Fiat Tipo
Encyclopedia
The Fiat Tipo is a small family car designed by the IDEA
design house and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat
between 1988 and 1995.
The Tipo was initially available only as a five-door hatchback
. The car was made entirely out of galvanized body panels to avoid rust, and was built on a completely new Fiat platform, that was later used on Fiat, Alfa-Romeo and Lancia models. It also stood out, because of its boxy styling that gave it innovative levels of packaging - rear passenger room being greater than that in a rear wheel drive Ford Sierra
, but in a car that was of a similar size to the smaller Ford Escort. For 1989, the Tipo won the European Car of the Year
award and 1989 Semperit Irish Car of the Year
in Ireland.
The car has been extremely popular in Brazil. It outsold the Volkswagen Gol
, which had been the best-selling Brazilian car for over 20 years. Only the Tipo, the Fiat Uno Mille and Fiat Palio
have outsold the Gol.
The Tipo was facelifted in 1993 and saw the addition of a three-door version, minor exterior changes (the two evolutions of the car can be differentiated by their slightly different radiator grilles and headlamps) and improved specification; safety features like stiffer bodyshells, driver's airbag
and side impact bars were added to the range. This saw new S, SX and SLX trim levels, as well as a new eight-valve 2.0 GT model.
The Tipo finally ceased production in the summer of 1995 and was replaced by the three-door Fiat Bravo and five-door Fiat Brava. The Tempra
saloon and estate (Station Wagon) were replaced by the Marea
. The Bravo and Brava were strong sellers throughout Europe, but the Marea was a disappointment on most markets.
In Brazil, it only started to be produced that year (1995), in a single trim level. It had a 1.6 8V engine with multipoint fuel injection, which offered a 10 PS increase compared to the old 1.6 i.e., producing 92 PS. Previously, the Tipo had been imported from Italy and was available with three different trims that were closely associated with its engines: the basic 1.6 i.e., the luxurious 2.0 8V and the sporty 2.0 16V Sedicivalvole. The Sedicivalvole gained its engine from the Lancia Thema
, and with a much smaller and lighter bodyshell to house it, this power unit brought superb performance and handling, and a top speed of around 130 mi/h which made it faster than the Volkswagen Golf GTI
of that era.
It was a reasonably strong seller in the UK, initially winning plaudits for its innovative and practical design as well as its good handling. The 1.1 L version was not available in the UK - the 1.4 L was the base model. The digital dashboard of higher end models proved to be controversial and unreliable. The car launched into a favourable market in the UK, where none of the "big three" carmakers (Ford
, Vauxhall
and Austin Rover) had launched a new car of this size since 1984. However, these three marques all had new Tipo-sized products within three years, and increased competition reduced the Tipo's sales. The final two years 1994/95 saw a significant increase in sales, but these were mostly of the low priced 1.4 L models.
sedan in 1989, followed by the Fiat Tempra
in 1990. The large family car
Alfa Romeo 155
, the coupé
Fiat Coupé
and the Lancia Delta
Nuova were introduced in 1993.
I.DE.A Institute
I.DE.A Institute is an automobile design and engineering company in Turin, Italy, founded in 1978...
design house and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
between 1988 and 1995.
The Tipo was initially available only as a five-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
. The car was made entirely out of galvanized body panels to avoid rust, and was built on a completely new Fiat platform, that was later used on Fiat, Alfa-Romeo and Lancia models. It also stood out, because of its boxy styling that gave it innovative levels of packaging - rear passenger room being greater than that in a rear wheel drive Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
, but in a car that was of a similar size to the smaller Ford Escort. For 1989, the Tipo won the European Car of the Year
European Car of the Year
The European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organisers of the award are Auto , Autocar , Autopista , Autovisie , L'Automobile Magazine , Stern and Vi Bilägare .The voting jury consists of motoring...
award and 1989 Semperit Irish Car of the Year
Semperit Irish Car of the Year
The Semperit Irish Car of the Year award was established in 1978. It is organised and judged by the Irish Motoring Writers Association . It is sponsored by tyre manufactuer Semperit and specifically by their brand - 'Semperit'....
in Ireland.
