Should you buy a Fiat Tipo?

Honestly, no. The Tipo felt old when it was launched a few years ago and the updates Fiat has carried out haven’t done enough to fix this. A 1.0-litre at £20,000 or so was something we’d have said to avoid, so the fact it’s now Hybrid only with a price starting at over £28k makes us want to run a mile.

For not much more you could own our 2023 Car of the Year the Honda Civic, while the more practical, comfier and classier Skoda Octavia is cheaper. If saving a few quid was your reason for looking at the Tipo in the first place, you’d be much happier with a Skoda Scala.

What we like

The boot is large, and you get some nice tech thrown in, such as adaptive cruise control. Anything else? Well, it does keep you dry when it rains and is less effort than walking.

What we don’t like

The Hybrid only range is too pricey, not efficient enough and slow, with a driving experience that’ll leave you underwhelmed. This is exacerbated by a general feeling of remote, rubbery control where once Fiat bestowed even their cheapest cars with grin-inducing handling. The A-pillars are large enough to create serious blind spots at junctions and roundabouts, and there are many details that feel cheap, like the wobbly indicator stalks and unilluminated ignition keyhole.

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