TROUT POUT ON A CUBE
Remember the Fiat Multipla? It was so bug-ugly that it wore a sticker in the rear window that said “Wait until you see the front”. Pretty it wasn’t, but owners adored it for its brilliant practicality. Spool forward a decade and here comes the Multipla’s baby brother, with looks from the same unlucky gene pool. It’s motoring’s answer to the Bride of Wildenstein. Take a cube, stick an oversized pair of trout pout lips on the front, and hey presto, it’s the Fiat Qubo.
Shock-horror aesthetics are not the Qubo’s only handicap. Performance is not its strong point either. Good though the little 1.3 litre MultiJet engine is, it’s getting on a bit now, and in this setting it feels, frankly, rather gutless and barely capable of pulling the skin off a cold cup of coffee. We’re talking 16.5 seconds to lumber up to 60-ish, and a top speed short of a ton.
So all the ingredients are there for not liking the quirky Qubo. In which case, why on earth has it left me feeling quite warm towards it? Because, despite its relative sloth and eye-curdling aesthetics, it’s actually quite a fun drive, brimming with practicality and pretty decent value for money.
Its height gives you oceans of headroom, and although it’s only 13 feet long and therefore shorter than a Grande Punto (on which it’s based), it conspires to feel much bigger. Legroom isn’t at all cramped. Sliding side doors give brilliant access to the back seats, which can be folded or removed completely to turn the Qubo into a handy little van with 2.5 metres of load space. A huge tailgate ensure you can reach everything easily through the back.
Far from trying to disguise its utterly oddball looks, Fiat accentuate them with a vivid range of colours, such as the scorching orange of my test car, a vivid blue and very bright shade of green. This is definitely a car for extroverts with a taste for being stared at.
Despite its van-like structure, the Qubo is kitted out with car levels of comfort. Standard kit includes passenger and side airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution, central locking, air conditioning, electric front windows and mirrors, and a steering wheel adjustable for both height and reach. A very worthwhile feature is standard Blue&Me, Fiat’s hands-free communication system, very easy to use and claimed to be unique for this class of car. The Qubo rides surprisingly well for a short, tall car. This is thanks to having a torsion beam across the back, instead of a cheaper solid rear axle that would more commonly be found in a car in this price bracket. Handling is really quite good, giving the car a ‘chuckable’ feel that belies its lofty height. Visibility is much better than many similarly priced small cars, thanks to the square shape and big windows.
looks, Fiat accentuate them with a vivid range of colours, such as the scorching orange of my test car, a vivid blue and very bright shade of green. This is definitely a car for extroverts with a taste for being stared at. Despite its van-like structure, the Qubo is kitted out with car levels of comfort. Standard kit includes passenger and side airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution, central locking, air conditioning, electric front windows and mirrors, and a steering wheel adjustable for both height and reach. A very worthwhile feature is standard Blue&Me, Fiat’s hands-free communication system, very easy to use and claimed to be unique for this class of car. The Qubo rides surprisingly well for a short, tall car. This is thanks to having a torsion beam across the back, instead of a cheaper solid rear axle that would more commonly be found in a car in this price bracket. Handling is really quite good, giving the car a ‘chuckable’ feel that belies its lofty height. Visibility is much better than many similarly priced small cars, thanks to the square shape and big windows.
Fiat expects 80 per cent of Qubos to be diesels. Optional (for an extra £900) with the 1.3 MultiJet, though not offered with the petrol version, is Fiat’s Dualogic six-speed automated manual gearbox. This can be used either as a clutchless manual or as a full automatic. This may appeal to some older drivers and Motability customers, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Changes through the box feel ponderous, and the slickly smooth manual enhances the car and is much more appealing, as well as saving nearly a grand.
Drive Time
- Engine: 1248cc, 4 cylinder, turbodiesel
- Gearbox: 5-speed manual
- Max Power: 75bhp at 4,000rpm
- Max Torque: 140lb ft at 1,750rpm
- Max Towing Weight: 600kg
- Combined Consumption: 62.8mpg
- CO2 Emissions (taxband): 119g/km (B)
- 0-62mph: 16.5secs
- Max speed: 97mph
- Insurance Group: 2
