Fiat revives Tipo name for global C-segment sedan

The symbolic name has been used by Fiat since its earliest days and is now making a comeback on a global model created to tackle the challenges of the future.

The Tipo hatchback is based on the same platform as the saloon variant, which was unveiled at the Istanbul motor show in May and will go on sale in 40 countries from December.

However now only the hatch and estate are known to be coming to the United Kingdom market. The Fiat Egea name will be retained in Turkey where it will be manufactured.

It will be offered with an engine choice stretching across two MultiJet II turbo-diesel units and two petrol versions with power outputs ranging from 94 to 118bhp, with manual and automatic transmissions depending on engine. The sedan measures 4.5m in length and is 1.78m wide, while the wheelbase is pretty long at 2,640 mm.

The Fiat Tipo has been designed in Italy by the FCA Style Centre, developed in Turkey with Tofaş R&D and will be built in the Tofaş plant in Bursa. Introduced in the late 1980s, the original Tipo was sold as a boxy hatchback with mass-market ambitions across the globe.

It will replace the Linea, offering practical features and a significantly upgraded interior available with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ latest Uconnect infotainment technology, a backup camera and satellite navigation. Observers predict that new vehicle will arrive in United Kingdom showrooms in the third quarter of 2016.