The Fiat Tipo (Type 160) is a compact car, designed by the I.DE.A Institute 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, which 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.
This type of design was comparable to the smaller Fiat Uno, which was launched five years before the Tipo.
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 also ever outsold the Gol.
Unveiled in January 1988, the Tipo went on sale in Europe during June 1988, and on the right-hand drive UK market from 16 July 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.
"Tipo" is Spanish for "kind", and Italian for "type".
Power from 58 to 148 PS (43 to 109 kW; 57 to 146 bhp) 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 turbodiesel.
The 1.1 base engine was widely regarded as underpowered for the car, which was otherwise roomy for five adults and with above average equipment.
This version was never sold in the United Kingdom.
The top of the range was the 2.0 Sedicivalvole (16 valves).
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 mph (210 km/h),
which made it faster than the Volkswagen Golf GTI of that era.
The United Kingdom market initially received only the 1.4 and 1.6 versions of the Tipo, with the 1.8 and 2.0 petrol engines and the diesel powered units not being imported until the early 1990s.
The smaller Uno had been a huge success there during the 1980s (peaking at more than 40,000 sales in 1988)
and it was widely expected by both Fiat and by the motoring press that the Tipo would prove similarly successful, but sales ultimately fell below expectations.
The Tipo was facelifted in 1993 and a three door version was added, as well as minor exterior changes (the two evolutions of the car can be differentiated by their slightly different radiator grilles and headlamps) and improved specifications;
safety features like stiffer bodyshells, driver's airbag, and side impact bars were added to the range.
This included the new S, SX, and SLX trim levels, as well as a new eight valve 2.0 GT model.
The Tipo ceased production in the summer of 1995, and was replaced by the three door Fiat Bravo and five-door Fiat Brava.
The Tipo platform spawned nine more cars.
The first of these was the Yugo Sana/Zastava Florida in November 1998 followed by the Lancia Dedra sedan in 1989 and the Fiat Tempra in 1990.
The large family car Alfa Romeo 155, the coupé Fiat Coupé and the Lancia Delta Nuova were all introduced in 1993 and were also built on the Tipo platform,
as were the Alfa Romeo 145 and 146 and the Alfa Romeo Spider and GTV (with a different rear suspension and other chassis refinements) from 1994-1995.
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