Name: Fiat Tipo (2016 - 2024) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Fiat Tipo
Rating: 59.0

Summary

The Fiat Tipo was a medium-sized family hatchback and estate sold in the UK from 2016 until production ended in early 2024. It was positioned as a straightforward, affordable alternative to more established family cars, with an emphasis on space and low purchase costs rather than driving appeal.

Throughout its life, the Fiat Tipo was consistently praised for keen pricing, generous equipment levels and a roomy cabin. It offered good value for money when new, particularly for buyers prioritising space and low running costs.

However, media reviews were generally poor. The Fiat Tipo was widely criticised for uninspiring handling, modest performance and interior materials that did not match leading rivals. Safety performance was a particular weakness, with a three-star Euro NCAP rating at a time when most competitors achieved five stars. That rating has now expired due to age.

Now available only on the used market, the Fiat Tipo presents a clear trade-off. Running costs are competitive and environmental performance is respectable, but its media reputation and safety record remain significant drawbacks.

The Fiat Tipo currently holds a Used Car Expert Rating of D, with a score of 59%. Strong running cost and eco scores are outweighed by very weak media reception, a poor safety score and limited original warranty cover.

More Fiat Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

Tipo highlights

Affordable purchase prices
Spacious interior for the class
Competitive running costs
Respectable fuel efficiency
Simple and easy to operate

Tipo lowlights

Very poor media review scores
Weak safety performance
Uninspiring driving experience
Interior materials below class standards
Original warranty cover was short

Key specifications

Body style: Five-door hatch and estate
Engines: petrol (with or without mild hybrid assistance)
Price when new: From £22,245 on-road

Launched: Spring 2016
Last updated: Spring 2022
End of production: Autumn 2023

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“If you need a car to ensure you get from A to B with little fuss, the Fiat Tipo could be a good option. But please ensure you pay an extra £500 for the safety pack…”

Score: 6.2 / 10

Read full review

The Car Expert

Andrew Charman

“The spacious, relatively economical Fiat Tipo five-door hatchback marks the Italian brand’s return to the small family car market where it faces stiff competition from the likes of the SEAT Ibiza and Kia Ceed.”

Model reviewed: Hatchback range

Score: 4 / 10

Read full review

Carwow

More reviews

Auto Express

Model reviewed: (range review)
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo comes as a compact hatch or SW estate, and it’s easy to drive, offers decent space and is good value for money.”
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: 1.6-litre MultiJet 120 Lounge
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo pulls the same car-for-the-class-above trick that Dacia applies to its range – this is a Ford Focus for the price of a Fiesta – yet there’s no waft of ‘eau-de-cheapskate’ when you open the door.”
Read review

Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 7.2 / 10
“If you’re after a small family hatchback that’s strong on value, practicality and standard equipment, then the Fiat Tipo could well be for you.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 7.2 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo Station Wagon is a practical, spacious and generously equipped family estate car, let down by an uninspiring engine range and dull driving experience.”
Read review

Carwow

Model reviewed: Station Wagon estate range
Score: 5 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo Station Wagon is an affordable small estate car with a big boot and a decent amount of equipment but it doesn’t drive as well as more upmarket alternatives.”
Read review

Heycar

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 5 / 10
“They say that ‘you pays your money and you takes your choice’. The thing is, what if your priority is to pay as little money as possible, and you don’t give a flying Fiat about the quality of what that money gets you? Well, dear friends, that’s where the Tipo comes in.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Station Wagon range
Score: 6 / 10
“There are several things that the Fiat Tipo Station Wagon has going for it, namely its ability to carry passengers and luggage with relative ease, the good specification levels and the competitive pricing. It should be relatively cheap to run too, but it’s not great to drive, particularly comfortable or of high quality.”
Read review

Honest John

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo doesn’t stand out as a particularly remarkable family car, but it feels sturdily made, it’s practical and it is very competitively priced.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 6 / 10
“There’s nothing outstanding or exciting about the Fiat Tipo Station Wagon, but equally there’s not a lot wrong with it. There is one issue that stands out, though – the active safety tech comes in optional packs instead of as standard, and without it the car only gets a three-star safety rating.”
Read review

Parkers

Model reviewed: SW estate range
Score: 6 / 10
“Practical estate car majoring in value-for-money”
Read review

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 6.4 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo is a sensible, good-value family hatch”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: 1.6-litre diesel manual Lounge MultiJet 120
Score: 6 / 10
“Vaguely forgettable hatch but its thriftiness is appealing.”
Read review

The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 6 / 10
“The Fiat Tipo doesn’t excel in any particular area, and in a lot of ways it falls far behind the market leaders. But the flexibility of the pricing structure and a very low starting figure means that the Tipo could still prove tempting.”
Read review

Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview (hatchback and estate)
Score: 6 / 10
“Probably Fiat’s least interesting car, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth ignoring if you love a bargain.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: October 2016
Date expired: January 2023
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 82%
Child protection: 60%
Vulnerable road users: 62%
Safety assist: 25%

Notes on safety rating

The Fiat Tipo was originally tested by Euro NCAP back in 2016 and awarded a three-star rating. However, this rating expired in January 2023 and is no longer valid as the car no longer meets the standards required for such a rating. This is normal practice, as Euro NCAP reviews its ratings on most cars annually with most ratings expiring after about six or seven years.

