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The Fiat Tipo (Type 160) is a small family 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 used on Fiat, 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. For 1989, the Tipo won the European Car of the Year award and 1989 Semperit Irish Car of the Year in Ireland. The car has been extremely popular in Brazil. It outsold the Volkswagen Gol, which had been the best-selling Brazilian car for over 20 years. Only the Tipo, the Fiat Uno Mille, and Fiat Palio have also ever outsold the Gol. ==Variants== Launched in June 1988, 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. Power from came from 1.1-, 1.4-, 1.6-, 1.7-, 1.8-, 1.8- 16-v, 2.0-, and 2.0-L 16-v petrol engines, as well as a 1.7-L diesel, 1.9-L diesel, and 1.9-L turbodiesel. The 1.1-L base engine was widely regarded as underpowered for the car, which was otherwise roomy for five adults and with above-average equipment. 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 , which made it faster than the Volkswagen Golf GTI of that era. 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-L 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. 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. The 1.1 litre version was not available in the United Kingdom - the 1.4 litre was the base model. 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 a new car of this size since 1984. However, these three marques all had new Tipo-sized products within three years, and increased competition reduced the Tipo's sales. The final two years 1994/95 had a significant increase in sales, but these were mostly of the low-priced 1.4 litre models. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fiat Tipo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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