Skip to ContentSkip to FooterThe Fiat Tipo gets hybrid power for the first time, but does electrification take it to the next level?13 May 2022Verdict Being a jacked-up family car, the Tipo hybrid has to contend with small SUVs as well as regular hatchbacks. Unfortunately, it can’t compete on either front because it’s not that much fun to drive and doesn’t have the technology you expect in either class. The Tipo does claw back some points for practicality and ride comfort, however. The Tipo isn’t a big seller in the UK, but it represents big business for Fiat across Europe (it was Turkey’s most popular car in 2021), which is why the Italian brand is now offering the value-orientated hatch with its latest mild-hybrid. The Tipo was facelifted in late 2020 with a new Fiat badge appearing in the grille, a fresh set of LED headlights and some other exterior tweaks. The biggest change however came with the addition of an SUV-inspired Cross model, which is what we’re testing here. Sitting above both the entry-level Tipo and mid-range City Life models, the Cross features a seven centimetre increase in ground clearance, beefier-looking front and rear bumpers, a new radiator grille, black plastic body mouldings for the wheel arches and side skirts and roof rails. There are some strong direct rivals to the Tipo Cross, even in its hybrid form. The Ford Focus Active mild-hybrid is the closest contender, but the Citroen C4 and Kia XCeed are also good enough to pose a threat even without an electrified engine option. Beyond that there’s the seemingly endless range of small SUVs that occupy a similar space in the market. As standard, the hybrid version of the Cross gets blind spot assist, heated front seats, keyless go, adaptive cruise control, driver drowsiness detection and lane assist. There’s also a road sign detection system, but it's best if you ignore its symbols within the seven-inch driver’s display as they’re not too reliable and regularly conflict with the sat-nav. The rear-parking camera quality isn’t very clear either. The (RED) edition we tested is a result of a partnership between AIDS charity (RED), which the Italian firm has pledged to contribute £ to in the next few years. To celebrate the partnership, the special Tipo gets red piped seats, a red dashboard, unique door panels and red painted wing mirrors. More reviews Inside, there’s a seven-inch touchscreen on top of the dash with sat-nav, DAB and Bluetooth connectivity. It’s easy enough to navigate, but it’s not the fastest infotainment system out ditched the petrol and diesel powertrains in the Tipo’s recent facelift, leaving just the 99bhp three-cylinder petrol and now this hybrid four-cylinder petrol model, complete with a 48-volt starter generator and 15kW battery pack. You can start the Tipo hybrid up in electric only mode, but it doesn’t take much throttle input before the petrol engine bursts into life. This combined hybrid powertrain feels punchy enough with 128bhp and 240Nm of torque, but there’s a disappointing lack of responsiveness, largely as a result of the lethargic automatic gearbox. It’s also not the most refined engine, as it’s slightly rattly when you’re crawling in traffic (if you’re going too fast for EV-only mode). Thankfully at motorway speeds it quietens down. The ride quality in the Fiat Tipo isn’t quite on a par with the likes of the Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, but it doesn’t feel harsh at any point. The raised suspension is able to keep jolts from road imperfections at bay and the seats are supportive and the Tipo falls flat compared to its rivals is in the corners. While it doesn’t roll as much as you’d expect, the steering is incredibly light and doesn’t give much feedback. It’s also difficult to modulate the slow-witted throttle, so it’s best the Tipo Hybrid isn’t pushed hard. A noticeable benefit to the new hybrid powertrain comes when you’re trying to park. Fiat says it can be done on electric power alone, and while you have to be gentle with the throttle to achieve this, it’s a nice touch. The Tipo Hybrid is available as a hatch or an estate model. Needless to say practicality is better in the estate, but the hatch still offers plenty of space up front and decent rear legroom and headroom. The boot capacity of 440-litres is also one of the largest in its class, easily beating the Peugeot 308’s 412-litres and the VW Golf’s 380-litres. There’s a bit of a deep lip to the boot so heavy luggage might be a struggle to get in and out. The entry-level Tipo starts from a rather eye-catching £19,605 but this mild-hybrid Cross version jumps up to £27,605, while the Cross (RED) version we tested adds an extra £1,000 to the price. The better equipped Ford Focus Active Vignale mild-hybrid comes in £1,065 more, but is certainly worth the extra outlay. Model:Fiat Tipo Hybrid (RED)Price:£28,605Engine: turbocharger four-cylinder, electric motorPower/torque:128bhp/240Nm0-62mph: secondsTop speed:124mphEconomy: sale:NowMost PopularToyota bZ4X vs Volkswagen vs Hyundai Ioniq 5: 2022 group test reviewCar group testsToyota bZ4X vs Volkswagen vs Hyundai Ioniq 5: 2022 group test reviewDoes Toyota’s all-new bZ4X electric SUV crack the family-friendly formula? 