Fiat Marea Turbo from Brazil.

The Marea Turbo was launched in 1999. It was developed and produced exclusively by Fiat Automóveis S.A., the Brazilian arm of Fiat.

Marketing experts, after studying the Brazilian market, noticed a niche, where the Marea sedan and its station wagon version equipped with a turbocharged engine would fit like a glove for consumers that wanted performance, sophistication, comfort and space for the family.

This 2-liter engine belonged to the C family, an evolution of the Fiat Twin Cam, and equipped cars such as the Fiat Bravo, Fiat Coupé (in a 220 hp configuration), Lancia Thesis, Lancia K and Lancia Lybra.

But the Marea Turbo itself was only available in Brazil, with a unique in-line 5-cylinder configuration, with the addition of a turbocharger it easily reached 182 hp at 6,000 rpm with a maximum torque of 27 kgfm or 264.78 Nm that occurred at 2750 rpm. It was a true powerhouse, all one had to do was press the accelerator lightly and feel the force of these 5 cylinders + turbo on their back. It was fantastic for the time and even for today to some degree.

Thus, Brazilian engineering created a version of the Marea and the Marea Weekend exclusively for Brazil that caused quite a stir at the time. The car accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h or 0 to 62 mph in just under 8 s and reached a top speed of 227 km/h or 141 mph, excellent numbers, even for today.

And those who expect an exorbitant amount of fuel consumed per kilometer or mile will be pleasantly surprised, because on a mixed city/highway circuit, the average was between 9.5 km/l and 11 km/l or 22.8 mpg and 25.8 mpg of gasoline. These marks made it clear that despite the sporty appeal, this car was still a great and comfortable family car.

Speaking of which, this version came complete with comfortable seats, upholstered in leather, black or beige and designed to hold the body in curves, electric sunroof, air conditioning with automatic temperature control, four airbags, headlight washers, 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels with 195/60R15V tires, white-background instruments power steering, exclusive alloy wheels, black painted brake calipers, distinctive grille, hood with real air intakes, leather-covered steering wheel, metal pedals and many other treats for demanding owners.

Throughout their history, the Marea, both the sedan and the wagon have developed a reputation for being problematic cars, especially when it comes to the durability of their 5-cylinder engines.

Nowadays however, it became clear that the fault was not of the cars themselves, but rather their owners, who did not strictly follow the maintenance recommended by Fiat. Especially with regard to the engine, it was apparent that the vast majority of owners opted, for cost reasons, to use mineral-based lubricating oil instead of the synthetic lubricant recommended by Fiat.

The practical result was that in a very short period of time the engine's useful life would come to an end and it would start to make internal noises that required premature overhauling, and this problem was not limited to the Turbo version, but to all 5-cylinder engines, both naturally aspirated and Turbo.

Of course, due to the greater demands placed on the turbo's mechanical components, the problem of inefficient lubrication caused by inadequate oil appeared even more quickly. However, the various Fiat Mareas that were well cared for and adequately lubricated, ensuring that the 5-cylinder turbo engine adopted by Fiat had a very long and useful life, clearly show that the fault was not with the car’s mechanics themselves but with the buyers’ habits.

SPECS

·Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h or 0 - 62 mph: 7.9 s

·Top Speed: 227 km/h or 141 mph

FUEL SPECS

·City: 8.8 km/l or 20.7 mpg

·Highway: 13.3 km/l or 31.3 mpg

·Autonomy (City): 554.4 km or 344.4 miles

·Autonomy (Highway): 837.9 km or 520.5 miles

·Fuel Tank Capacity: 63 l or 16.64 gal

SUSPENSION

·Front Suspension: McPherson strut and front with stabilizer bar, independent wheel and coil springs.

·Rear Suspension: Trailing arm suspension and rear with stabilizer bar, independent wheel and coil springs.

TIRES

·Type: 195/60 R15

·Sidewall Height: 117 mm or 4.6063 in

STEERING

·Steering: Yes (hydraulic)

·Turning Diameter: 11 m or 36’ 1.071”

AERODYNAMICS

·Frontal Area: 2.15 m² or 23.14241 ft²

·Aerodynamic Coefficient: 0.32 Cx

BRAKES

·ABS: Yes

·Front: Ventilated Discs

·Rear: Solid Discs