by Ané Theron

Looking to buy a Fiat Tipo sedan? With three different engines on offer, is the economical diesel model the one to get, or should you go for the 1.4 or 1.6-litre petrol? Let's see which one is the wisest buy.

Launched locally in July 2017, the stylish Fiat Tipo sedan is a spacious family car which offers very good value all-round. Often overlooked in favour of its Volkswagen counterpart (the Jetta) or the Hyundai Accent, it's a car that comes rather well-specified for its price.

Currently, the local sedan line-up consists of 4 variants, equipped with naturally aspirated 1.4-litre petrol engines, a 1.3-litre turbodiesel, and a 1.6-litre non-turbocharged engine. (Click here for Martin Pretorius's review on the Fiat Tipo sedan 1.4 Pop Culture.)

Priced as new, here are the engine and trim choices for the Fiat Tipo sedan:

1. Fiat Tipo sedan 1.4 Pop: R239 900

2. Tipo sedan 1.4 Easy: R259 900

3. Tipo sedan 1.3 Multijet Easy: R284 900

4. Tipo sedan 1.6 Easy: 290 900.

While the Tipo sedan 1.3 Multijet Easy may seem like the obvious choice (with claimed diesel consumption of only 4.4 litres per 100 km), it's not the model I'd buy for myself. The reason for this is that smaller diesel engines need to work very hard and therefore their longevity is questionable. Another issue with diesels is that you need to be very diligent with maintenance ( ie. regular services and oil changes), even more so than with petrol engines. If you do have your heart set on the diesel Tipo, we'd suggest selling it on or trading in before the service plan has completely run out, as it could cost you money in the long run. The Tipo has a 3-yr/100 000 km service plan as standard.

The sensible choice in the Tipo lineup would be the Fiat Tipo sedan 1.4 Easy, which offers the best value for its price. While it's certainly not the friskiest Tipo, its engine output is a city-sufficient 70kW / 127kW, but bear in mind that this engine will also struggle somewhat, especially at the reef. If you can afford to pay around 30k more, then the Tipo 1.6-litre Easy, with a more driver-friendly 81kW and 152Nm, would be at the top of our list.

• Other options in this price range include the Ford Focus sedan, Honda Ballade, Mazda3 sedan or the Suzuki Ciaz, VW Jetta, Hyundai Accent.