Name: Fiat Tipo Review
Item: Fiat Tipo
Author: Gumtree.com

Taking its name from a popular Fiat that was retired in 1995, the modern Tipo is a sturdy family car available as a hatchback or an estate. Ever since its 2016 UK launch, it’s come with a generous set of standard features, sharp design and great value for money. Both petrol and diesel versions are on offer. Though most are manual, you can also find automatic models out there. Loads of space inside means the Tipo is practical and versatile, making it a great option for the school run, local driving or longer trips.

Check out the Fiat Tipo model page to learn more and browse available cars.

What we think about the Fiat Tipo

The Fiat Tipo is a capable family hatch that’s both versatile and budget-friendly. All trims are well-equipped and easy to drive.

Pros

Lots of space

Sporty looks

Great standard features

Cons

–

Poor safety scores

–

Feels cheap inside

With five doors, seats for five and plenty of boot space, the Fiat Tipo is a practical family car in hatchback, estate and cross forms. Both petrol and diesel models are reasonably efficient and cheap to run, and on older models there were six trims to choose from: Easy, Street, Mirror, S-Design, Lounge and Sport. Newer models come instead in base-level standard, Life and City Sport trims.

Driving performance of the Fiat Tipo

Our Driving Rating7 / 10

Travelling in the Tipo is usually a pretty smooth experience – passengers will find it comfy over bumps and potholes. The steering feels heavy at low speeds and a bit vague when you’re going faster. This is fine if you’re looking for an easy way to get from A to B, but keen drivers won’t find it engaging. Hit the City button on the dashboard and the steering will lighten up, making fiddly parallel parks much easier. On the motorway, the Tipo is a little noisy but cruises well. It’s capable on both city drives and longer trips.

Safety and reliability of the Fiat Tipo

Our Safety Rating6 / 10

Euro NCAP only gave the Tipo three out of five stars when it was crash tested in 2016. Models with the optional safety pack get four out of five stars, but still fall short due to a lack of active safety features. All models have the basics you’d expect, including seatbelt reminders and Isofix child seat attachment points. The safety pack adds forward-collision warnings and autonomous emergency braking (standard on later models). Fiat has improved its reliability ratings significantly in recent years, and the Tipo has a good reputation on this front.

Under the bonnet of the Fiat Tipo

Our Engine Rating7 / 10

All versions of the Tipo are reasonably speedy and capable of getting from 0-60 mph in under ten seconds. There are two smooth 1.4-litre petrol engines available. The naturally aspirated version offers a capable 94 bhp, while the turbocharged T-Jet model brings a sporty 118 bhp. If you’d prefer a diesel engine, there’s a choice of a 1.3-litre engine capable of 95 bhp or a 1.6-litre model with 118 bhp. All Tipos are front-wheel-drive and come with six-speed manual transmission as standard. Diesel models are also available with an automatic gearbox.

What you'll find in the Fiat Tipo

Our Design Rating7 / 10

Chrome details and a double-bubble roof shape help to give the Tipo sharp, sporty styling. It’s on the large side for a family hatch at 4.5m long, 1.8m wide and 1.5m tall. All trims are available with petrol engines, while only Mirror and Lounge can be had with diesels in the older trim setup. Opting for the Sport adds a rear diffuser, front splitter and black contrast roof. There’s also the estate version, offering more space and up for grabs in all trims.

Comfort and interiors in the Fiat Tipo

Our Comfort Rating7 / 10

There’s plenty of space for everyone in the Fiat Tipo, with only the tallest adults at risk of running out of headroom. The main four seats are comfortable but the middle seat is best reserved for short journeys. The boot space is better than most family hatches offer, with a huge 510-litre capacity. A wide, square tailgate means it’s easy to get things in and out, too. The rear seats fold for transporting large items like furniture. Inside, the Tipo feels somewhat budget thanks to a lot of hard plastics, although the colour scheme is neat.

What features you'll find in the Fiat Tipo

Our Features Rating8 / 10

All versions of the Tipo come well-equipped with DAB radio, Fiat’s UConnect multimedia infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity and aux ports. Every trim except Easy and Street get a seven-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring too. From Mirror upwards, you’ll get rear parking sensors, while Lounge adds TomTom satellite navigation and a parking camera. All versions include USB charging ports – no more arguing over whose turn it is to charge their phone.

What fuel efficiency to expect from the Fiat Tipo

Our Fuel Consumption Rating7 / 10

Weighing in at 1350kg, the Fiat Tipo is reasonably efficient for a family hatch. The lower-powered petrol version claims 40.7 mpg in base-level trim. Upgrading adds more fancy kit and drops the fuel economy a little. In Mirror trim, the 94 bhp petrol model is capable of 37 mpg with carbon dioxide emissions of 149 g/km. The more powerful petrol T-Jet is almost as efficient at 36 mpg, with emissions of 153 g/km. Diesel models offer better fuel economy – the 1.6-litre version is rated at 51 mpg and 110 g/km.

Running costs of the Fiat Tipo

Our Cost Rating8 / 10

No matter which engine or trim you pick, the Fiat Tipo sits squarely in insurance group six. This means getting cover should be a pretty affordable experience, even compared to other budget-friendly hatches. It tends to depreciate rapidly when bought new, so the Tipo should be a good-value used buy. Fiat servicing is generally cheap and spare parts tend to be easy to get hold of. There are some attractively priced servicing packages available, too.

Our verdict of the Fiat Tipo

4 / 5 Gumtree rating

The Fiat Tipo is a versatile, spacious family hatch that offers sporty looks and great practicality in a budget-friendly package.

Fiat Tipo Review