Tipo Is Tops

Fabrica Italiana Automobile Torino (Fiat), translated as Italian Automobiles Factory Turin, was founded in 1899 by Giovanni Agnelli an Italian entrepreneur who was also the mayor of a place called Villar Perosa in Italy.

Agnelli got wind of the invention of the then horseless carriage and immediately saw an opportunity. He met with Count Emmanuelle Cacherano of Bricherasio who had a horseless carriage project, paying $400 (N$5 289) for his share on 11 July 1899, he was part of the group of founding members of Fiat, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Fiat has a legacy of being a high-tech carmaker and the 2017 Tipo is not exempt. The brand is designed to have low fuel consumption while maintaining top notch performance.

Fiat was the first to produce a direct injection diesel engine for a passenger car and even began its green movement in the 80s, producing natural gas and electric cars before it became ‘fashionable’ to do so. By 1990, Fiat introduced the Panda which is the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle.

Looking at the names Fiat has been introducing lately, it is clear that the brand is feeling somewhat nostalgic and are revisiting their past. And why not? Particularly if it was such a huge success.

Fiat seems to be out to reclaim the top spot and they are making small cars to fit every need. Few car makers are as passionate about smaller cars as Fiat is.

The Tipo was first manufactured in 1988, clearly a derivative of the Fiat Uno which had hit the market a few years earlier. The Tipo is a C-segment car offered in three body styles: hatch, sedan and multi-wagon but only the sedan and hatch are available in Southern Africa.

The Tipo pulls a big surprise on space and comes at a reasonable price too – available in three trim levels: pop, easy and lounge. It was introduced as a replacement of the Bravo for the hatch, Tipo saloon also replaces the Fiat Linea and Tipo multi-wagon replaces the Stilo. The Tipo is also known as the Egea in Europe.

The tall and spacey Tipo is certainly a good looking car, nothing spectacular or extraordinary, but is great at its level and does not promise more than is packaged. The Tipo was designed in Turin by Centro Stile Fiat and features some signature Italian flair made up of artistic excellence, simplicity and sophistication which is only seen in the detail. Stepping in to the interior, quality is evident in its fine stitching and leather/cloth seats also in places like buttons and dials. The dash and centre console looks and feels of solid quality. Throughout the interior, it’s evident Fiat values simplicity as only a few buttons and dials are in plain sight.

Every new Tipo has an innovative infotainment system which includes: high resolution touch screen, Bluetooth, audio streaming, voice recognition, SMS reader, USB and AUX ports and 3D TomTom Navigation system.

You can also monitor your fuel savings, eco-performance and servicing status, wherever you are, with Eco Drive and My Car.

As the auto industry leans towards autonomous driving, the Tipo is not left behind, it’s fitted with advanced driver assistance systems which includes: parking sensors, rear-view camera and cruise control. You even get a speed limiter, to stop you going over the speed limit you set.

It would be a misappropriation to drive a Tipo and expect to get the sensation of a Golf GTI or an AMG Mercedes. The Tipo is purely an eco/family car but tweaked with features from the upper market segment, it’s a good value for money car – simply and gracefully designed.

It certainly seems Fiat has read the market well and offered the right car at the right time.

Our test drive car was a 1.4, 16v petrol propelled engine giving out 127 Nm torque at 4500rpm, via a six speed manual. Weighing in at just over a ton, it runs very well with nothing I found to be misappropriated for an economy car.

It does 0-100 kp/h in 10 seconds and tackles bends and curves very well in what seems to be a well composed ride. Pedals are close together, meaning the Tipo is made with feminine priority.

The Tipo scores four stars on the Euro NCAP safety rating, it’s fitted with a host of safety innovations which include; driver and front passenger airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC), including ASR/ MSR (slip regulations), as well as hill brake assist (HBA), hill holder and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

If you’re looking for an economic vehicle with flair and simplicity and a distinct air of European sophistication, then the Tipo is a perfect alternative in the current market.