The car has been extremely popular in Brazil. It outsold the Volkswagen Gol
Volkswagen Gol
The Volkswagen Gol is a subcompact car manufactured by Volkswagen do Brasil since 1980 as Volkswagen's entry-level car in the South American market—where it succeeded the South American VW Beetle ...
, which had been the best-selling Brazilian car for over 20 years. Only the Tipo, the Fiat Uno Mille and Fiat Palio
Fiat Palio
The Fiat Palio is a small family car designed by Fiat as a world car, aimed at developing countries. It is produced in Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, South Africa and China. It is also built under licence in North Korea as the Pyonghwa Hwiparam. Russian ZMA started assembly of Turkish CKD kits in...
have outsold the Gol.
Variants
Launched in June 1988, initially base (i.e.), DGT, (early Italian market DGT models were badged as 'digit', presumably in recognition of the digital dash, but this was quickly changed to DGT after a dispute over ownership of the name, leading to confusion about whether the model was diesel powered) S, SX and 16v trim levels were available. Power from 58 PS came from 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.8 16v, 2.0, and 2.0 16v petrol engines as well as a 1.7 diesel, 1.9 diesel and 1.9 turbo-diesel. The 1.1 L base engine was widely regarded as underpowered for the car; which was otherwise roomy for five adults and with above average equipment. The top of the range was the 2.0 Sedicivalvole (16v).Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
and side impact bars were added to the range. This saw new S, SX and SLX trim levels, as well as a new eight-valve 2.0 GT model.
The Tipo finally ceased production in the summer of 1995 and was replaced by the three-door Fiat Bravo and five-door Fiat Brava. The Tempra
Fiat Tempra
The Fiat Tempra is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Fiat from 1990 to 1998. The Tempra was intended as a replacement for the Fiat Regata. The original project was called Tipo 3, being a mid-size car between the Fiat Tipo and the bigger Fiat Croma...
saloon and estate (Station Wagon) were replaced by the Marea
Fiat Marea
The Fiat Marea is a small family car available as a saloon and an estate , produced by the Italian automaker Fiat. Launched in 1996, the Marea models were essentially different body styles of Fiat's hatchback offerings, the Bravo and Brava. The Marea replaced the earlier Tipo-based Fiat Tempra...
. The Bravo and Brava were strong sellers throughout Europe, but the Marea was a disappointment on most markets.
Lancia Thema
The Lancia Thema is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000...
, and with a much smaller and lighter bodyshell to house it, this power unit brought superb performance and handling, and a top speed of around 130 mi/h which made it faster than the Volkswagen Golf GTI
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
of that era.
It was a reasonably strong seller in the UK, initially winning plaudits for its innovative and practical design as well as its good handling. The 1.1 L version was not available in the UK - the 1.4 L was the base model. The digital dashboard of higher end models proved to be controversial and unreliable. The car launched into a favourable market in the UK, where none of the "big three" carmakers (Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
and Austin Rover) had launched a new car of this size since 1984. However, these three marques all had new Tipo-sized products within three years, and increased competition reduced the Tipo's sales. The final two years 1994/95 saw a significant increase in sales, but these were mostly of the low priced 1.4 L models.
