The Fiat Tipo (Type 160) is a compact car, designed by the I.DE.A Institute design house, and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1988 and 1995.
The Tipo was initially available only as a five-door hatchback. The car was made entirely out of galvanized body panels to avoid rust, and was built on a completely new Fiat platform, which was later also used in Alfa Romeo and Lancia models.
It also stood out because of its boxy styling that gave it innovative levels of packaging, rear passenger room being greater than that in a rear wheel drive Ford Sierra, but in a car that was of a similar size to the smaller Ford Escort. This type of design was comparable to the smaller Fiat Uno, which was launched five years before the Tipo.
Unveiled in January 1988, the Tipo went on sale in Europe during June 1988, and on the right hand drive market in the United Kingdom from 16 July 1988,[5] initially base (i.e.), DGT, (early Italian market DGT models were badged as 'digit', presumably in recognition of the digital dash, but this was quickly changed to DGT after a dispute over ownership of the name, leading to confusion about whether the model was diesel powered) S, SX and 16v trim levels were available. "Tipo" is Italian for "type".
Power from 58 to 148PS (43 to 109kW; 57 to 146bhp) came from 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.8 16v, 2.0, and 2.0 16v petrol engines, as well as a 1.7 diesel, 1.9 diesel, and 1.9 turbodiesel.
The 1.1 base engine was widely regarded as underpowered for the car, which was otherwise roomy for five adults and with above average equipment. This version was never sold in the United Kingdom. The top of the range was the 2.0 Sedicivalvole (16 valves).
The Sedicivalvole gained its engine from the Lancia Thema, and with a much smaller and lighter bodyshell to house it, this power unit brought superb performance and handling, and a top speed of around 130mph (210km/h), which made it faster than the Volkswagen Golf GTI of that era. The market in the United Kingdom initially received only the 1.4 and 1.6 versions of the Tipo, with the 1.8 and 2.0 petrol engines and the diesel powered units not being imported until the beginning of the 1990s.
The smaller Uno achieved remarkable success in that market throughout the 1980s, reaching its peak with over 40,000 sales in 1988. Both Fiat and the motoring press had high hopes that the Tipo would replicate this triumph, but sales fell short of expectations.
Second series Tipo five door (Tofaş built version)
The Tipo was facelifted in 1993, and a three-door version was added, as well as minor exterior changes (the two evolutions of the car can be differentiated by their slightly different radiator grilles and headlamps) and improved specifications; safety features like stiffer bodyshells, driver's airbag, and side impact bars were added to the range. This included the new S, SX, and SLX trim levels, as well as a new eight valve 2.0 GT model.
The Tipo ceased production in the summer of 1995, and was replaced by the three door Fiat Bravo and five door Fiat Brava. The Tempra saloon and estate (station wagon) were replaced by the Marea. The Bravo and Brava were strong sellers throughout Europe, but the Marea was a disappointment in most markets.
Fiat Tipo Sedicivalvole in a classic car show, NEC Birmingham, UK
It was a reasonably strong seller in the United Kingdom, initially winning plaudits for its innovative and practical design, as well as its good handling. It was originally sold with only 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines, although the 16 valve 1.8 and 2.0 engines with fuel injection became available there in the early 1990s.
The digital dashboard of higher end models proved to be controversial and unreliable.
The car launched into a favourable market in the United Kingdom, where none of the "big three" carmakers (Ford, Vauxhall, and Austin Rover) had launched an all new car of this size for at least four years. However, these three marques all had new Tipo sized products within three years, and increased competition reduced the Tipo's sales.
Its fortunes outside Italy also suffered in the beginning of the 1990s, as it was launched around the same time as France's Renault 19, and was soon followed by host of other new rivals, including the Citroën ZX.
The final two years (1994 and 1995) saw a significant increase in sales, but these were mostly of the low priced 1.4 litre models.
Production elsewhere
In Brazil, it only started to be produced in 1995, in a single trim level. It had a 1.6-litre, eight-valve engine with multi point fuel injection, which offered a 10PS (7.4kW) increase compared to the old 1.6 litre i.e., producing 92PS (68kW).
Previously, the Tipo had been imported from Italy and was available with three different trims that were closely associated with its engines: the basic 1.6 i.e., the luxurious 2.0 litre (eight valve), and the sporty two litre, sixteen valve Sedicivalvole. Seventeen 1.7-litre models were also brought in; they are all in Estoril Blue color and received complete equipment.
It was also built in Turkey, by Tofaş. The Turkish built cars generally did not feature catalytic converters and some thus have marginally more power than the models listed in the table beneath.[6] The Turkish cars also have a small "Tofaş" logo on the left side of the bootlid; production there continued at least until 2000.
The Lancia Delta is a small family car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia in three generations. The first generation (1979-1994) debuted at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the second generation (1993-1999) debuted at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, and the third generation (2008-2014) debuted at 2008 Geneva Motor Show.
The Fiat Croma name was used for two distinct large family cars by Fiat, one a five door liftback manufactured and marketed from 1985 to 1996, and after a nine-year hiatus, a crossover station wagon manufactured and marketed from 2005 to 2010.
The Fiat Uno is a supermini manufactured and marketed by Fiat. Launched in 1983, the Uno was produced over a single generation in three and five-door hatchback body styles until 1995 in Europe — and until 1 January 2014, in Brazil. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, the Uno strongly recalled the high-roof, up-right packaging of Giugiaro's 1978 Lancia Megagamma concept, in a smaller configuration.
