For me, it has to be mk1 all the way even though I've never actually owned a turbo Uno
I have however owned two non turbo mk1's over 60K miles, and came to love the idiosyncratic design of the overall package. The dashboard has shades of old school Citroen about it (from when Citroen were cool!) and the front of the mk1 turbo looks so chunky and purposeful.
The mk1 just seems more distinctive and crisper in its style, the mk2 comes across as more diluted. The interior of the mk2 especially looks like any other super-mini of the era whereas the mk1 was uniquely Italian and Fiat. That hint of quirkiness and zany styling that only the Italians can pull off.
I never liked the look of the mk2 tailgate as it always seemed out of proportion. The slimline mk1 tailgate looks so right, and the turbo with its built in roof spoiler looks great. The mk2 turbo from what I gather never had a spoiler fitted as standard and used the same metal tailgate that all the other Uno models used. In comparison, the mk1 turbo had a unique lightweight plastic tailgate that was ONLY fitted to the turbo models.
From being in a couple of mk1 turbo's, they have a rawness that the mk2 lacks. They feel more purposeful, more distinctive and more on the edge. Overall I just prefer the oldskool charm of the mk1.
Saying that, as much as I like the styling of the mk1 turbo interior there is no doubt that unless it is very well cared for it will fall to bits (except the dashboard with plastic so hard it will probably survive a nuclear war
). The mk2, though much more conventional is harder wearing and made of better quality materials.
I'm going to be fitting a mk2 turbo interior to my mk1, simply because I got one cheap and it's impossible to find a complete mk1 turbo turbo interior that isn't falling apart. My dashboard is staying mk1 though, as I LOVE the mk1 dashboard. :slayer:
I'd also add that if I had the chance of buying a mk2 turbo I'd jump at it. I'd prefer a mk1, but there is no doubt that the mk2 is still a cracking car. I could well be tempted to retro convert a mk2 to a mk1 though! Mk1 front end and bonnet, tailgate and dashboard
Whatever, ALL Uno turbos need to be saved whether they are mk1 or mk2...