Accessibility & Motability
Usability for people with disability or their carers
Access
If you’re after maximum space and accessibility, the Tipo Station Wagon will be the one to go for. Its doors open to an angle of 64 degrees, narrower than those of the Kia Ceed Sportswagon, which open to 66 degrees. However, the Fiat hits back by having a driver’s seat that is a decent 580mm from the ground in its lowest setting, and more than 620mm in its highest. This means there’s only a modest drop into the driver’s seat when you get in, and not far to lift yourself up at journey’s end.
Ease of use and options
If you need an automatic gearbox, your only option will be to go for the hybrid engine. Even so, it’s not the smoothest and can b e frustratingly slow, so we’d avoid if you can.
Performance from the turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine is somewhat less than eye-opening, but the Tipo is quite happy keeping up with traffic once up to speed. The more powerful 128bhp 1.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged hybrid engine is far better when it comes to keeping up with traffic and accelerating up to motorway speeds.
Even entry-level models come with air-conditioning and cruise control, as well as electric windows and mirrors. The infotainment system is fairly easy to use and you get a physical control to help you navigate the various menus and options.
You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, which allow you to use apps on your smartphone (Waze navigation, for example) via the car’s central display. The bad news is that the icons are a little small, compared with the interfaces in the Tipo’s rivals.
