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2017 is the year in which the Fiat Tipo makes its comeback.
The range includes four-door, five-door and Break versions and combines the brand’s historic values of functionality, simplicity and personality.
Fiat is relaunching its Tipo model in the highly competitive compact saloon market, with the emphasis very much on simplicity without compromising on comfort, space or modern features yet still at a low price. The five-door version, for example, is available from €14,988. This tried and tested Italian recipe has certainly brought the brand a great deal of success in the past. Focusing on the five-door (hatchback) version, the Tipo we tested was 4.37m long, 1.79m wide and 1.50m high. All of the space was well configured and notably included a 440L boot capacity and plenty of space for all of the vehicle’s occupants.
Style and features
This easy-on-the-eye model resembles the Peugeot 308, Hyundai i30 and Volkswagen Golf in terms of its design, so it’s certainly far from revolutionary. It does, however, have plenty of standard features, including six airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system and ESC stability control, which incorporates various functionalities such as emergency brake assist, ABS, traction control and hill start assist.
Other features designed to ensure comfort and safety include rear parking sensors, front fog lights, automatic climate control, cruise control, front armrest and lumbar support in the driver’s seat. Other noteworthy additions include high-tech features such as the UconnectTM 7" HD LIVE system complete with tablet-type 7-inch high-resolution colour touch screen. This system includes a Bluetooth hands-free interface, audio streaming, steering wheel radio controls and USB and AUX ports, among other things.
The compact five-door saloon we test drove had the new MultiJet II 1.6 diesel engine, complete with the Start&Stop system that helps reduce fuel consumption. This Tipo offers a reassuring everyday drive whilst the 120hp (88kW) provides the performance you need when the time comes for a little more throttle. One downside was that the sound-proofing could do with a little more work.
At the end of the day, the Fiat Tipo can be marketed as a serious competitor of other saloons in its category with a number of convincing arguments in terms of value for money for the features and spaciousness that it offers.