The European crash test organisation Euro NCAP has urged the public to buy the Fiat Tipo with the optional safety pack.

In crash testing the car without ‘pack safety’ scored three stars out of five. With it, the Tipo was awarded four stars.

Euro NCAP’s secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said: “The Tipo is marketed as a functional car which maximizes value for money.

“However, to maximise safety, and to bring the car up to the protection levels offered by its biggest rivals in this segment, consumers should not pass over the safety pack.”

The Tipo was tested under Euro NCAP’s dual rating system, which allows two ratings for the same vehicle: a base rating which indicates the safety of the car fitted only with standard safety equipment, and, if the manufacturer wishes, a second rating for the car fitted with an optional ‘safety pack’ that is offered on all versions, is available in all markets and sold in “significant numbers”.

The dual rating lets consumers see the improvement in safety which can be achieved by the additional crash avoidance equipment.

Fiat’s ‘pack safety’ includes a forward collision warning system withi auto-braking, but has not been designed to mitigate pedestrian crashes.

In the same small family car category the standard spec Tipo scored the lowest number of stars for cars tested this year. The equivalent Kia Niro scored four and the Subaru Levorg five. The Niro with a safety pack scored five stars. 

Tested in 2015, the Infiniti Q30, Vauxhall Astra, Renault Megane and Honda HR-V each scored five stars.

> Euro NCAP report on the Fiat Tipo crash tests