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It’s the most frugal engine in the Golf range with claimed economy of up to 67.3mpg and CO2 emissions from 110g/km. While it does have a high price tag, the Golf GTE is desirable. The new plugCompare two cars 2015. - C - Small family car sedan, 4 door front Badges Production Vehicle class Body style Wheel drive Safety 2015. - 2018. C - Small family car sedan, 4 door front Dimensons & Outlines Length Width Height Boot (min) Boot (max) Fuel tank 2015 FIAT Tipo 2015 Ford Focus © GAMA1 Solutions. Copying & distribution prohibited. Engine Diesel 4 - Inline, 4 valves per cylinder Turbo Engine Fuel Configuration Aspiration Displacement Power Torque Diesel 4 - Inline, 4 valves per cylinder Turbo Performance (manual gearbox) Gearbox type Vehicle weight Acc. 0-100 Top speed Cons. (urban) Cons. (highway) Cons. (average) CO2 emissions Performance (automatic gearbox) Gearbox type Vehicle weight Acc. 0-100 Top speed Cons. (urban) Cons. (highway) Cons. (average) CO2 emissions Expenses Virtual Adviser's™ opinion Overview Well, these are two pretty similar cars we have here! It's only details that could potentially make the difference. Considering they both belong to the small family car segment and utilize the same 4-door sedan body style and the front wheel drive system, it all comes up to the specific diesel engine choice they offer. The first one has a FIAT-engineered powertrain under the hood, a 4-cylinder, 16-valves 120hp unit, while the other one gets its power and torque from a 4-cylinder, 16-valves 120hp engine designed by Ford. Safety The fact that the Ford got tested by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), while the other contender didn't, puts it sky-high safety-wise, in my eyes at least. Still, apart from the official crash test results there are other things we need to be aware of. Both vehicles belong to the small family car segment, which is generally classifying them somewhere in the middle safety-wise, but that fact doesn't break the tie between the two cars. Furthermore, when it comes to weight, a factor that most people underestimate, the Italian car offers a marginal difference of 2% more metal. Reliability Reliability is not the best thing to consider on the make level, but it is worth mentioning that both brands display similar results in faults and breakdowns, all the models observed together. That's the official data, while our visitors describe reliability of FIAT with an average rating of and models under the Ford badge with out of 5. Some independent research have also placed Tipo as average reliability-wise, and Focus is more or less at the same it all, drivers of cars with the same engine as the Italian car rank it on average as while the one under the competitor's bonnet gets out of 5. Performance & Fuel economy FIAT is a bit more agile, reaching 100km/h in seconds less than its competitor. In addition to that it accelerates all the way to 200 kilometers per hour, 9km/h more than the other car. When it comes to fuel economy things look pretty much the same for both cars, averaging around 4 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (71 mpg), in combined cycle. Verdict FIAT appears just a bit more reliable, although the difference is truly marginal. The most important thing when deciding between any two vehicles should always be safety, both passive and active. In my opinion, everything taken into account, the American car beats the other contender by far, making it the best choice without even considering other things. From there things take a different direction, with FIAT offering somewhat better performance, just enough to call it quicker. It does come at a cost though, and that's the fuel consumption... All together, there's not much more to say, in this case I wouldn't even consider anything but Ford. Nevertheless, let's not forget that people have different preferences and needs, so what really counts is your personal feel. I'm only here to help. In case you have two minutes to spare I invite you to define your needs, desires and budget and see which car would be chosen by the virtual adviser™, among more than different ones in our database. Check a car by its VIN number
Difference Between Fiat Fiat Tipo Vs Volkswagen Golf Mk8Comparison Between Fiat Fiat Tipo and Volkswagen Golf Mk8 by Technical specifications, safety features, chassis, dimensions, bodystyle, category, mileage, transmission, top speed, maximum power, maximum torque, country of origin, country of assembly, suspension system, braking system and more... Collapse all Expand all Click Here for Multiple Car Comparison Engine Description : I4 16-Valve MultiAir Turbo L I4 t/c Hybrid Petrol EngineEngine Type :T-Jet Petrol EngineI4 t/c Hybrid Petrol EngineMaximum Power :-148 HpMaximum Torque :-550 NmNumber Of Cylinders :44Valves Of Total Cylinders :1616Bore X Stroke : mm x mmTop Speed :-250 kmphAcceleration :-0 to 100 Kmph / SecCo2 Emission :-95 g/kmTransmission Type :-6 Speed Manual/Automatic, 7 Speed DCTDrive Type :FWD (Front Wheel Drive)FWD (Front Wheel Drive)Fuel Tank Capacity :-55 L Length :-4580 mmWidth :-1757 mmHeight :-1447 mmWheelbase :-2636 mmFront Track :-1537 mmRear Track :-1511 mmCurb Weight :-1520 kgTurning Circle :-11 mtrs Front Suspension :-McPherson StrutRear Suspension :-Multi-LinkFront Brake :-Ventilated DiscRear Brake :-Ventialted DiscTyre Type :-All Season TyresFront Tyre Size :-235 / 35 R19Rear Tyre Size :-235/35 R19 General Warraty :3 Years3 yr/unlimited km
Independent research findings rank Astra as average reliability-wise, and Tipo is more or less at the same level.That apart, owners of different cars powered by the same engine as the German car rank it on average as 3.6, while the one under the competitor's bonnet gets 4.3 out of 5. Performance & Fuel economy.WA9e.