Fiat Tipo
The Tipo is a hatchback or estate that simply delivers affordable, practical motoring from Fiat.
In the late 1980’s, Fiat launched a new car called the Tipo. It was a small hatchback with 5-doors and it was good enough to win the 1989 European Car of the Year award. It was produced right up until 1995 when it was replaced with a series of hatchbacks with different names before returning in 2016 once again, bringing with it the ‘Station Wagon’ – estate to you and me – body style with it.
When you first see the Fiat Tipo there’s nothing that’ll offend, a calculated move by Fiat who has endeavoured to produce a design with broad appeal and a straightforward, smart design more than anything else. It’s been played with a very straight bat and the same can be said of the interior, which is spacious and comfortable but from a design point of view there’s nothing much that stands out about it. In some ways, this is clever because plenty of people don’t want anything flashy in their car, but those who do may be put off a little.
Power comes from petrol and diesel sources, with the mainstay of the Fiat engine range – a 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder unit – available with or without a turbocharger and a 6-speed manual gearbox. The only diesel engine is a 1.6-litre unit with around 120bhp and that comes with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic as an option. With a manual gearbox, the diesel is supposedly capable of over 64mpg on a combined cycle.
Depending on your choice of model, the Tipo will come with either a 5 or 7-inch infotainment system, and it’s the latter that makes for the better choice as it’s a far better unit for everyday use. Affordable optional extras are bundled into ‘packs’ for ease of selection and affordability, an example of which is the Safety Plus Pack, bundling adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and a speed limiter – useful safety equipment to have on any car. Good leg room in the rear seats and an impressive sized boot is what makes the Tipo famous – 440-litres on the hatchback and 550-litres on the Station Wagon is available to load.
For many, the Tipo is a modest, well priced and practical car that doesn’t need any gimmicks to appeal. A hatchback that shouldn’t be underestimated.