Fiat Stilo 2.4 Abarth

Having shoehorned a torquey five-cylinder powerplant into a three-door hatchback long before Volkswagen got in on the act with its Golf V5, Fiat created a car that was both entertaining and charismatic. Sure, it wasn't perfect - the chassis dynamics weren't as sharp as they might have been and the interior was fairly grim - but it certainly deserved to sell more than it did.

Fiat will be hoping that its replacement - the Stilo 2.4 Abarth - will do a better job of challenging the hot hatchback front-runners when it goes on sale here next February.

In terms of exterior design, the three-door Stilo wears an altogether more aggressive look than its five-door stablemate, which trades flair for practicality. Although the front end is much the same - the differences amount to a revised bumper design - the rear is more striking with a curved tailgate and bold, clear Perspex-covered lamp clusters which stand proud from the body. The effect these have on the overall impact of the car is considerable. With the right choice of wheels and a favourable colour, the three-door Stilo has the sort of raw edge that its predecessor - the Bravo - lacked.

Inside, the Stilo has a far more sophisticated feel to it and proves that Fiat is at last narrowing the quality gap between itself and rivals such as VW and Ford. The dashboard is chunky and looks reassuringly solid, while the switchgear and other main controls operate smoothly and feel durable. Yet although the cabin has been designed intelligently and marks a considerable improvement over its predecessor, it simply doesn't feel like a sporty car's. Sure, the seats are well bolstered and grip your back in all the right places, and the build quality is better, but you never get the impression that you're sitting in a machine which has performance pretensions. From the firm that gave us the Coupe with its glorious metal dashboard and delightful detailing, this is disappointing.

Thankfully, reservations about the drabness of the cabin go to the back of your mind as soon as you turn the key and fire the five-cylinder 2.4-litre motor into life. Based on the five-cylinder powerplant that first appeared in the Coupe five years ago, it makes a welcome return to the range. Now lighter and more efficient, the 170bhp unit is a fine performer, with a decent turn of speed and bags of character. Equally impressive is the Selespeed gearbox which is fitted as standard (there's no manual option) to the 2.4-litre version.

Operated with steering wheel paddles, the transmission slips between ratios effortlessly, with much of the clunkiness that affected early Alfa Romeo versions now eradicated. And thanks to lots of low-down torque, you change gears less frequently than you would with a four-cylinder unit. In fact, we reckon this is among the best engine/gearbox combinations in the Fiat and Alfa range. The chassis, too, is better than the Bravo's. Ride quality is excellent, and while mid-bend bumps can send the occasional shockwave up through the controls, it doesn't have the brittle feel of its predecessor.

Fiat's fully electric power-steering has taken the edge off what would be a first-rate chassis, though. Vague and artificial at low speeds, it deprives the driver of feedback. Key to the Stilo's success will be price. Although Fiat dropped the HGT from its line-up two years ago, the cost then was competitive at just under