Name: Fiat Tipo (2016 - present) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Fiat Tipo
Rating: 48

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 Spring 2022. It is now at the end of its life and is no longer available to order, although new car stock is still available from Fiat dealers.

An update to the range in 2021 introduced a new range-topping version – the Tipo Cross – which features SUV-style bumper cladding and bigger alloy wheels.

As of January 2024, the Tipo holds a New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 48%. this means that this budget family car currently sits at the bottom of the medium car class in our Expert Rating Index.

Of particular note is a poor three-star safety rating from Euro NCAP (which has also now expired), 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.

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

Tipo highlights

Value-for-money option
Spacious interior
Simple to drive
Rather large boot

Tipo lowlights

Dull driving experience
Cheap cabin materials
Poor resale values
Safety rating relatively poor

Key specifications

Body style: Five-door hatch and estate
Engines: petrol (with or without mild hybrid assistance)
Price: From £22,245 on-road

Launched: Spring 2016
Last updated: Spring 2022
End of production: Autumn 2023

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…”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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Honest John+

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.”
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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.”
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Parkers+

Model reviewed: SW estate range
Score: 6 / 10
“Practical estate car majoring in value-for-money”
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Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 6.4 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo is a sensible, good-value family hatch”
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The Sunday Times+

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

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: October 2016
Date expired: January 2023
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 82%
Child protection: 60%
Vulnerable road users: 62%
Safety assist: 25%

Notes on safety rating

The Fiat Tipo was originally crash tested by Euro NCAP back in 2016 and awarded a three-star rating. However, this rating expired in January 2023 and is no longer valid as the car no longer meets the standards required for such a rating. This is normal practice, as Euro NCAP reviews its ratings on most cars annually with most ratings expiring after about six or seven years.

However, if you are comparing a used Tipo to vehicles of similar age, whose ratings will have probably also expired, its safety rating score is still useful.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of January 2024, the Fiat Tipo has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of January 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Fiat Tipo to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Tipo, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	41 mpg	D	37 – 49 mpg	C – D
Diesel models	57 mpg	B	57 – 57 mpg	B – B
Hybrid models	53 mpg	B	53 – 53 mpg	B – B

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	125 g/km	A	119 – 167 g/km	A – C
Diesel models	133 g/km	A	132 – 134 g/km	A – A
Hybrid models	119 g/km	A	119 – 119 g/km	A – A

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	11	A	7 – 16	A – A

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£131	A
Year 2	£406	A
Year 3	£655	A
Year 4	£858	A
Year 5	£1,180	A
Overall	£3,230	A

The Fiat Tipo is a relatively affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Fuel economy scores range from good to poor, depending on your choice of engine. However, it’s fair to say that there are plenty of more economical alternatives available to choose from.

Other than that, everything else about owning and running a Fiat Tipo looks to be excellent – servicing and maintenance, insurance, and road tax (which is based on CO₂ emissions) scores are all outstanding.