Fiat Marea

Infobox Automobile


name = Fiat Marea
manufacturer = Fiat Auto
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 Tofas)
predecessor = Fiat Tempra
successor = Fiat Stilo Multiwagon
Fiat Linea
class = Family car
platform =
body_style = 4-door saloon
5-door estate ("Weekend")
engine = Petrol:
1.4 L straight-4
1.6 L straight-4
1.8 L straight-4
2.0 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
transmission =
layout = FF layout
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"
weight = 1085-1385 kg (2392-3053 lb)
aka =
fuel_economy =
fuel_capacity=
related = Fiat Bravo/Brava
designer = The Fiat Marea is a 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 is scheduled to replace the saloon version in 2007.

Production and markets

The Marea was originally manufactured in Fiat's Cassino and Mirafiori plants in Italy.cite web | title=World Markets Research Centre's 2001 European Automotive Productivity Index results, a PR Newswire press release | url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=69602 | accessdate=2006-06-06 ] Later the Marea also superseded the Tempra in Brazilian (Betim) and Turkish (in Bursa, with Tofaşcite web | title=Global Autoindex Marea page | url=http://www.globalautoindex.com/bodies.plt?no=86&ass=1394&g=-Fiat%20Marea | accessdate=2006-06-06 ] ) 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.cite web | publisher=Revista Quatro Rodas| title= Comparativo Sedãs Médios | url=http://quatrorodas.abril.com.br/carros/comparativos/0205marea.shtml | accessdate=2006-08-03 | date=2005-02 ] cite web | publisher=Best Cars| title= Comparativo Completo | url=http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/comp/marea-focus-1.htm | accessdate=2006-08-03 | date=2002-01-15 ] 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.cite web | title=Novo Marea 2006 @ Fiat Brazil homepage Pt icon | url=http://www.fiat.com.br/br/monteseucarro/gerenciaModeloInternet.do?operation=buscar&valueObject.id=185
accessdate=2006-06-06 ]

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 1.4 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.

*1.4 L straight-4 1370 cc Auto PS|81
*1.6 L straight-4 1581 cc Auto PS|103
*1.8 L straight-4 1747 cc Auto PS|113
*2.0 L straight-5 1998 cc Auto PS|156
*2.0 L straight-5 turbo 1998 cc Auto PS|182

*2.4 turbodiesel 2387 cc straight-5 Auto PS|126
*1.9 turbodiesel straight-4 Auto PS|75-Auto PS|110
*2.4 common-rail (JTD) turbodiesel 2387 cc straight-5 Auto PS|132
*1.9 common-rail (JTD) turbodiesel straight-4 Auto PS|106
*1.6 L BiPower

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 in the Marea SX and ELX models of 1999. The engine retained its full power (141 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 (159 bhp) engine in the HLX model, and the SX model started using the 1.8 16v engine (131 bhp), while the ELX injection was mapped as 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 (103 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.

References