Hi, my son is thinking about getting either a Tipo 1.3/1.6 M/Jet hatch. Having had problems with swirl flaps on a 1.9 16v JTD Croma I am wondering it these 1.3 & 1.6 engines also have swirl flaps ?

Any comments on which is the best engine of the 2 ? I think for insurance reasons he wants the 1.3, but I am worried it will be underpowered.

MPG seems to the same figures for both engines, its that really true in real usage ?

Thx David

The 1.3 shouldn't be under powdered
I have the 1.4 petrol has the same horsepower as the 1.3 but less torque and it doesn't feel under powered
Sure it not fast but more then enough for traffic

I've had a 1.3 Multijet but with 85bhp in an Alfa MiTo and the 1.6 Multijet 120bhp in an Alfa Giulietta. I now have a Tipo but with the 1.4 T-Jet 120bhp petrol, so whilst I can't say how the diesels behave in the Tipo, I can comment from a more general perspective.

The 1.3 felt better than I expected, but (in 85bhp form at least) it had quite a lot of turbo lag. If you pulled out of a junction and were even a tiny bit below the optimum speed for the chosen gear, it wouldn't go. Once it was spinning it was fine, but the fuel economy was no better than the 1.6 Multijet overall, because it did need occasional thrashing. Mine was 5 speed whereas the Tipo is 6 speed, so it'd be worth seeing if the Tipo's ratio's are better suited to the engine.

The 1.6 is a powerhouse in comparison, with a massive shove of torque and a lot more tollerance to spinning up from low revs without feeling like something's broken (as in the 1.3). It's more gruff than the 1.3, but not quite as agricultural as the 2.0 (or old 1.9). Whilst I don't know if either engine has swirl flaps, as far as I've seen the 1.6 doesn't have anything in the way of major mechanical problems. Some incarnations of the 1.3 aren't popular with those in the know, which suggests they're not quite as bomb proof as the 1.6, even though i personally had no engine problems with either.

No swirl flaps in these little engines that I am aware of.

Well my sons has now got the Fiat bug and purchased a 1.6 M/Jet Lounge Hatch. I drove it back 200 miles yesterday from up north to Worcestershire. I am well impressed with the car, the engine is very powerful and smooth, it feels it is more than 120bhp and I have a 200bhp 2.4 Croma, a remapped Stilo Wagon running 157bhp and a V8 265bhp Jeep, so am not comparing it with slow cars ! The Tipo goes well. the 6 speed gearbox is also great.