This content is out of date and scheduled to be removed.

First drive review: Fiat Tipo 2016

Image of Phil Huff
Author: | Updated: 07 Jun 2016 16:13

Fiat has built the Ronseal of cars - it does exactly what it promised to do, and that’s provide capable, spacious, economical and well equipped transport with really strong value.

Car of the Year. That was the title given to the original Fiat Tipo some 28 years ago, an award won thanks to a combination of practicality and high equipment levels for a reasonably low price. Time hasn’t been kind to the car though, so few survive now.

Fortunately, Fiat is stepping in and reviving the Tipo as a Ford Focus competitor that follows the same winning formula that went down so well the first time round. We’re promised a shed load of space, plenty of toys to play with, and a temptingly low price. On specification, it’s going after the likes of the Focus, the Peugeot 308 and the Vauxhall Astra, but its pricing sees it rivalling the likes of Kia Cee’d and Hyundai i30.

A grown-up car

While it’s an all-new design, there’s nothing to get too excited about. There's no hybrid, no sports model, no carbon fibre chassis. It’s just a sensible, grown-up car that Fiat hopes will find around 1,000 homes a month in the UK.

Fiat Tipo 2016 Grey Front Static

There’s a range of tried and trusted engines available, but nothing that will get you frothing at the mouth. A 1.4-litre petrol engine is available with 94bhp, or you can choose to have the same unit with a turbocharger and 118bhp. There’s a 1.6-litre option too but, slightly oddly, it has less power than the 1.4. Still, it does come fitted with an automatic gearbox.

Diesel options consist of 1.3-litre or 1.6-litre engines, also delivering 94 or 118bhp. Surprisingly, the 1.6 is actually the more efficient engine, what with its 98g/km CO2 emissions and 76.3mpg fuel consumption, and it was also the engine we tried.

Although 118bhp is a fairly modest output, the 1.6 is quick enough to keep up with traffic around the city or out on the motorway. The 0-62mph sprint takes 10.1 seconds, and that is as good as any of its similarly priced rivals can manage.

The engine itself is fitted to all sorts of cars and is very much a tried and tested unit. If it’s good enough for the Jeep Renegade, Suzuki S-Cross and Alfa Romeo Giulietta, it’ll be absolutely fine in the lightweight Tipo.

Fiat Tipo 2016 Grey Rear Static

Saving money

Using existing engines keeps costs down, and that’s just one of many cost-saving measures Fiat has taken on the Tipo. We’d suggest there have been some savings made in the suspension too, as if the accounts team refused to approve the nicer dampers. It’s not that it’s a poor handling car, it’s just that it never fully settles down over imperfections in the road, while the car floats over bigger bumps. One upside of the soft suspension is that it’s never uncomfortable, but you feel that there’s a really good chassis underneath that’s being held back.

If the ride somehow manages to be both good and bad, there’s an upside in terms of handling. While there’s a lot of body roll, as you would expect, it’s actually quite a fine handling car. There’s little in the way of understeer and it clings to the road far better than anybody might expect. The well-balanced chassis and pleasingly weighted steering could well show up a few of its more expensive rivals.

A brief drive shows that the petrol-engined version is even better, thanks to there being less weight over the front axle.

Fiat Tipo 2016 Grey Front Static (1)

Saving weight

Low weight is a theme inside too, thanks to a lack of soft-touch plastics, intricate detailing, plush leather seating or a Bose sound system. Instead you get a value-focused interior that provides a pleasant surprise.

Everything is neat and modern, and far more pleasant than you’d find in a ‘proper’ budget model, but the material standards are still some way off the best in class. Look beyond that and the rationale behind the Tipo becomes clear. Every model gets a DAB radio, electric windows, Bluetooth connectivity and air-conditioning, while there’s a 5in touchscreen infotainment system, cruise control and parking sensors on higher models.

Splash out on a top-of-the-range model and you’ll also get TomTom satellite navigation, a reversing camera and automatic lights and wipers. That’s all wrapped up in a spacious cabin. The rear seats have room for even the tallest of adults - the roof is surprisingly high, despite the swooping rear window line - and there’s no shortage of legroom. The boot is a good size too, just a smidgen behind the class leaders but very usable thanks to a square shape and large hatch opening.

Fiat Tipo 2016 Interior (1)

With a starting price of £12,995, it undercuts pretty much everything; the Peugeot 308, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf cost thousands more, while the Tipo even undercuts the likes of the Hyundai i30, Kia cee’d and MG6 by four figure margins.

The verdict

Fiat has surprised us by making the Ronseal of cars - it does exactly what it promised to do, and that’s provide capable, spacious, economical and well equipped transport with really strong value.

Yes, there have been some compromises made to keep that price low, but nothing that should worry somebody who’s after an A-to-B car too much. Enthusiasts should probably look elsewhere for their driving thrills, but for everybody else the Tipo gives you more for less.

Fiat Tipo Hatch Lounge 1.6 MultiJet 120

Length: 4,368mm
Width: 1,792mm
Height: 1,495mm
Wheelbase: 2,636mm
Boot space: 440 litres

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder MultiJet 120 diesel (118bhp)
Transmission: 6-speed manual

0-62mph: 10.1s
Top speed: 124mph
Fuel economy: 76.3mpg
CO2 emissions: 98g/km

Previous Post Next Post
Not sure what car you want?
  • Easy-to-use tool
  • Save time and money
  • Meet your match
Find your dream car

Manufacturer Spotlight

Related Deals

  • FIAT 500

    87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto

    FIAT 500 87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto
    Personal Contract Hire
    1+47 5k Miles p/a
    Initial Payment: £296.73
    £296.73
    p/m inc. VAT
    View
    Deal by: iCarLease
  • FIAT 500

    87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto

    FIAT 500 87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto
    Personal Contract Hire
    9+47 5k Miles p/a
    Initial Payment: £2,289.06
    £254.34
    p/m inc. VAT
    View
    Deal by: iCarLease
  • FIAT 500

    87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto

    FIAT 500 87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto
    Personal Contract Hire
    6+47 5k Miles p/a
    Initial Payment: £1,612.44
    £268.74
    p/m inc. VAT
    View
    Deal by: iCarLease
  • FIAT 500

    87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto

    FIAT 500 87kW La Prima by Bocelli 42kWh 3dr Auto
    Personal Contract Hire
    9+47 6k Miles p/a
    Initial Payment: £2,318.94
    £257.66
    p/m inc. VAT
    View
    Deal by: iCarLease