The Fiat Tempra is a small family car produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1990 to 1996 in Italy. The Tempra was intended as a replacement for the Fiat Regata. The original project was called Tipo 3, being a mid-size car between the Fiat Tipo and the bigger Fiat Croma. The Tempra shares its Type Three platform with the Lancia Dedra and Alfa Romeo 155.
The Fiat Punto is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1993 to 2018, spanning over three generations. The third generation of the car was marketed between 2005 and 2009 as the Grande Punto, and between 2009 and 2012 as the Punto Evo, until the single-word Punto name was reintroduced. As of May 2013, nearly nine million units had been sold globally.
The Fiat Stilo is a small family car available as a three- and a five-door hatchback, as well as an estate, produced by Italian automaker Fiat. The Stilo hatchbacks were presented in March 2001 at the Bologna Motor Show, and launched on European market in October 2001 to replace the Fiat Bravo/Brava, with the Stilo Multi Wagon following in January 2003.
The Lancia Thema is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000. The Thema was first shown in Turin Motor Show in 1984.
The Alfa Romeo 164 is a four-door executive saloon manufactured and marketed by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998, styled by Pininfarina, and cooperatively designed and sharing platforms and numerous elements with the Fiat Croma, Saab 9000 and Lancia Thema.
The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1992 and 1998. It was unveiled in January 1992 at Barcelona, with the first public launch in March 1992, at the Geneva Motor Show. A total of 195,526 units were made before it was replaced by the 156.
The Fiat Marea is a small family car available as a saloon and an estate, produced by the Italian automaker Fiat. Launched in September 1996, the Marea models were essentially different body styles of Fiat's hatchback offerings, the Bravo and Brava. The Marea replaced the earlier Tipo based Fiat Tempra, as well as the larger Croma.
The Alfa Romeo 159 is a car built by Italian marque Alfa Romeo between 2004 and 2011. It is a large family car in the compact-executive market segment with four-door saloon and five-door estate variants. Introduced at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, as a replacement for the 156, the 159 used the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shared with the Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider as well as the Kamal and Visconti concept cars.
The Alfa Romeo 145 and the Alfa Romeo 146 are small family cars produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1994 and 2000. The 145 is a three-door hatchback and was launched at the 1994 Turin Motor Show, while the 146 is a five-door hatchback, launched in 1995 to replace the Alfa Romeo 33.
Multijet is Stellantis's term for its current common rail direct injection turbodiesel engine range. Most of the Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia range, as well as certain Chrysler, RAM Trucks, Jeep, and Maserati vehicles, are equipped with Multijet engines. Ownership of some Fiat Multijet designs is shared with General Motors as part of a settlement of the failed merger between the two auto conglomerates. The GM Powertrain Torino group in Turin, Italy, manages its interest in these engines. Some PSA Peugeot Citroën diesel engines are also rebadged JTD units, and vice versa. Fiat's common-rail diesel engine is also known as JTD, an initialism of Jet Turbo Diesel.
Tofaş is a Turkish automobile manufacturer which was established in 1968 by Vehbi Koç, who was the founder of Koç Holding, based in Bursa, where the manufacturing plant of the company is located. It is jointly owned by Stellantis and Koç Holding.
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is a hatchback manufactured and marketed by Alfa Romeo, as a 5-door subcompact executive car. Production started near the end of 2009 and the model was introduced at the March 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The Giulietta placed second in the 2011 European Car of the Year awards. Between 2010 and 2019, production reached over 400,000. In 2020, Alfa Romeo announced that they were going to axe the Giulietta and production ended on 22 December 2020 spanning 10 years of sales from a period of 2010 to 2020. In total 469,067 examples were produced until 2020.
The Fiat Linea is a compact sedan produced by Fiat between 2007 and 2018. The sedan was released on 26 March 2007 at the Tofaş plant in Bursa, Turkey as a "world car" in developing countries. It is based on the Fiat Grande Punto. The Linea was designed by Fiat Style Centre and co-developed by Tofaş and Fiat do Brasil. Production in Turkey ended in 2016.
1989 in motoring includes developments in the automotive industry throughout the year 1989 by various automobile manufacturers, grouped by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.
1990 in motoring includes developments in the automotive industry throughout the year 1990 by various automobile manufacturers, grouped by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.
The Fiat Pratola Serra modular engines are a family of engines produced by the Fiat Group since 1994 and used in Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Jeep vehicles. They are named after the Pratola Serra municipality in which they're being produced.
The Fiat Tipo is a compact car. A three-box sedan version was unveiled at the 2015 Istanbul Motor Show in May 2015, and commenced sales in Turkey in October 2015. In 2016, it was followed by a hatchback and a station wagon version, for the European market. The Tipo is assembled at the Tofaş plant in Bursa, Turkey, by the Italian automaker Fiat and is built on the Fiat Small Wide LWB platform. It replaced the Bravo and Linea in the C-segment range. The Tipo was designed by Centro Stile Fiat in Mirafiori, Turin. In December 2015, the car won the 2016 Best Buy Car of Europe Award, from the Autobest jury made up of Europe's twenty-six leading journalists, from twenty-six different European countries.
↑ Özenen, Hakan, ed. (December 1996). "Türk pazarındaki otomobillerin teknik verileri" [Technical data for Turkish market automobiles]. Auto Capital (in Turkish) (1). Istanbul, Turkey: Hürgüç Gazetecilik A.Ş.: 114.
1 2 3 Büschi, Hans U., ed. (March 1991). Automobil Revue 1991 (in German and French). Vol.86. Berne, Switzerland: Hallwag AG. p.263. ISBN3-444-00514-8.
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