- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.4i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
125kW, 220Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 9.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 150000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
New car review: Fiat Freemont
Italian brand Fiat is one that’s had some ups and downs in Australia. It’s recently kicked goals with the cutesy 500 and, at the other end of the scale, various vans and commercial vehicles. But despite a massive presence in its home country, establishing itself as a mainstream brand in Australia has proved elusive.
But the recent tie-up with American car maker Chrysler has created some opportunities, such as the Freemont. Delve deeper than the badge and the Freemont is little more than a Dodge Journey but with the option of smaller, four-cylinder engines.
And whereas the Journey was pitched more as a people-mover, the Freemont is being tagged as an SUV, a term far more palatable with the family brigade.
It feels more people-mover than SUV, but sharp pricing and the availability of seven seats will put it on shopping lists the others may never make it to.
What do you get?
The Freemont has its work cut out competing with volume soft-roaders, but it arrives at a sub- $30,000 price that includes a $1500 option for a third row of seats, taking capacity to seven and also bringing additional airconditioning controls for the rear.
There are three basic Freemont models – Base, Urban and Lounge. For the entry price of $27,000 drive-away it comes with dual-zone airconditioning, keyless entry and start (the entry works only on the front doors), cruise control, Bluetooth, auto headlights, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure sensors, heated folding exterior mirrors, trip computer and 17-inch alloy wheels.
However, the curtain airbags stop at the second row, leaving those in the third row exposed in a side-impact collision.
Splash out another $2300 and it’s money well spent on the Urban, which adds a reversing camera, climate control for the ventilation, roof racks and one of the best touch-screens in the business.
The flagship Lounge we’ve tested brings leather seats as standard, larger (19-inch) alloys, heated front seats and a better sound system with satellite navigation for about $32,000.
What's inside?
This is where the Freemont’s talents really become apparent. It starts up front with a collection of well presented controls and gauges, topped off by the intuitive colour touchscreen. The front seats are surprisingly comfortable, and while vision is respectable; the lack of a proper driver’s footrest isn’t great.
There’s a tiny glovebox but it’s offset by great storage under the passenger seat and a respectable centre console.
Rear seats continue with good headroom and decent legroom, and it’s easy to get in with rear doors that open almost 90 degrees.
Storage is also good in the second row, with deep removable underfloor bins that are perfect for valuables or kids’ toys that have fallen out of favour temporarily on a long drive.
The middle-row seats are clever in their operation, too. As well as housing built-in boosters (on seven-seat models) for the outer pews – perfect for giving littlies a better view – the seats have a split-fold function and slide easily, giving a comparatively clear path to the third row. That back row is really a kids-only affair, but it’s fine for those looking to use it occasionally.
The negative is with the luggage space: while it’s fine with only five seats in play, it’s less useful with all seven filled. And while there’s a broad underfloor compartment, there is no luggage cover.
Under the bonnet
The Freemont comes with the choice of two four-cylinder engines (those wanting a V6 will have to go for the Dodge Journey): a diesel or petrol. The diesel is easily the pick, with muscular low-rev pull and less of a thirst. But there’s a big but – the diesel is available only with a manual transmission.
So it’s the 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol we’ve opted for here. The 125kW of power doesn’t look too bad on paper, but team it with the podgy 1730-kilogram body and it’s not a pleasant match.
The engine just gets by in everyday driving but relies on the six-speed auto shuffling between ratios as it tries to make the most of the engine. Changes aren’t always smooth, especially when it has to dart down two gears out of slower corners. It’s not an intelligent auto.
It’s made worse by the engine’s modest 220Nm of torque, which arrives way up in the rev range at 4500rpm. At 2000-4000rpm, where you would like the engine to remain most of the time, there’s not much on offer and it doesn’t take much of a gradient to upset the equation and have that transmission darting between gears again. Similarly, loading the Freemont up with people highlights the car’s lack of engine performance.
Fuel use, too, is high at a claimed 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres.We found it used closer to 13L/100km manoeuvring about town.
On the road
It doesn’t take many corners to establish that the Freemont doesn’t have the dynamic nous of some more modern SUV rivals. The high-riding body is teamed with suspension tuned towards the softer side, which leads to some leaning through bends.
There’s also a general sloppiness to its road manners that in some ways goes with the territory of being a high rider.
Push moderately in a bend and it leans noticeably on its nose, something that will eventually push to the limits of the 19-inch tyres. There’s also a whiff of steering kickback, although it’s only evident at higher speeds and on less-than perfect surfaces.
Verdict
It’s far from Italian – more American deep-dish pizza than minimalist Italian thin crust – but there’s still lots to like about the Freemont, starting with the tempting price.
What it lacks in sharpness and driving talent, the Freemont makes up for with a thoughtful and clever interior that should pop it on the shopping list for anyone looking for an occasional seven-seater.