Petrol
| Model | Engine | Cat | Displ | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 FIRE Fully Integrated Robotised Engine The FIRE is a series of automobile engines from Fiat. It was designed by Italian design firm Rodolfo Bonetto . It is constructed by robot assembly plants to reduce costs.... |
160A3.000 | — | 1,108 cc | 56 PS at 5,500 rpm | 89 newton metres (65.6 ft·lbf) at 2,900 rpm |
| 1.4 i.e., S | 160A1.046 | 1,372 cc | 70 PS at 6,000 rpm | 106 newton metres (78.2 ft·lbf) at 3,000 rpm | |
| 159A2.000 | — | 78 PS at 6,000 rpm | 108 newton metres (79.7 ft·lbf) at 2,900 rpm | ||
| 1.4, DGT | 160A1.000 | — | 1,372 cc | 71 PS at 6,000 rpm | 105 newton metres (77.4 ft·lbf) at 3,750 rpm |
| 160A1.048 | 72 PS at 6,000 rpm | 105 newton metres (77.4 ft·lbf) at 3,750 rpm | |||
| 1.6 i.e. | 159A3.046 | 1,581 cc | 80 PS at 6,000 rpm | 128 newton metres (94.4 ft·lbf) at 3,000 rpm | |
| 159A3.048 | 76 PS at 6,000 rpm (ECE) | 124 newton metres (91.5 ft·lbf) at 3,000 rpm | |||
| 1.6 DGT | 160A2.000 | — | 1,581 cc | 86 PS at 5,800 rpm | 132 newton metres (97.4 ft·lbf) at 2,900 rpm |
| 82 PS at 6,000 rpm (ECE) | 130 newton metres (95.9 ft·lbf) at 2,900 rpm | ||||
| 1.6 i.e. | 149.C2.046 | 1,585 cc | 90 PS at 6,250 rpm | 122 newton metre at 4,250 rpm | |
| 1.7 i.e. or 1.6 S i.e. 1994-1996: Export for Germany, Greece, Brazil (rare, the majority in Estoril Blue color), Turkey |
1,676 cc | 90 PS at 5,900 rpm | 130 newton metres (95.9 ft·lbf) at 3,000 rpm | ||
| 1.8 i.e. | 159A4.000 | — | 1,756 cc | 110 PS at 6,000 rpm | 142 newton metres (104.7 ft·lbf) at 2,500 rpm |
| 1.8 i.e. 16V Sedicivalvole | 160A5.000 | — | 1,756 cc | 138 PS at 6,250 rpm | 167 newton metres (123.2 ft·lbf) at 4,600 rpm |
| 2.0 i.e. | 159A6.046 | 1,995 cc | 115 PS at 5,750 rpm | 159 newton metres (117.3 ft·lbf) at 3,300 rpm | |
| 159A5.046 | 109 PS at ? rpm | ? at ? rpm | |||
| 2.0 i.e. 16V Sedicivalvole | 160A8.046 | 1,995 cc | 148 PS at 6,250 rpm | 173 newton metres (127.6 ft·lbf) at 5,000 rpm | |
| 2.0 i.e. 16V Sport | 836A3.000 | 1,995 cc | 142 PS at 6,000 rpm | 180 newton metres (132.8 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm (CEE) |
Diesel
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.7 D, DS | 149B4.000 | 1,697 cc | 58 PS at 4,600 rpm | 100 newton metres (73.8 ft·lbf) at 2,900 rpm |
| 1.9 DS DGT | 160A7.000 | 1,929 cc | 65 PS at 4,600 rpm | 119 newton metres (87.8 ft·lbf) at 2,000 rpm |
| 1.9 T.ds, DSX | 160A6.000 | 1,929 cc | 92 PS at 4,100 rpm | 190 newton metres (140.1 ft·lbf) at 2,400 rpm |
Derivatives
The Tipo platform spawned five more cars. The first of these was the Lancia DedraLancia Dedra
The Lancia Dedra is a compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia from 1989 to 2000. It was initially designed to support, and later to replace, the Prisma that, six years after its launch, was having difficulties to keep in pace with its latest opponents...
sedan in 1989, followed by the Fiat Tempra
Fiat Tempra
The Fiat Tempra is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Fiat from 1990 to 1998. The Tempra was intended as a replacement for the Fiat Regata. The original project was called Tipo 3, being a mid-size car between the Fiat Tipo and the bigger Fiat Croma...
in 1990. The large family car
Large family car
A large family car, also known as a D-segment car, is a European automobile classification which is larger than a small family car and smaller than an executive car. Multi-purpose vehicles based on a large family car design are often called large MPVs, while similarly-priced models from luxury car...
Alfa Romeo 155
Alfa Romeo 155
The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998.-Design:Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its...
, the coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
Fiat Coupé
Fiat Coupé
The Fiat Coupé was a coupé produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1993 and 2000. The car was introduced at Brussels Motor Show in 1993....
and the Lancia Delta
Lancia Delta
The Lancia Delta is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Lancia with the first generation being produced between 1979 and 1994, the second generation running from 1993 until 1999, and the third generation Delta entering production in 2008. It was first shown inFrankfurt Motor Show in 1979...
Nuova were introduced in 1993.