What's all this about?
Fiat has refreshed its C-segment Tipo line-up, taking the time to add a new Tipo Cross lifestyle model that should provide a cheaper alternative to something like a Ford Focus Active hatch. The Italian car's range starts at just £17,690 for a 1.0-litre 100hp hatchback and Tipo order books open at the end of November.
Right, so what has changed with the regular car?
Redesigned bumpers and a refreshed grille mark out the updated Tipo, a car which is also the first to wear Fiat's new corporate badge (it was revealed on the incoming, all-new electric 500 but the Tipo will hit the market first). There are also two new colours, which are Paprika Orange and Oceano Blue. Inside, a brand-new and configurable seven-inch TFT digital instrument cluster replaces the old analogue item, while the steering wheel is said to be more ergonomic than before. On the HVAC controls, additional chrome and black inserts can be seen.
OK, so can you talk about engines? And this new Tipo Cross model?
Er, talking about engines is easy, as there's only the one available: that aforementioned 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine making 100hp. The reason for this is because the triple is Euro-6d-final compliant, but good news as CO2 emissions across the range are in the 125-133g/km bracket, which is suitably low. What we can expand upon for you is the specification line-up. The basic Tipo hatchback model, for £17,690, comes with LED daytime running lights, rear parking sensors, Driver Drowsiness Monitoring, Intelligent Speed Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Keep Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, cruise control, an active grille shutter, electrically adjustable door mirrors, a steering wheel with audio controls, 16-inch wheels, a heated rear window (ooh, fancy!) and six airbags.
Add two grand to that figure and the £19,690 Tipo Life hatch chucks in adaptive cruise control, automatic climate control, 17-inch alloys, tinted rear windows, the seven-inch TFT cluster, heating elements for the door mirrors, a leather steering wheel and gearlever, electric lumbar support for the driver's seat, full LED headlights, rear LED lamps, rain and dusk sensors, automatic high beam, an electrochromic rear-view mirror, and a seven-inch touchscreen for the infotainment which bundles up DAB, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a USB port.
The Tipo Cross, its epithet tying it in with other rugged Fiats like the Fullback Cross pick-up truck and the Panda Cross micro-4x4, has a raised ride height compared to its 'lesser' Tipo siblings, as well as a different design of radiator grille and 17-inch alloy wheels, plus silver front and rear skid-plates, silver side skirts and roof rails, black plastic cladding over the arches, a rear-seat armrest, a rear USB socket, a rear-view camera, front parking sensors, satnav integration, a height-adjustable passenger seat and a full-sized spare wheel. It's another £2,000 again on a Tipo Life, so it starts from £21,690, but - unlike the other two models - the Cross is not available as a Station Wagon estate. If you do want either the Tipo SW or the Tipo Life SW, add £1,500 to their respective prices... oh, hold on, we'll save you the bother and just tell you that the former is £19,190 and the latter is £21,190. Boot space on the wagon is 550 litres, while any of the Tipo hatch models have a 440-litre cargo bay.
Matt Robinson - 13 Nov 2020