However, if you are comparing a used Tipo to vehicles of similar age, whose ratings will have probably also expired, its safety rating score is still useful.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Fiat Tipo was not assessed by Green NCAP during its production life.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score
Petrol models	41 mpg	C
Diesel models	57 mpg	B
Hybrid models	53 mpg	B

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	125 g/km	B
Diesel models	133 g/km	B
Hybrid models	119 g/km	B

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	11	A

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£131	A
Year 2	£406	A
Year 3	£655	A
Year 4	£858	A
Year 5	£1,180	A
Overall	£3,230	A

The Fiat Tipo is a relatively affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Fuel economy scores range from good to poor, depending on your choice of engine. However, it’s fair to say that there are plenty of more economical alternatives available to choose from.

Other than that, everything else about owning and running a Fiat Tipo looks to be excellent – servicing and maintenance, insurance, and road tax (which is based on CO₂ emissions) scores are all outstanding.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of February 2026, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Fiat Tipo to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Tipo, we’ll publish the score here.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the Fiat Tipo

Overall ratingE15%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileage100,000 miles
Battery warranty duration0 years
Battery warranty mileage0 miles

Fiat’s new car warranty is below average, and off the pace of many other car brands. The duration is three years, with a limit of 100,000 miles, which means that most Tipos sold in the UK will now be out of warranty.

Warranty on a used Fiat Tipo

If you are buying an ‘Approved Used’ Fiat Tipo from an official Fiat dealership, you will get a minimum six-month warranty included.
If you are buying a used Fiat Tipo from an independent dealership, any warranty offered will vary and will probably be managed by a third-party warranty company.
If you are buying a used Fiat Tipo from a private seller, there are no warranty protections beyond any remaining portion of the original new car warranty.

If you’re looking to buy any used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Fiat Tipo

2024

2023

2021

2017

2016

Date: May 2024
Recall number: R/2024/182
Model types: All
Build dates: 04/2021 to 11/2023
Number of vehicles affected: 23
Defect: Affected vehicles may display incorrect tyre size information on the Certificate of Conformity (CoC).
Remedy: The CoC must be replaced.

Date: July 2023
Recall number: R/2023/168
Model types: All
Build dates: 03/2023 to 04/2023
Number of vehicles affected: 68
Defect: Affected vehicles may have been fitted with a faulty 48-volt battery. This may lead to a loss of the functionality of the battery. This may result in a risk of thermal runaway in the case of water infiltration.
Remedy: The repair is a check of the PBU valve code and replacement of the 48-volt battery if necessary.ill reintroduce the display of the speed unit when using Track Mode.

Date: April 2021
Recall number: R/2021/093
Model types: All
Build dates: 10/2020 to 03/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 620
Defect: Due to a fault in the airbag control module software the airbag system may fail to be active without this being indicated on the instrument panel.
Remedy: Carry out an update to the airbag control module and instrument panel software.

Date: June 2017
Recall number: R/2017/164
Model types: All
Build dates: 11/2016 to 04/2017
Number of vehicles affected: 11
Defect: The driver’s airbag was manufactured with an incorrectly manufactured airbag inflator initiator that may not ignite when a deployment voltage is provided to the initiator. As a result, vehicles may experience a ‘non-deployment’ of the driver airbag during a crash event warranting an airbag deployment, which could increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the driver airbag unit (initiator included) with a quality-assured unit.

Date: December 2016
Recall number: R/2016/262
Model types: All
Build dates: 09/2015 to 11/2016
Number of vehicles affected: 25
Defect: Due to the non-conforming layout of the airbag wiring and missing cut-proof protection, the airbag wiring may interfere with the steering wheel wiring terminal. This can cause the abrasion of the wiring itself. This abrasion may cause a short-circuit and consequent inadvertent deployment of the steering wheel airbag.
Remedy: Recall all affected vehicles to inspect the airbag wiring and apply cut-proof padded tape.

As of September 2024 (our most recent data point), there have been five DVSA vehicle safety recalls on the Fiat Tipo to address different issues. However, recall information is updated regularly, so this may have changed.

Not all vehicles are affected by recalls. You can check to see if your car is included in any of the above recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Fiat dealer.

If your car is affected by a recall, the vehicle must be repaired and you should not be charged for any work required. If you are buying a used Tipo, you should insist that any outstanding recall work is completed before you take delivery of the vehicle.