Test drive Fiat has almost disappeared from Finnish roads, and there may be a reason for that – the new Tipo is now trying to conquer buyers at a cheap price

Fiatin There has been a lousy track in Finland. In recent years, the still relatively popular Italian brand has completely lost its market position. Something says that in the second year, three times more Porsches than Fiates were sold in Finland. The latter were therefore traded 123.

The recipe for a good and modern used car seems to have been lost to the Italians. Today, Fiat’s passenger car range is no longer based on the nostalgic redesigns of the retro classic Fiat 500.

Then this is Tipo. It became the successor to Fiat Bravo in 2016 and inherited its name from the rustic family car of the 1980s. For some reason, that too hasn’t really gotten through. Sometimes the car already left the import program. The importer has changed since the introduction of Tipo, once again, and is now being tried again. Competing in the popular VW Golf size range, the Tipo has received a light upgrade that includes, among other things, more modern equipment.

Tipo competes on price. As a spacious station wagon, Tipon is available from 22,000 euros, and now this slightly raised Cross model is also available. With the equipment of the test drive, it costs about 24,000 euros.

Not that much more expensive than Tipo. Only metallic paint can be found in the accessories list.

Tipo is an unpretentious base car. However, you can’t get a diamond on the cheap.

Let’s start with praise. Tipo’s design has been successful. Fiat looks more value for money and is simply stylish. Many acquaintances praised the car’s appearance during the test week. At least the Italians know how to package a product.

Keyless locking and starting are already starting to be the standard in cars in this price range. However, the doors of the test drive model are still clicked open in the traditional way from the remote control and starting is handled with an old decent ignition key. Turning it on reveals the heartbeat of Tipo today: a three-cylinder one-liter petrol turbo that produces exactly a hundred horsepower.

As with three-stroke engines in general, the running noise is diesel rough when lifting. Fiat’s purge still stays pretty well in the end. The sound insulation is surprisingly good at urban and road speeds for a car in this price range. Maybe the summer tire selection has hit the button as well.

One hundred horses is enough to move the car to the shop and the cottage, but at full load it is not worth trying wild passes.

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In the combined run, Tipo now took six to seven liters per hundred. You could go even smaller.

In the Tipo, the driver takes care of the selection of the gears himself: the gear is a five-speed manual, and the gears are punched in with a leather clip almost as manly as a Jeep made by the same company. The clutch and shift feel is driving things, but the short-haul and heavy driving pleasure of the Mazda and Ford manuals, for example, is far away. Later, a vending machine will also be available at Tipoon.

A sixth article would be needed on top of the vitamin exchange. Now the machine has to run at quite high revs, especially on the highway, which unnecessarily increases consumption.

In the combined run, Tipo now took six to seven liters per hundred. You could go even smaller.

Car is relatively spacious in its size class, and the rear container is downright ample. Folding the backrests of the rear seats opens up a good loading space. In the past, I’ve also driven a denim model. Its luggage space is especially adequate for everyday life.

The increased ground clearance and slightly higher driving position of the Cross model can be an advantage for the elderly, for example. There is no need to dive into the car.

Comfort and safety equipment is appropriate, but the heated steering wheel, familiar from many competing models, will be missed in the winter. Lane Keeper helps keep the car in the lane when distracting, but it also annoyingly tends to clutter the steering, like similar systems in general. Luckily, the guard can be conveniently turned off with the button at the end of the flashing mustache.

The cruise is facilitated by an adaptive cruise control and a comfortable soft suspension. On the other hand, the long distance is hampered by the driver’s bench, which is surprisingly hard and doesn’t properly provide any kind of side support. At 183 centimeters, I get a moderate driving position.

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In order for a car to be sold for twenty thousand euros, it must also be made cheap.

The worst side of the drop is the feeling of control. At first, spinning a large steering wheel feels downright numb. The center of the steering is so dead that it’s like driving a four-wheeled mummy. Button-operated City driving makes steering even more pompous. You get used to this, and the most important thing is that Tipo turns in the direction indicated by the driver.

The information system and car settings are adjusted on the touchscreen. It takes care of it and supports Apple as well as Android. The instrument panel has recently been updated to digital.

So a car could be sold for twenty thousand euros, it must also be made cheap. This is reflected in the hard plastics in the cab and a couple of details that exude a rather frivolous attitude towards car design even in this price range.

The mustache of the turn signal is very stiff in the vertical direction but loose in the horizontal direction, ie when you click the turn signal, it may accidentally flash long lights.

The temperature setpoint set for automatic air conditioning has little to do with the temperature at which the unit is actually blowing. The passenger compartment will warm up and cool down by turning the adjusting wheel, but the Celsius reading displayed by the device can be used as a guide.

The heating of the front seats is rapted with an unfortunate small roller switch with as many as five intensities. It is clearly recycled to one of the shelves left over from the headlight height adjustment roller.

The windshield wipers have a rain sensor, but it doesn’t really detect rain. Similarly, there is a considerable delay in the twilight switch between the instrument cluster and the touch screen. When driving back from the tunnel to daylight, it takes a considerable time for the screens to brighten again so that you can see the speedometer, for example.

As a long-haul car reporter, it is easy to get caught up and maybe get used to being too good, so let’s say the acquaintance of the parent sitting on the ride: “Let this walk quietly and softly.”

Tipo is just a sympathetic and worthy base car at this price. As a station wagon model, it may even be the cheapest in its size class. It could be given three out of five stars. In the Euroncap safety test, the car reached four stars.

However, if you want the best possible driving experience from the car in the same price range, you may want to look at other brands.