In idle moments I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a proper journalist, using my investigative skills to expose high-level political skulduggery, or dodging bullets in the world’s hellholes to bring back the stories that really matter. But I know also that these are Mitty-esque fantasies that will never be realised: such skills as I have lie in other places.

I wish certain car companies would display the same level of self-knowledge. Manufacturers that stray far from the values on which their reputations have been established do so at their peril.

In the 1970s, for instance, Lotus decided to stop building the lightweight, affordable sports cars that had earned it global acclaim, and enter the glamorous, treacherous world of supercar manufacturing.

The result nearly killed the company. Then it built another lightweight, affordable sports car and its customers duly queued around the block for it.

And why, while we’re on the subject, do the likes of Peugeot and Renault insist on building luxury saloons such as the 607 and Vel Satis? In the 17 years I’ve been doing this job I have yet to drive a single luxury car from either company that came remotely up to snuff.

But the group that staggers me most with its ability to carry on building cars outside its talent area is Fiat. I don’t think anyone does small cars better than Fiat and — the original Mini aside — I don’t think anyone ever has. From the pre-war Topolino to the current Panda, when Fiat has made a small car — with only one exception, the 126 — it has made a great car.

So why does it insist on building cars like this? The first Fiat Croma was launched 20 years ago and spent the next seven years dying a slow and painful death. It was not replaced and I presumed that Fiat had learnt finally that it’s no more a large-car constructor than I am Jon Swain. Apparently not. Thirteen years on, the return of the Croma is upon us and I’m already struggling to see how it’s going to make a decent name for itself.

To be fair, there’s not a great deal wrong with this all-new Croma, but nor is there anything, save its spacious interior and low price, to get remotely excited about.

Fiat says its unique selling point is to combine the best features of a saloon, estate and MPV under one roof. But as I see it it’s not as attractive as most comparable saloons, as capacious as most similar estates or as versatile as the average MPV. The result is a jack of all trades and master of none, though in its defence it is well equipped.

It goes on sale with one petrol and two diesel engines at prices ranging from £15,745 for the base-specification 147bhp 2.2 litre petrol version to £19,345 for the ambitiously titled Prestigio model complete with a 150bhp, 1.9 litre turbo-diesel engine. A 200bhp five-cylinder diesel will join the line-up later in the year.

In diesel form it offers pleasant performance and a six-speed gearbox to combat the engine’s inherently narrow power band. The engine is a little gruff while accelerating but once you’re in a cruise it’s quiet enough never to be intrusive.

Perhaps more surprising is that both handling and brakes are a little better than you’d expect from this kind of car. It turns crisply into corners, grips well and stops with reassuring authority. What is not so good, however, is the ride quality, which degenerates to such an extent on those very B-roads you might seek out to sample its engaging handling that you end up wishing you hadn’t bothered.

But this is not the Croma’s main failing — after all, anyone in the market for such a car is unlikely to be swung one way or the other by such dynamic issues. It is, in fact, in those areas in which Fiat has proclaimed its intentions to excel that the Croma is least convincing.

It has a raised driving position but its claims to be an MPV of any sort are undermined by an inability to seat more than five. It’s flawed as an estate, too: the rear seat doesn’t even fold completely flat and both the Vectra and Mondeo will ultimately carry bigger loads. Meanwhile, its rear hatch and upright appearance rule it out as a saloon.

So it should, instead, be seen as an unusually spacious hatchback and looked upon as such. It can make a case for itself on the basis of its generous rear legroom, impressive handling and refinement, decent level of standard equipment and low price.

But is that enough to gain a recommendation here? It’s not a bad car, like some other big Fiats of time gone by, but if the Croma offers the Mondeo and Vectra more than token resistance in the market place, I’ll be astonished.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model Fiat Croma 1.9 16v Multijet Eleganza
Engine type Four cylinders in line, 1910cc
Power/Torque 150bhp at 4000rpm / 236 lb ft at 2000rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 46.3mpg (combined), 160g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 9.6sec / Top speed: 130mph
Price £17,995
Verdict Fiat proves it should stick to building small cars
Rating 3/5

THE OPPOSITION

Model Ford Mondeo 2.2 TDCi Estate (£21,475)
For Strong performance from new engine, handling
Against Getting old now, interior quality not the best

Model Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDT-i 16v Estate (£20,970)
For Massive load capacity, ride and refinement
Against Not much fun to drive, zero image even for estate