Fiat Marea

Fiat Marea
Manufacturer Fiat
Also called Fiat Marengo (panel van model)
Production 1996–2002 (Italy)
1998–2007 (Brazil)
Assembly Comprensorio di Mirafiori, Turin and Cassino Piedimonte San Germano, Italy
Betim, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Bursa, Turkey (jv with Tofaş)
Predecessor Fiat Tempra
Successor Fiat Stilo Multiwagon
Fiat Linea
Class Small family car
Body style 4-door saloon
5-door estate (Weekend)
Layout FF layout
Platform Type Three platform (Tipo Tre) [1]
Engine Petrol:
1.2 L straight-4
1.4 L straight-4
1.6 L straight-4
1.8 L straight-4
2.0 L straight-5
2.4 L straight-5
2.0 L straight-5 turbo
Diesel:
1.9 L straight-4 turbodiesel
2.4 L straight-5 turbodiesel
BiPower:
1.6 L straight-4
Wheelbase 2540 mm (100 in.)
Length 4391 mm (172.9 in) saloon
4490 mm (176.8 in.) Weekend
Width 1740 mm (68.5  in.)
Height 1420 mm (55.9 in) saloon
1535 mm (60.4 in.) Weekend
Curb weight 1085-1385 kg (2392-3053  lb)
Related Fiat Bravo/Brava
Fiat Multipla

The Fiat Marea is a small family car available as a saloon and an estate (Fiat Marea Weekend), produced by the Italian automaker Fiat. Launched in 1996, the Marea models were essentially different body styles of Fiat's hatchback offerings, the Bravo and Brava. The Marea replaced the earlier Tipo-based Fiat Tempra. While the Fiat Stilo Multiwagon is the successor of the Marea Weekend, the Fiat Linea was scheduled to replace the saloon version in 2007.

Contents

Production and markets

The Marea was originally manufactured in Fiat's Cassino and Mirafiori plants in Italy.[2] Later the Marea also superseded the Tempra in Brazilian (Betim) and Turkish (in Bursa, with Tofaş[3]) plants, which make vehicles mostly for local and other developing markets.

In Europe, production and sales of the Marea ceased in 2002, a year after the Bravo and Brava were replaced with the Fiat Stilo. The Marea Weekend was replaced by the Stilo Multiwagon, while the saloon was dropped altogether due to relatively low popularity of compact saloon cars in Europe. Nevertheless, the Marea (in both body styles) is still manufactured in Turkey and Brazil for local (and other Latin American) markets. The Brazilian version was facelifted in 2001, when it gained a redesigned rear end with taillights taken from the Lancia Lybra.[4][5] For 2006 the Marea was mildly revised again, gaining a new rear end, and a new grille, similar in style to other current Fiat models.[6]

In mid-2007, Brazilian production of the Marea and Marea Weekend ceased; their successor, Fiat Linea, will be produced from mid-2008 on, although it is not sure if it will feature an estate version.

Engines

The Marea petrol and turbodiesel engines 1.2 L, 1.4 L, 1.6 L, 1.8 L and 2.0 L petrol and 1.9 L were sourced from the Brava and Bravo, and a 2.0 20v turbo option from the Fiat Coupé was also available. For a short time there was also a 2.4 turbodiesel available, dropped in 2001, which has become sought after. A Marea BiPower 1.6 L dual fuel engine was later added to the range; it may run on either petrol or compressed natural gas.

Brazilian engines and models

The Marea was introduced in 1998 into the Brazilian market with only one engine: the 2.0 20v. Due to Brazilian production taxes the 2.0 20v engine had its electronic fuel injection remapped to limit the engine power to 128 bhp (95 kW) in the Marea SX and ELX models of 1999. The engine retained its full power (142 bhp) on the more expensive Marea HLX model. Simply exchanging the SX or ELX fuel injection chip with the HLX chip would bring back the original engine power. Fiat initially claimed it to be untrue explaining that other modifications had been made in the SX/ELX models for cost-savings, but this was revealed to be false.

In 2000 the 2.0 20v engine was replaced with the 2.4 20v (160 bhp) engine in the HLX model, and the SX model started using the 1.8 16v engine (130 bhp), while the ELX injection was mapped as it had originally been for the HLX to give the 2.0 20v engine the original engine power (141 bhp).

Later the 2.0 20v engine was dropped and the 1.6 16v (105 bhp) engine was introduced; this engine was the only one produced for model year 2007, when the Marea production has been discontinued. All engines for the Fiat Marea in Brazil were petrol-based, with no diesel variants.

There is also the 2.0 20V Turbo (Garrett TB28/10) with 182 bhp, sold from 1999 to 2006.

References

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fiat_Marea Fiat Marea] at Wikimedia Commons