Lounging about in Fiat’s Tipo Hatch

By Martin Pretorius

The Tipo is Fiat’s entry into the “affordable segment” of the medium-compact car class in South Africa, and made its first appearance here a couple of months ago in both hatchback- and sedan form.

The price range you are looking at here is broad, running from around R250 000 to about R350 000 –  a lot more if you are after one of the performance models.  It’s an area where there is a huge amount of competition from some very serious manufacturers with massive global reputations.

However, it is a fact that this B-C segment in the sedan hatch class is a shrinking one in terms of the overall passenger market here, as the so-called cross-over models (a compromise between a hatchback and an SUV) gain increasing momentum amongst the buying public. Hence Fiat’s strategy to target the lower, affordable end of this segment; the Tipo hatchback models range in price from  R 249 900 to R 294 900.

Fiat Tipo 1.4i Lounge

AutoTrader’s test model was the hatchback in range-topping “Lounge” specification as far as trim is concerned, but as far as engine-spec goes, it gets the least-powerful unit, the so-called “Fire” engine in 16-valve, 1.4-litre,  70 kW form. You can get a 1.6-litre version of the Tipo, but this is only available on the automatic transmission versions, and our car (happily) came with the six-speed manual gearbox, driving the front wheels.

The Tipo is a strange car to analyse, in this form, because it seems as if it is the product of two worlds colliding: On the one hand there is an aura of sophistication about the styling and design, and on the other, it’s as if an important aspect of the car has been compromised to keep it price-attractive.

A car of two worlds

The sophistication aspect begins in the overall shape, which sees the Tipo measure 4,37 m in length, with a pleasant non-controversial look highlighted by nice detailing in the light treatment, grille, and in the ever-so-slightly squared-off wheel arches. The car has a long wheelbase for this segment. And talking of wheels, those 17-inch alloys on the Lounge model do look good.

It has a feeling of impressive spaciousness when you climb behind the wheel , the flowing dashboard seeming to extend way over yonder to the other side of the cabin. There is impressive head clearance inside, front and back, thanks to a straight roof line, and if you are stuck in the rear seat, rest assured you will have sufficient leg and head room if you are in the 1,82-metre length range or shorter.

And speaking of space, it has really big boot era for this class, 440 litres, which Fiat claims is class-leading.

That little engine…

It is the engine of this car that is going to generate the most debate, regarding the Tipo’s merits.  In essence, the Fiat “Fire” engine has been around for a couple of decades now, although along the way it has received updates to cylinder-head design (16-valves) and engine management.  But when you start it up and pull away, there is definitely a feeling of “call back the past.”

The reason for this, is that it sounds like you are back in a 1960s Lotus Cortina! The induction noise is louder than just about any other engine I can recall in recent times. This is evident when you select first – a very short, low-geared ratio – and the car leaps forward with a vocal alacrity. It’s not a bad sound, but there is less refinement than you’d like as  it revs up to the 6 000 red-line. The short gearing dictates that you are quickly Into second, and if you are intent on building speed, it’s more of the same. Warble, warble warble!

The sound and the short gearing, though, means you are building speed slower than you thought! The 0-100 km/h  time is in the region of 13,5 seconds at the coast and about 15 seconds up here in Jo’burg, which means that, alas, the Tipo is no Firebrand. Top speed is claimed at 185 km/h, but it will take a while to get there. We find it strange that Fiat has come to the market with a non-turbo engine, and one producing only 70 kW at that, when just about all its competitors have 1.4-litre turbo power. The fact that the engine works hard all the time too, in a car weighing over 1 200 kg, means that fuel consumption is not that great either – approximately 6,8 - 7,8-litres per 100 km, depending on your driving style.

But there is lots to like…

However, there is still lots to like about the Tipo. The steering is light, even in its non-city mode,  but provides decent road feel through its leather-covered rim. The gear-change is solid but slick. And the brakes – well, the brakes are too sharp in normal application, but you get used to it after some time behind the wheel, modulating your right foot on the pedal.  And they stop the car very well.

The ride is very good over large bumps, just slightly reactive to high-frequency ripples on older roads. Directional stability at highway speeds is excellent, thanks to the relatively long wheelbase of the Tipo.

As you settle in to driving around its foibles – you change up early from first to second, and on the highway you appreciate its reasonable pulling power up hill – you appreciate the fact it has SAT NAV and a reverse camera as standard. And it has nice-quality cloth-weave upholstery (even though some of the plastic used is a bit of the cheap-n-shiny variety).

Ergonomically, as a family-car , it is a very good package. Engineering-wise, in terms of running gear, it is also very good. But what ever happened to those wonderful turbocharged 1.4-litre engines that we saw around 2006 or so, that made Fiats such a viable alternative to the likes of Golf, Mazda and Auris?

To sum up:

It all seems to be a problem of getting the right car shipped here at the right price, for Fiat at the moment. The little 1.4 Fire engine will no doubt provide years of good service, as it has been sorted out over decades. But for the Tipo to be viable, we would probably only consider the 1.4i Pop model at R249 000. And even then it’s going to have its work cut out against the likes of Renault’s less-expensive Mégane offering.