What do the Suzuki Baleno and Fiat Tipo have in common? Regarding safety, the Euro NCAP rated them both 3 stars overall. Beyond that, both models earned a 4-star rating for models equipped with what the organization calls “safety pack.”
Introduced earlier this year, the dual rating system is meant to offer a better understating of how a particular car fares in a crash depending on the level of onboard safety equipment. The 1-star difference between the Tipo’s ratings comes courtesy of what Fiat calls “Pack Safety.” Tick that from the options list, and the Italian hatchback boasts Forward Collision Warning with automatic braking functions at low/high speeds, among others.
Curiously enough, the system hasn’t been designed to mitigate pedestrian crashes. Why’s that? “The Tipo is marketed as a functional car which maximizes value for money,” explains Michiel van Ratingen, the secretary general of Euro NCAP. “However, to maximize safety, and to bring the car up to the protection levels offered by its biggest rivals in this segment, consumers should not pass over the safety pack,” adds Michiel.
Another area where Fiat could’ve done a better job is in the Adult Occupant tests. Even though it aced the Lateral Impact test, the Tipo offered “marginal” protection to the chest in the Frontal Full Width test. Deceleration of the dummy's head also indicated that the Tipo offers “marginal” protection.
In the case of the rear-end collision, the rear seats provide “marginal” whiplash protection. All in all, these results were expected from an average car like the 2016 Fiat Tipo. Priced from €15,000 in its domestic market, the Tipo is built in Turkey and sold in most countries in the European Union as a cheap and cheerful ticket to the compact-sized segment.
Available in sedan, hatchback (€15,700), and wagon (€17,100) forms, the 2016 Fiat Tipo replaces the Bravo and Linea. Both predecessors of the Tipo started production in 2007. For reasons yet to be made clear, the Tipo sedan isn’t sold in the United Kingdom. Sales figures aren’t too heartwarming either. In August 2016, for example, the Italian model sold just 4.645 units.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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