When it comes to safety, the Tipo hasn’t been tested by the experts at Euro NCAP since 2016, and its four-star rating has expired. As for used examples, because the Tipo has not been a massive success in the UK, and the Station Wagon was less popular than the hatchback, the number of used examples to choose from will be somewhat limited. The dashboard plastics are soft touch but textured in the style you’d expect of a 1990s Nissan and the layout has no finesse or style. We’d also recommend picking an Easy Plus model over the base spec car if you’re planning to drive in town, since it adds reversing sensors, which come in handy in tight spots.

The Lounge Wagon | Indiegogo The Lounge Wagon | Indiegogo

The latest facelift means that there’s now a sensible amount of standard safety equipment included too.If you have kids to get in and out then you’re unlikely to have too many problems – access is good and there are Isofix mounting points for child seats – so there’s not much to complain about from a practical point of view. The Fiat Tipo SW is yet another spin-off estate in the packed compact sector, designed to compete with popular offerings like the Ford Focus Estate, Kia Ceed SW and the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer. The touchscreen is tiny at just five inches corner to corner, but it’s better than no touchscreen at all - just about. The Tipo Station Wagon is unremarkable to drive, but the controls are nicely weighted so no real effort is required to get down the road in comfort.

Wagon Review 2023 | Honest John Fiat Tipo Station Wagon Review 2023 | Honest John

Euro NCAP tested the Fiat Tipo in 2016, and awarded it two separate scores; three stars overall for the standard version and four stars overall for the version with the safety pack.You get a bigger boot than in most family cars – including the Ford Focus, the Astra and the VW Golf – but you'll fit even more luggage in the Octavia. Reliability Survey but Fiat as a brand came a disappointing 30th place out of 32 manufacturers (only Land Rover and Jeep did worse). Motorway driving is easy, with good refinement and a comfortable driver’s seat that provides decent support on long trips. Overview The Tipo is spacious with plenty of safety tech but poor residual values mean it won’t be as good value to own as a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf. You get a three-year warranty, which matches Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen, but is nowhere near as good as Kia's seven-year, 100,000-mile cover.