A Fiat family hatchback quietly made diesel history: the Croma was the first passenger car in the world sold with a direct-injection turbodiesel engine.
Lead trim: 1.6 SOHC 8V (83 hp) · up to 160 hp
Fiat Croma154 · 1985–1996
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Fiat Croma yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactA Fiat family hatchback quietly made diesel history: the Croma was the first passenger car in the world sold with a direct-injection turbodiesel engine.
A five-door notchback liftback styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign on the Type Four platform shared with the Saab 9000, Lancia Thema and Alfa Romeo 164; released in December 1985 to replace the Argenta and the first large Fiat with a transverse engine and front-wheel drive. Most petrols came from Fiat's Twin Cam family, from a single-cam 1.6 through the 2.0 Controlled High Turbulence (CHT) engine with two intake manifolds (among the first volume cars with variable intake ducts) to a turbocharged, intercooled 155 hp 2.0 and Alfa Romeo's 2.5 V6. In 1988 it became the first passenger car in the world with a direct-injection diesel (Turbo D i.d.), a 92 hp 1.9, later with a variable-geometry turbo (1991); 2.5 Iveco-Sofim diesels were also offered, though no diesels were sold in the UK. Facelifts came in 1988 (Frankfurt 1987), January 1991 and June 1993, and production ended in December 1996 when Fiat left the large-family segment.
Collectors Spotted in the Fiat Croma Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Fiat Croma yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
16 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 SOHC 8V (83 hp) | 1985–1996 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 83 hp | 94 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.9 Turbo D i.d. direct-injection diesel (92 hp) | 1985–1996 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 92 hp | 145 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 CHT 8V (101 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 101 hp | 124 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 CHT 8V (90 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 90 hp | 125 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 i.e. 16V (137 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 137 hp | 133 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 i.e. 8V (113 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 113 hp | 119 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 i.e. 8V (115 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 115 hp | 119 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 i.e. 8V (120 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 120 hp | 119 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 i.e. Turbo 8V (150 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 150 hp | 182 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.0 i.e. Turbo 8V (155 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 155 hp | 173 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.4 Turbo Diesel (100 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.4 L Inline-4 | 100 hp | 159 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.5 Diesel (75 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.5 L Inline-4 | 75 hp | 119 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2.5 V6 SOHC 12V (160 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.5 L V6 | 160 hp | 157 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2500 TD (101 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.5 L Inline-4 | 101 hp | 159 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2500 TD (115 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.5 L Inline-4 | 115 hp | 181 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 2500 TDE (105 hp) | 1985–1996 | 2.5 L Inline-4 | 105 hp | 162 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This Croma was born from a short-lived Fiat-GM joint venture: it rode on a stretched GM Epsilon platform, sharing underpinnings with the Opel Vectra, Opel Signum and Saab 9-3.
A Fiat family hatchback quietly made diesel history: the Croma was the first passenger car in the world sold with a direct-injection turbodiesel engine.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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