Name: Fiat Tipo (2016 - present) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Fiat Tipo
Rating: 47

Fiat Tipo (2016 – present) | Expert Rating

Summary

The Fiat Tipo is a medium-sized five-door hatchback and estate family car. The current generation model arrived in the UK in the summer of 2016, and was most recently updated in Autumn 2020.

The Tipo has received generally poor reviews from the UK motoring media, which has resulted in an overall Expert Rating of 47% as of February 2022 – that is currently the second-lowest in its class, just one point above its quirky sibling, the Fiat 500L.

Of particular note is a poor three-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, when most of the class leaders have a five-star safety rating.

The Fiat Tipo has been praised for its keen pricing, good equipment levels and spaciousness. However, it has been criticised for its uninspiring driving dynamics, poor interior quality and below-par safety equipment.

As of Spring 2022, the Tipo is available with a mild hybrid petrol engine, which improves fuel efficiency and (unlike most mild hybrid motors) is able to provide a very small amount of electric power to move the car under limited conditions. However, its electrical assistance is much less than that found on a regular hybrid car, which can travel some distance and at normal urban speeds on electrical power alone.

More Fiat ratings, reviews, news and features

Key specifications

Body style: Five-door hatch and estate
Engines: petrol, diesel
Price: From £17,690 on-road

Launched: Spring 2016
Last updated: Spring 2022
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Score: 6.2 / 10
“If you need a car to ensure you get from A to B with little fuss, the Fiat Tipo could be a good option. But please ensure you pay an extra £500 for the safety pack…”
Read review

Auto Express

Model reviewed: (range review)
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo comes as a compact hatch or SW estate, and it’s easy to drive, offers decent space and is good value for money.”
Read review

Autocar

Model reviewed: (range review)
Score: 5 / 10
“Acceptable but a long way removed from the class’s sharp end.”
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: 1.6-litre MultiJet 120 Lounge
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo pulls the same car-for-the-class-above trick that Dacia applies to its range – this is a Ford Focus for the price of a Fiesta – yet there’s no waft of ‘eau-de-cheapskate’ when you open the door.”
Read review

Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 7.2 / 10
“If you’re after a small family hatchback that’s strong on value, practicality and standard equipment, then the Fiat Tipo could well be for you.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 7.2 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo Station Wagon is a practical, spacious and generously equipped family estate car, let down by an uninspiring engine range and dull driving experience.”
Read review

Carwow

Model reviewed: Station Wagon estate range
Score: 5 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo Station Wagon is an affordable small estate car with a big boot and a decent amount of equipment but it doesn’t drive as well as more upmarket alternatives.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 5 / 10
“The spacious, relatively economical Fiat Tipo five-door hatchback marks the Italian brand’s return to the small family car market where it faces stiff competition from the likes of the SEAT Ibiza and Kia Ceed.”
Read review

Heycar

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 5 / 10
“They say that ‘you pays your money and you takes your choice’. The thing is, what if your priority is to pay as little money as possible, and you don’t give a flying Fiat about the quality of what that money gets you? Well, dear friends, that’s where the Tipo comes in.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Station Wagon range
Score: 6 / 10
“There are several things that the Fiat Tipo Station Wagon has going for it, namely its ability to carry passengers and luggage with relative ease, the good specification levels and the competitive pricing. It should be relatively cheap to run too, but it’s not great to drive, particularly comfortable or of high quality.”
Read review

Honest John

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 6 / 10
“There’s nothing outstanding or exciting about the Fiat Tipo Station Wagon, but equally there’s not a lot wrong with it. There is one issue that stands out, though – the active safety tech comes in optional packs instead of as standard, and without it the car only gets a three-star safety rating.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo doesn’t stand out as a particularly remarkable family car, but it feels sturdily made, it’s practical and it is very competitively priced.”
Read review

Parkers

Model reviewed: SW estate range
Score: 6 / 10
“Practical estate car majoring in value-for-money”
Read review

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 6.4 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo is a sensible, good-value family hatch”
Read review

The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: 1.6-litre diesel manual Lounge MultiJet 120
Score: 6 / 10
“Vaguely forgettable hatch but its thriftiness is appealing.”
Read review

The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo doesn’t excel in any particular area, and in a lot of ways it falls far behind the market leaders. But the flexibility of the pricing structure and a very low starting figure means that the Tipo could still prove tempting.”
Read review

Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview (hatchback and estate)
Score: 6 / 10
“Probably Fiat’s least interesting car, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth ignoring if you love a bargain.”
Read review

What Car?

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 4 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo is spacious with plenty of safety tech but poor residual values mean it won’t be as good value to own as a SEAT Leon. Many rivals are better to drive with a more compliant ride, plus the interior is on the cheap side compared with similarly priced rivals to our preferred Life spec.”
Read review

Which?

Model reviewed: Estate range
“The Fiat Tipo Station Wagon may not be the last word in sophistication or style, but it’s towards the top of its class for headroom, legroom and boot volume. It’s also brilliant value for a car this size and has plenty of equipment as standard. However, it feels cheap in places and doesn’t drive as well as rival medium-sized cars.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
“The Fiat Tipo has no major weaknesses but few real strengths. If you’re looking for a spacious family car for a low price, it’s got plenty to offer, but don’t expect sophistication or style for the money.”
Read review