Why not just call it an estate? Because that would undersell the car. Fiat did more than simply extend the roofline of the Stilo hatchback when it developed the Multi Wagon range introduced to the UK earlier this year. The new car is also 40mm taller, allowing for a higher driving position and more glass area.And more luggage room too, of course. Cargo volume is 510 litres with the rear seats in position, or 1480 litres if you fold them down. Not being the sort of fellow who reads instructions until all other possibilities have been exhausted, I needed a few minutes to work out how to access all this space.At first I could only make the tailgate glass open (an option available only on the top of the range Dynamic car rather than the lesser Active models). But then it became clear - you grip the tailgate handle masterfully, a sensor senses that you have done this, and a hearty clunk announces that the catch has uncaught and the full tailgate can now be lifted up. Good stuff, though I'd need to be more convinced about Fiat electronics than I am at the moment to believe that this will still work when the car is five years old.Front and rear passengers get a spacious, comfortable environment, and the driving position can be adjusted all sorts of ways (seat height, plus height and reach of the steering wheel) to suit most bodies. Italian manufacturers used to be criticised for assuming that anyone who drove one of their cars was of a certain classically Italian shape which included long arms and short legs.Actually, I know Italians who aren't like that at all - apparently it depends on how much Greek ancestry they have - but in the case of the Stilo the whole thing is irrelevant. There are plenty of other European makes which pay less attention to driver comfort than Fiat does here.The car is so comfortable, in fact, that its price comes as something of a surprise. We tested the most expensive possible version, which costs £14,395. You'd have to look hard to find anything comparable with a similar list price. The standard equipment included for this money is pretty wide-ranging, though there are several options, of which the most expensive and celebrated is the CONNECT computer system.In the higher of its two states, CONNECT links a 7" colour display screen with a telephone, internet access, satellite navigation and a sound system which will play MP3 music files as well as good old-fashioned CDs. All that for £1395, which again represents more kit for less money than many other manufacturers can provide.Lucky old CARkeys: we got probably the best engine in the range, namely the 115bhp version (there's an 80bhp option too) of the 1.9-litre JTD unit. The power output doesn't seem much, but it's backed up by a level of mid-range torque which is impressive even by the standards of other turbo diesels. Overtaking performance is excellent, and the engine copes easily with high overall gearing; so it simply putters along under the bonnet as you waft along with the rest of the motorway traffic.The smart alloy wheels may suggest otherwise, but this is no sports estate. On the other hand, it grips the road very well indeed thanks to suspension which is soft but well controlled by the dampers (ride quality is splendid for the same reason.) The large amount of body movement occasionally makes the front end a little wayward, but you would have to be stonking along at some rate for this to become noticeable.The only thing that caused any real concern about the suspension was the way the front end plunges roadwards as the car hits the bottom of a dip. The guard strip along the bottom of the bumper had quite a lot of work to do on the test even when I didn't think I was going quickly enough to need it.Overall, though, this is a mightily impressive car. Fiat has not had its troubles to seek over the past few years, and it's relying partly on good product to point it along the road to recovery. In the case of the Stilo Multi Wagon, the product is certainly good enough.Second opinion: A smart-looking estate by any standards, and, although there's no doubt that we did get the best engine in the range, I've thought previously that the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol version is a remarkable bargain at under £12,500. That tailgate opening bar is a brilliant idea, and the Multi Wagon has plenty of other details to prove that it was designed with load carrying in mind. As far as the handling goes, it's important not to throw this quite high-set machine around with wild abandon. The Multi Wagon responds far better to properly thought-out cornering and appropriate entry speeds. It's easy to forget that the Fiat Group was into common-rail pretty early with the first-generation JTD engines, and this one is a strong performer as well as being suitably economical. It's definitely the one for a Multi Wagon owner who usually has the car well-laden. Ross Finlay. Engine 1910cc, 4cylinders Power 115bhp @4000rpm Torque Nib/ft @2000rpm Transmission 5 speed manual Fuel/CO2 50.4mpg / 149g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 11.2sec Top speed 118mph Price From £14094.00 approx Release date 15/02/2003
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