I AM the last person to listen to when it comes to style.
My personal car, after all, is a much abused Fiat Multipla, the car for which the world “fugly” was created.
Which is why you can take or leave my opinion that the long overhang of the otherwise handsome Fiat Tipo’s boot lid is a bit too much on the eye. Similar styling is selling a lot of Toyota models, after all.
But I do know a thing or two about industrial design and can hold my own when it comes to bandying about terms like ergonomic or the Bauhaus philosophy.
Hence my praise for the Tipo as a surprisingly lekker, and quite a practical family car, should count for something.
That boot lid, for example, opens to a full-size spare wheel. This show me the same Fiat philosophy that gave us the legendary 128, and the quick little Uno still guides Fiat’s designers when it comes to making affordable cars for fast drivers.
I drove the Tipo sedan with Fiat’s turbo diesel 1.3 MultiJet II and the hatch with the Fire 1.4 16v petrol engine.
Neither engine will win any respect in a straight drag race, despite a slick five-speed gearbox.
It is rather on a twisty road that the Tipo’s firm suspension and effective brakes respond very pleasingly, as can be expected from a sedan that has won the “Best Buy Car 2016” award, after being chosen by a jury of 26 European journalists.
Inside the Tipo, the steering wheel continues the practical design ethos.
The audio buttons are placed behind the spokes where your fingers can easily adjust the volume or change the channels.
The steering wheel also adjusts for reach and height, to enable tall or short people to get comfortable behind the pedals.
Driver and front-passenger air bags are standard, with side and curtain air bags an option.
Other active safety features include tyre-pressure sensors, electronic stability control, brake assist and hill-start assist.
The radio system is rather dated and not easy to link via Bluetooth, but phones can also link via USB or AUX ports that are handily placed in the central console. Rear-parking sensors and a rear-view camera are optional.
All Fiat Tipo models come with a standard three-year or 100 000 km warranty and service plan, but both the sedan and hatch face stiff competition from Kia and Hyundai, which offer a longer warranty at a lower price.
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| The Haval is rewriting opinions on Chinese cars. |
In this price range, the Haval H2, China’s new premium SUV, also offers a more modern interior. (See overleaf)
To my mind, however, the biggest competitor to the Tipo may come from a totally unexpected corner — the Fiat Fullback doublecab.
Voted as SA’s best bakkie to buy in 2017 by Bakkie and Car, the base model Fullback does not offer as many bells and whistles as the Tipo, but for R232 900 it gives the Fiat afficianado a high-riding double cab with a smooth 2.4 engine turbo diesel and all the stylish pragmatism Fiat is known for.
Fiat Tipo pricing
Sedan
1.4l Pop R229 900
1.4l Easy R249 900
1.3l D Easy R274 900
1.6l Easy Auto R274 900
Hatchback
1.4l Pop R249 900
1.4l Easy R269 900
1.4l Lounge R289 900
1.6l Easy Auto R294 900
