cc displacements, while a few late examples were fitted with 1300 cc engines of Simca origins. Colucci's next design, the Group 4 1000 SP , was much more successful and spawned a range of mid-engined, tubular-framed, fibreglass-bodied sports prototypes. Abarth also helped build sports or racing cars with Porsche and Simca. Carlo sold Abarth to Fiat on 31 July 1971. The acquisition

2244-561: Was also sold as a two-door saloon. It was built in Italy by Innocenti as well as in the UK. For 1965 Innocenti designed a new single-piece rear door for their Combinata version of the Countryman. This top-hinged door used struts to hold it up over a wide cargo opening and was a true hatchback – a model never developed in the home (United Kingdom) market. The Countryman name has 'estate' type associations, and BMC successor company Rover used

2295-492: Was also used in the United States in the 1980s, on the earlier Fiat 131 . The Bravo and the Brava were replacements for Fiat's successful but ageing Tipo model. The two cars were very different in styling detail and driving experience, the Bravo chassis being tuned for more precise handling, whilst the Brava was tuned for better comfort. The interior trim and many of the body colours were unique to either one version or

2346-540: Was first introduced by Renault with the 1964 Renault 16 , which was elected the 1965 Car of the year in Europe . A review in the English Motoring Illustrated in May 1965 stated: "The Renault Sixteen can thus be described as a large family car but one that is neither a four door saloon and nor is it quite an estate. But, importantly, it is a little different." Even the later similar-sized cars like

2397-580: Was founded in Bologna . Carlo's astrological sign, Scorpio , was chosen as the company logo. From the Cisitalia liquidation, Abarth obtained five 204 sports cars (two complete Spiders and three unfinished), a D46 single-seater , and various spares. The Cisitalia 204s were immediately rechristened Abarth Cisitalia 204A . Abarth proceeded to build and race a series of sports cars developed from these last Cisitalia cars. In addition to Guido Scagliarini,

2448-463: Was front-wheel-drive, but was built in only saloon and estate body styles. Only the related Austin Maxi was a hatchback. The Hillman Avenger (marketed as a Chrysler Avenger 1976–1979 and as a Talbot Avenger 1979–1981) continued to sell well, in spite of the 1978 launch of the Talbot Horizon front-wheel-drive hatchback. The Ford Escort Mk3 went on sale in the autumn of 1980, replacing

2499-601: Was hugely successful all over Europe. Within a decade, most cars of this size in Europe were front-wheel drive hatchbacks. These included the Fiat Ritmo (Strada in the UK), Ford Escort (from the MK3 model launched in 1980), Opel Kadett ( Vauxhall Astra in the UK), Renault 11 , and the Talbot Horizon (originally a Chrysler / Simca until Peugeot took over Chrysler's European division in 1979). Most manufacturers still offered

2550-531: Was not made public until 15 October. As Fiat was not interested in the Reparto Corse racing operations, these were taken over by Enzo Osella . Osella obtained cars, spares, technicians, and drivers (amongst them Arturo Merzario ), and continued the racing activity, founding the Osella racing team. Thus ended for Abarth the days of sport prototype and hillclimb racing. Under Fiat ownership, Abarth became

2601-588: Was voted European Car of the Year on its launch. The Bravo/Brava chassis spawned saloon and estate versions in 1996, which were badged as the Fiat Marea , a car which aimed at Ford Mondeo and Opel/Vauxhall Vectra buyers, which won praise for its large boot . Another car based on the Bravo/Brava underpinnings, the Fiat Multipla , was launched in 1998, which was a six-seater compact MPV . In 1999,

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