Fiat Tipo Hatchback (2016 -) Review Review by Keith Jones on 19 May 2016 Last Updated: 08 Dec 2016 3 Further swelling the ranks of the mid-sized family car market is the Fiat Tipo Hatchback, which replaces the Bravo after a two-year hiatus. The Italian brand’s got a habit of dusting off previously used nameplates from its back catalogue – witness the recent Fiat 124 Spider as another example – but the one and only previous generation of Tipo disappeared from pricelists back in 1995. Summary Driving & Performance Equipment Comfort Costs Safety & Reliability Buying & Selling Also Consider Facts & Figures Road Tests (1) Gallery Spacious interior Well-equipped Good value Unexciting to drive Not especially quick New price range: £17,690 - £19,690 View all new prices Used price range: £4,290 - £12,238 View all used prices Summary Parkers Rating: 3 out of 5 Further swelling the ranks of the mid-sized family car market is the Fiat Tipo Hatchback, which replaces the Bravo after a two-year hiatus. The Italian brand’s got a habit of dusting off previously used nameplates from its back catalogue – witness the recent Fiat 124 Spider as another example – but the one and only previous generation of Tipo disappeared from pricelists back in 1995. Most sold in the UK will be five-door hatchbacks but there’s also a Tipo Station Wagon estate, while a four-door Tipo saloon is also under consideration for British sales. A Tipo Trekking with pseudo-SUV looks is highly unlikely. So what’s the new Tipo up against? What isn’t it up against would be an easier question to answer. Essentially everything in this sector, from the stalwart Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf trio, to highly competent rivals in the forms of the Hyundai i30, Kia Ceed and Skoda Octavia. Roomy and comfortable hatchback Disappointingly, the Fiat Tipo lacks much in the way of Italian brio, although this isn’t a reflection of the fact it’s manufactured in Turkey. It’s a relatively ‘safe’ design that doesn’t make much attempt to stand out from the crowd, and despite a smattering of interesting detailing – the headlights, grille and bodyside creasing, for instance – it nevertheless blends in with the plethora of generic Eurohatches on sale. There’s plenty of space once aboard the Tipo, including a welcome 440-litre boot, which makes it one of the roomiest in the class. Unlike its original namesake, the rear seat is designed in such a way that the central passenger position is inferior to the outer two, being narrower and firmer. Fiat claims to have maximised the benefits of the spacious interior by making the Tipo especially comfortable to drive. While it isn’t bad, it doesn’t set new class standards in this regard. Neither, sadly, does it feel satisfyingly wieldy to pilot along winding B-roads. Economical petrol and diesel engines Five engines will comprise the Fiat Tipo’s British line-up, with a pair of diesels and a trio of petrols. ‘Modest’ best describes their performance attributes, the whole range producing between 94bhp and 118bhp. The highest top speed mustered by any of them is 124mph, while the 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol’s the quickest for 0-62mph sprints at 9.6 seconds. In truth, that T-Jet motor and 1.6-litre MultiJet II diesel – both with 118bhp – offer the best combinations of adequate performance and decent fuel economy. It’s also the larger 1.6-litre diesel, as opposed to the smaller 1.3-litre edition, with the lowest CO2 emissions at 98g/km. Manual transmissions feature as standard, apart from the 1.6-litre E-TorQ petrol which is exclusively available with a six-speed automatic. There’s a six-speed twin-clutch automatic – DDCT in Fiatspeak – available as an option on the larger of the diesels, too. Well-appointed and good value Three levels of Tipo trim hierarchy will be available but Fiat’s yet to decide whether the UK will follow the Pop, Easy and Lounge specifications employed in Europe. What is clear is that all Tipos will come with air-con, Bluetooth connectivity and DAB radio, including entry-level models that start at under £13,000 at the time of its 2016 launch. Build quality feels fine for the price although the early-build examples we tested displayed a few squeaks and rattles, and some of the plastics do feel cheaper than those your fingers will experience in the likes of an Astra, let alone a Golf. Read on for the full the Fiat Tipo Hatchback review to find out how good it is. Parkers Ratings Overall 3 out of 5 Performance 3 out of 5 Handling 3 out of 5 Comfort 3.5 out of 5 Practicality 4 out of 5 Behind the wheel 3.5 out of 5 Safety 4 out of 5 Reliability 3 out of 5 Running costs 4 out of 5 Green credentials 4 out of 5 Buying new 3.5 out of 5 Buying used 3 out of 5 Selling 3 out of 5 Equipment 4.5 out of 5 Read the full facts and figures about this car Compare this car to other cars Next steps View 5 new Fiat Tipo Hatchbacks for sale Tweet Other Fiat reviews Continue to: Driving & Performance Best deals on Fiat Tipo Hatchbacks New Fiat Tipo Hatchback S-Design 1.4 T-Jet 120hp 5d Now £15,375 Save £4,615 List Price £19,990 New Fiat Tipo Hatchback Sport 1.4 95hp 5d Now £15,650 Save £4,450 List Price £20,100 Used Fiat Tipo Easy 1.4 16v 95hp 5d (2017/67) Price £4,995 Save £1,215 Car Lot Harrow Limited Used Fiat Tipo Lounge 1.6 MultiJet II 120hp 5d (2017/17) Price £6,490 Save £1,010 Accept Car Finance Warrington Cheshire
Used Fiat Tipo Lounge 1.6 MultiJet II 120hp 5d (2017/17) Price £6,490 Save £1,010 Accept Car Finance Warrington Cheshire