The Fiat Ritmo (seen here with European "Bravo" nameplates) has a bit of a soft spot in my heart. It looks as sexy as an Alfa Romeo, for a start - probably because the upcoming Alfa Romeo 149 will look very similar to this car - it is unmistakeably European, and unbelievably cool. But that's really where the love affair ends.

To be frank, a $24,990 price tag for a family-sized hatch with a 66kW engine is an outrage. In no other European family car do we find an engine that is so hopelessly underpowered. Nothing even comes close. And the entire model range lacks any form of an automatic. Seriously. Oddly enough, the best value in the Ritmo range is actually at the top end. The Sport models come in at the mid thirties, and if you happened to have Mazda6 money to spend on an elegant hatch that would make your neighbour gawp, it begins to sound attractive. The semi-sporty 110kW turbo petrol and diesel engines are extremely miserly with petrol, and being the top model, this car is absolutely loaded with features. The interior is sexy and high-tech, even if the seating position is uncomfortable, and on the whole, it's a car that others would be very jealous of. If you can drive a manual, put up with the surely pathetic reliability, pay the sky-high insurance premiums and swallow the astronomical parts prices. Lately, Ritmo prices have dropped for a "sale", so although the prices below don't mention it, Ritmos now start from only $19,990 - so perhaps we can chop five grand off the top model too. Suddenly, it's terrific value, and probably worth all the extra money that you wouldn't have to spend on say, a Golf. And it has looks that can be compared with premium brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW. To your friends who aren't car nuts, you can pretend that Fiat is an exotic italian brand, and they will never know it's actually pretty average. It certainly looks exotic, and they'll never know the difference. After all, if it's love, then absolutely nothing can ever get in the way. It sure is a pretty thing to be sitting in your driveway.

As a used car? Really, don't bother. Reliability is likely to be average at best, and in the current economic climate, who knows how long Fiat will last in Australia?

Overall Rating: 7/10
Style: 9/10
Build Quality: 7/10
On-Road Performance: 7.5/10
Value For Money: 7/10
Practicality: 8/10
Safety Rating: 5-star EuroNCAP
Average Real Owner Reliability: not enough data as yet (www.carsurvey.org February 2009)

Engines:
Please see the image in the "HOW MUCH MOOLAH?" section for details.

Features:
Alloy Wheels: Only on "Emotion" and "Sport"
Leather: $2,500 option
Cruise Control: YES
Air Conditioning: YES - "Sport" has Climate Control
Steering Wheel Audio Controls: YES
Power Windows and Mirrors: YES - "Dynamic" has only power front windows
Stability Control: standard on "Sport", otherwise $650 option
Airbags: SIX
Foglamps: YES - front only
CD Changer: Single Disc
Speakers: SIX
Bluetooth: Only on "Sport"
MP3 Compatibility: "Sport" has USB connection
Sunroof: $1,950 option
Metallic Paint: $850 option

YOUR CAR IN BRIEF: Fiat Ritmo