THE FIAT empire recently added Chrysler and Jeep to its group of manufacturers and as a result some Italian products have now found their way into the UK badged as Chryslers.

I have just been driving a Chrysler Delta which in the rest of Europe is sold as a Lancia.

The Delta's smart styling and spacious interior mean it is a big seller on the Continent where it has been on sale for three years.

Now available for the first time in the UK as a right-hand-drive model with a Chrysler badge, the Delta has a lot to offer.

The Delta's attractive Italian styling gets favourable comments and it makes a big impact with interested drivers.

From the front the large grille, bold headlights and contoured grille combine to give the Delta real presence and  its curvy profile is also pleasant to look at.

As it is longer and wider than most of its family-hatch competitors, the Delta offers impressive cabin space and stacks of standard equipment.

The sliding rear seats offer great flexibility and the luggage space is class leading.

The controls and instruments are well laid out and the dash materials are soft to the touch. The steering wheel is  leather-clad and features some controls.

The seats are very comfortable and easy to adjust to a decent driving position but the pedals are cramped and there is no rest for your left foot. I constantly found my left foot catching the clutch pedal when I tried to put it in a rest position.

Power in the test car was provided by the 1.6 MultiJet diesel engine which is good for 120mph and can tackle the sprint to 62mph in just 10.7 seconds.

It is fairly smooth unit which delivers enough power for most tastes and it is also very efficient.

The claimed  combined figure is a little over 60mpg and while I did not achieve that figure I certainly got well over 50mpg on a wide variety of journeys.

The Delta handled most roads and surfaces well and overall was a very agreeable drive.

The spacious interior will be a  bonus to family motorists  as will the three-year/60,000 mile warranty.

Wind and road noise are well insulated from the cabin and the steering is nice and light.

The Delta feels fairly well screwed together and built to stand the test of time but it is in the toughest market sector of all with some really excellent opposition.

The Delta 1.6 MultiJet in SR trim is priced at £21,195 and the test car had optional bi-colour paint and rear parking sensors, taking it to £22,170. An entry level petrol model starts the range at £16,695.

It has striking looks, a spacious comfortable cabin and good equipment levels but I think the Delta would need to be more keenly priced to have a major impact on the UK family hatch market.