Fiat Tipo review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Fiat Tipo’s real strong point is its practicality. In fact if you need a practical family car for supermini money, the Tipo could be a great choice in lower specifications. It’s available as a hatch, SW estate or saloon and you get a lot of space, no matter which you choose.

The driving position is good, and visibility is as good as any of its rivals. There’s a good amount of space around the cabin for your family’s bits and bobs, totalling 12 litres. There’s a USB port for charging phones and other electronic devices, too.

Size

The Fiat Tipo is 4.37m long, 1.79m wide and 1.5m tall, making it one of the largest cars available at a similar entry-level price. The Station Wagon estate is 20cm longer, at 4.57m long, and that means you can fit objects up to 1.8m long in the back with the seats folded down. It doesn’t feel too big on the road, however, and is still easy enough to drive around town and park. 

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Leg room, head room & passenger space

There’s plenty of leg and head room in the front and back seats, although in the hatchback version rear seat passengers who are particularly tall might find their head brushing the roof.

The back seats are fairly comfortable too, and while the middle seat isn't the most comfortable place for adults, it’s good enough for shorter trips. It’s certainly much more roomy than similarly-priced rivals in the segment below, though it’s not hugely bigger than other family hatchbacks like the Vauxhall Astra. The doors open nice and wide, which should be useful for fitting child seats.

It lives up to its practical billing with decent storage, thanks to a deep tray in front of the gearlever and a pair of cup-holders behind. There’s also a central armrest between the front seats that reveals another cubby when lifted, although there’s less practical storage for rear passengers.

Boot

For a compact five-door hatch, the Tipo’s 440-litre boot should be more than enough to carry day-to-day luggage; it can swallow a family of four’s belongings. The estate gets 110 litres more, with a 550 litres available with the seats up. You can fold the 60/40 split seats down and the seat bases also fold so you can get the backs fully down, for a flat load floor.

The hatch doesn’t have any extra storage options in the back but the estate has a removable floor with some extra pockets at the side. There are two bag hooks and four load-retaining brackets back there, too.