Fiat expands Tipo range

Fiat revealed its full Tipo line-up at the Geneva Motor Show.

Fiat last year brought back the Tipo badge (last seen in 1995) for a four-door, Turkish-built saloon. Well, we hope they're ready for a lot of extra work down in Anatolia, because the Italian company has revealed hatchback and estate versions of the Tipo at the Geneva Motor Show.

The styling is rather inoffensive and that might not be the best news in an era when C-segment hatches are getting ever more attractive. It comes to something when the Ford Focus, for instance, once the most daring design in its segment, is now overshadowed by four or five better-looking machines. Perhaps Fiat still remembers the sting of the backlash in the wake of the original Multipla, but on occasion it's better to be daring than to fade into the background.

Nevertheless, neither the Tipo hatch nor the estate are ugly, and Fiat claims that their safe exteriors are necessary for the class-leading space on offer inside. We'll come to the cabin in a minute, but the boot of the hatch can swallow 440 litres, while the estate is 25 per cent bigger again at 550 litres. Fiat says both of these numbers are unmatched by rivals. Loads of 1.8 metres in length can be slotted into the Tipo wagon, by the way.

So big is the Tipo in the back that Fiat says three six-feet-plus adults could cosy up back there in comfort. There are numerous cabin stowage areas, which tot up to another 12 litres, and all models should get air conditioning, remote central locking, electric mirrors, six airbags, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity with steering wheel remote controls, although Irish specifications are not yet confirmed.

We'll start with the diesels, as they're going to be the big sellers. They're familiar enough from the Fiat fold and they're both MultiJet II lumps, a 1.3-litre with 95hp and 200Nm, or a 1.6 with 120hp and 320Nm. The larger of these two can be mated to a six-speed twin-clutch auto for a fee and it can apparently return up to 76.3mpg (3.7 litres/100km) with 98g/km CO2.

Over on the petrol front, there's a 1.4-litre 16v unit with 95hp and 125Nm (no turbo), a turbocharged 1.4-litre with 120hp and 206Nm and the 1.6-litre E-TorQ engine with 110hp, 152Nm and a six-speed, torque converter auto gearbox.

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