Fiat’s cheap and cheerful Tipo line-up has been tweaked and now features a new Sport trim level, which adds a range of racy exterior styling features and a fresh paint scheme to the highly-specced S-Design model. It’s on sale now, and prices for the newcomer start from £19,255.
On the outside you’ll find a fresh set of 18-inch alloy wheels, a larger rear wing on top of the hatch lid, a deeper front splitter, more aggressive side skirts, black mirror caps, a redesigned rear bumper and a new diffuser. The Tipo Sport is also available with a new two-tone paint finish for the first time, which pairs Fiat’s ‘Passion Red’ tint with a contrasting black roof.
Inside, the Tipo Sport gets black leather and fabric upholstery, rear privacy glass, and a seven-inch infotainment screen with voice recognition and support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Buyers can also spec Fiat’s Safety Plus Pack as a £250 optional extra, which includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and a speed limiter.
Two engine choices are offered, both using the same 1.4-litre petrol block. The lower-powered, naturally-aspirated variant produces 93bhp and 127Nm of torque, while the more potent turbocharged model has 118bhp and 215Nm of torque. Both models come mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard.
Fiat has also given the rest of the Tipo range a lift with the new S-Design and Mirror trim levels, priced from £16,905 and £16,155 respectively. The S-Design features the same technology and engines as the Sport, without its new body kit. The Tipo Mirror replaces the second-to base model Tipo Easy Plus, and comes with a choice of petrol and diesel powertrains.
As ever, the Tipo is available in two bodystyles. A more practical estate variant remains on sale, and commands a £1,000 premium over its hatchback equivalent regardless of the trim level.
Now read our review of the standard Fiat Tipo. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…