Fiat has been in South America for more than 40 years. During this period, it has continued to come up with quality and reliable cars that match the needs of consumers. One such car is the Fiat Cronos. However, is the Fiat Cronos a good car?
It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re in need of a comfortable, practical, efficient, safe, spacious, and reliable car, the Fiat Cronos will be a good car for you. But if you’re looking for a luxurious, highly advanced, and high-performance car, look elsewhere.
History of Fiat Cronos
The Fiat Cronos is a subcompact car made by Italian car giant, Fiat. It has been in production from 2018 to date. What’s more, this car is based on the Fiat Argo platform, but unlike the Argo, it is a sedan and not a hatchback.
Unveiled in 2018, the Fiat Cronos is a three-box sedan with 30 percent of the parts derived from the Argo and 70 percent specific. It is also worth noting that the Fiat Cronos replaced the Siena Fire, the Grand Siena, and the Linea.
At the moment, the Fiat Cronos is one of the best-selling compact sedans in the South American market. It was the most sold car in Argentina in 2021, which is very impressive.
Features of Fiat Cronos
Appearance
The Fiat Cronos may be a sedan version of the Fiat Argo, but these are two different cars. For instance, the Fiat Cronos comes with a new chrome-louvered grille, instead of a honeycomb grille. Additionally, the front and rear bumpers are not swanky looking.
The Fiat Cronos has a wheelbase of 99.3-inches, a length of 171.8-inches, a width of 67.9-inches, and a height of 59.7-inches. It looks spectacular both outside and inside.
Performance
In terms of performance, the Fiat Cronos is doing well, although it is not the best in its class. The more powerful 1.8-liter engine generates up to 135 hp with gasoline and 139 hp with ethanol. It also has a manual 5-speed or 6-speed transmission, depending on the version.
Comfort and cargo space
The Fiat Cronos can accommodate up to five passengers. It is quite spacious with a more advanced cabin compared to other Fiat models. Besides, it has a large cargo area with a total of 18.5 cubic feet of space, which is enough to keep a lot of stuff.
The car boasts various excellent features that make it comfortable and fun to drive. Some of these features include a leather steering wheel, fog lights, ambient lights, an onboard computer, and much more.
Fuel efficiency
This car is very efficient and cheap to maintain. It has an efficiency rating of 20 mpg in the city with ethanol and 29.2 mpg with gasoline. On the other hand, it has a highway rating of 24.3 mpg with ethanol and 35 mpg with gasoline.
Safety
This is an area where Fiat has struggled big time. Even though the Fiat Cronos comes with improved safety features, it does not match up to the competition. That’s why some people consider the Fiat Cronos and other Fiat models unsafe.
Some of the safety features that this car is fitted with include a parking sensor and a double airbag. Besides, it is also vital to note that the Fiat Cronos meant for Argentina comes with standard with ESC, while the Brazilian one doesn’t.
Price
The price for Fiat Cronos ranges between $12670 and $19,120. Fiat offers five trim options, with the cheapest trim being the Fiat Cronos 1.3-liter trim and the highs trim being the Fiat Cronos Precision AT6 1.8-liter trim. If you’re looking for a used Fiat Cronos, expect it to be reasonably cheaper.
FAQ
Is Fiat Cronos worth buying?
Yes, Fiat Cronos is worth buying, more so for a person looking for a nice city car. Besides, it is also one of the best family cars on the market. It is stylish, comfortable, spacious, safe, affordable, and reliable. It is also practical as it’s spacious with large cargo space.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a very safe, high-performance, luxurious, or sporty sedan, this car is not worth investing in.
What is the high mileage for Fiat Cronos?
If you’re planning to purchase a used Fiat Cronos, the number of miles the car has is very vital. This is because most used Fiat cars start having serious issues when they hit over 150k. Since the Fiat Cronos is still new on the market, it is somewhat challenging to know the exact mileage it starts experiencing serious issues.
But if we go with Fiat’s average high mileage, users should expect to have serious issues after hitting 150,000 miles. Hence, the high mileage for Fiat Cronos is around 150k miles.
Is the Fiat Cronos the same as Fiat Argo?
No, Fiat Cronos and Fiat Argo are two different cars. The Fiat Cronos is a sedan, while the Fiat Argos is a hatchback. However, the Fiat Cronos and Fiat Argo are based on the same platform. The main difference is that one is a sedan and the other a hatchback.
Furthermore, 30 percent of the Fiat Cronos is derived from the Fiat Argo, making these two cars to be very similar. Unlike the Argo, the Cronos comes with a distinctive radiator grille, a new front bumper with wider air intake, and high-set fog lamps.
What are the common problems with Fiat Cronos?
Fiat Cronos may be a stylish and advanced city car, but it also comes with various issues that users should be aware of before investing. Some of the common problems that users should be ready to tackle are black exhaust smoke, power issues, braking problems, suspension problems, failing shock absorbers, electrical problems, and power steering problems.
How fast is the Fiat Cronos?
Fiat Cronos may be a basic city car, but it also performs well and it is easy to handle. Nonetheless, this car is also fast as it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 8.5 seconds. Moreover, it has a top speed of 119 mph, which is one of the best in its class. So, even though the Fiat Cronos is not as fast as other cars in its class, it has an excellent speed.
Conclusion
The Fiat Cronos is an exceptional city car for a family. The car is affordable, reliable, comfortable, spacious, safe, and efficient. But like most cars, it also has several issues that users ought to know about. Furthermore, getting spare parts is not easy and it lacks some vital safety features. Regardless, it is among the best-selling sedans in South America.
