Faults:

Difficulty starting when cold. Especially when moisture seeps into the wiring harness.

Turbocharger wear due to lack of lubrication.

Susceptibility to overheating if the cooling system does not receive rigorous maintenance.

Dashboard and sensor faults.

Complete timing belt replacement.

General Comments:

This sedan shares the same platform as the Alfa 164, Saab 900, and Lancia Thema. To me, it is the best-looking of the bunch (along with the Alfa) a sedan with the soul of a hatchback: agile, fast, and excellent to drive.

Under the hood of the Croma Turbo i.e., you find essentially the same powertrain as in the Lancia Thema Turbo i.e. It is a two-liter engine featuring dual overhead cams and two valves per cylinder, fed by an advanced electronic injection system that self-adjusts based on operating and environmental conditions. The only difference is that the Fiat engine lacks the counter-rotating balance shafts that allow for vibration-free operation.

With 155 hp, the engine was exceptionally powerful for its time; even today, it holds its own, as the car comfortably exceeds 200 km/h. It may lack the stability and braking performance of a modern vehicle, but the driving experience is spectacular! Driving it at speeds above 170 km/h is a fantastic experience, the engine's roar is unique.

It's very stable and easy to handle; it tracks as if on rails. Only when driven at very high speeds does a slight tendency to understeer at corner entry emerge, a trait easily corrected by either steering input or throttle application, as the power delivered through the car's wide tires forces it to follow the intended line.

The power steering is perfectly tuned, offering an ideal balance of smoothness and handling precision. The brakes are excellent; this version features the optional ABS, providing added effectiveness in low-grip conditions.

Fuel economy is also very good, considering it’s a 2.0-liter engine built in the 1980s. It averages 9 L/100 km; obviously, consumption is higher in the city, but nothing excessive.

On the downside, some of the interior materials weren't of the best quality, considering it was the brand's most expensive car. For instance, in my case, the rubberized coating on the leather steering wheel wore down.

For me, it’s the best Fiat car of the last 40 years. Nothing that came after it has been better; in fact, it didn't even have a successor.

Great design, fast, easy to drive. A beautiful machine!

Faults:

Rust on the baseboards and roof edges.

I replaced the alternator at 50,000 km, the timing belt was also repaired shortly after, and a battery was replaced. The brakes also started to wear, so it has brand new brakes. Air conditioning parts also wore out over time.

The worst part wasn't these faults (few for a car over 30 years old), but that each repair cost a fortune. There are no official Fiat spare parts in New Zealand or throughout Oceania, so everything that needs to be repaired is imported. In my case, with the exception of the battery, I had to buy everything else online from the UK and Germany.

The car doesn't cause major problems, but if something breaks, finding the right replacement is an odyssey.

General Comments:

I'm very fond of it, especially because it was my father's car. Once he passed away in 2007, I inherited it and kept it, partly because I liked it, but more than anything because it was my father's and I had also enjoyed it as a child.

Although I acquired it in 2007, my father bought it new in 1994, and until the day I took possession of it, it had barely been used, as reflected in its performance. Inside, it's intact, covered with leather seats and corduroy upholstery, all in black. It really looks fantastic! The passage of time hasn't aged it; rather, it has made it more beautiful.

The Croma isn't a car that was seen much here in NZ. Although it was sold for a few years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was an executive car that competed with the Mitsubishi Galant, Toyota Corona, Alfa 164, and BMW 3 Series (among others), so it wasn't easy to compete with. Still, its design is what I liked most; its innovative, Italian style appealed to me.

True to its segment, the car is comfortable and very easy to drive. Its 2.0-liter turbo engine is very powerful with surprising acceleration. I admit I don't take care of it as much as my father did, and I tend to rev it quite a bit and test it quite often on the road. The engine's biggest flaw is that it tends to get noisy past 140-150 km/h. It's a truly fast car that easily exceeds 200 km/h (I never dreamed of going that fast, but the factory claims 215 km/h). Like every Italian car, it runs at high revs, especially with this turbocharged engine, so it's not very fuel-efficient.

A few years ago, I thought about selling it, but seeing that it's a nearly exclusive car, rarely seen around here, I reconsidered and decided to keep it. Especially knowing that sedans of this type and with these features aren't made anymore.