Yugo Sana 1,4. A forgotten car

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Purchasing classics there

Yugo Sana 1,4. Who didn't dream of it in 1991? No one? oops. Wrong approach apparently. The Sana certainly didn't look bad. It was therefore designed by Giorgietto Guigiaro's company Ital Design. Rumor has it that the car was designed for Fiat, but rejected as a design there. The Yugo Sana was to conquer Europe and provide hard currency for the Yugoslavs.

The finish, paintwork and details were significantly less with the Yugo Sana than with the Fiat.

At the time, close ties were forged between the Eastern Bloc and us. One Eastern Bloc car manufacturer after another entered into partnerships with Western colleagues. But Yugo worked closely with Fiat well before that time. And therefore had an advantage. However?

And in 1991 you could put the cheapest Fiat Tipo next to the Yugo Sana to compare things. Yugo, previously Zastava, had never had the opportunity to develop completely own models. The company always had to make do with (dated) Fiat technology and engineering. And sales of those cars outside their own – politically divided – borders have never really taken off.

The new time

But that had to change in 1991 with the arrival of the Yugo Sana (in some export countries exuberantly called sunny “Florida”). Yugo was ready for the world. But was the world ready for the Yugo? In any case, the Yugo Sana looked current enough to be taken seriously. But the biggest challenge, of course, lay with, in our case, the Dutch importer. Because it had to convince the Dutch citizenry that it would be a very good idea to drive Yugo. And what should convince the Dutch citizenry? Well, the fact that the Yugo was cheap and yet very Fiat. But then a little less. For example, the car had the same engine as the Tipo, but without injection and catalytic converter. The Yugoslav inhaled through a Weber register carburetor. The Fiat was equipped with a central Bosch fuel injection system. Funnily enough, the more recent Fiat block produced slightly less power because 'cleaner driving' simply cost power at the time.

Not bad, not very good

The gearbox of the Fiat was much better because the Yugoslavs had chosen/had to make do with the old Fiat five-speed gearbox. And that had in fact always been a vague switching nonsense. The shifting paths were very long and shifting in the Yugo Sana required quite a bit of effort, while the result of all that work just didn't want to be convincing.

When it came to performance, the Fiat slightly less strong at the crankshaft delivered more power to the front wheels. The transmission losses in the Yugo Sana gearbox and powertrain are apparently greater than those in the greasy darkness of the Fiat. All in all, the Yugo Sana scored slightly higher than the Fiat in terms of performance. And that was due to its lower weight. At the end of all the action, the Fiat and Yugo were both running at about 150 real kilometers per hour. In that context, it was surprising that the Yugo was quieter in the interior at 140 km/h than its smart cousin.

In terms of chassis, the Fiat clearly won with its all-round independent wheel suspension. The Yugo Sana had independent suspension at the front, but no rear. The entire handling of the Sana turned out to be a little less refined than that of the Fiat. In that area, the Fiat turned out to be the clear winner.

Internally – and when it comes to external finishing – such a Yugo Sana was a pretty cheap looking pastry.

Cheap was still too expensive

Between the Fiat and the Yugo there was a price difference of such an 2.500 euro. And the general impression was that the price difference should have been bigger to make the Yugo Sana more attractive.

But in the meantime Yugo Sana has also found its endearing lovers in the Netherlands…

Also read:
- Zastava Yugo
- At the end of it alfabet: the Zastava Yugo

The Yugo Sana 1,4. A forgotten car
The Yugo Sana 1,4. A forgotten car
There were also exemplary finished Yugos

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6 comments

  1. “Yugo Sana 1,4. A forgotten car”
    Yes, that's not for nothing!
    A car that, except for some curiosity, actually adds nothing to Autoland.
    Well, a little strange is enough for an article, but it shouldn't get any crazier!
    What a sad affair it was (is) in those 'Communist' countries (between '' because they are just stupid dictatorships). Still feel sorry for the residents. And the leaders I still don't get, do I, just super selfish. Too bad.
    Anyway, this car is better than walking, better than cycling when it rains and fun for the eccentric who likes something different.

  2. Nice to see these forgotten models here.
    I really can't remember this one.
    The smaller model does. But that rusted away in front of you I thought.

  3. I had florida in red, old 1300 (128) engine with Bosch injection and long 5-speed gearbox, drove wonderfully and was more economical than the 128 ....

    • Me too! Although you encountered the Yugo quite regularly, he also disappeared from view just as regularly.
      Is it bad, annoying or a loss for posterity? No idea! But it's fun to read something about it again. It keeps our memories sharp Dolf! Who's next?

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