The Fiat Uno is a supermini produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. Starting production in 1983, it is still in production throughout the world, though production in its native Italy ceased in 1995. It was voted Car of the Year in 1984 by a narrow margin over the Peugeot 205 (its key competitor) and the Mark 2 Volkswagen Golf.
1983-1989
The Uno was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign company and was praised for its tall, square body and low drag coefficient of 0.34. It originally featured 0.9 ohv, 1.1 and 1.3 138-series SOHC petrol engines as well as a 1.3 diesel engine. It was available as either a 3 or 5 door hatchback.
In 1985, the new 1.0 SOHC Fully Integrated Robotised Engine (FIRE) was added which improved performance and economy. The "hot hatch" Uno Turbo variant was also launched that year, with an IHI turbocharged Strada derived 1.3 146-series engine initially offering 105 bhp.
1989-1995
In September 1989, the Uno received a mild facelift, with improved bodywork and interior design which improved the drag coefficient to 0.30. The old 1.1 engine was replaced by a new FIRE version and a Tipo derived 1.4 engine replaced the Strada derived 1.3. The Uno Turbo i.e. was re-styled with a Garret T2 turbine, Bosch LH Jetronic fuel injection and a better aerodynamic coefficient. Production in Italy ceased 1995, with over 6 million Unos sold in Europe.
1995-
Uno production continued in many other regions after 1995. In South Africa, it was assembled by Nissan and was marketed as the Uno up till 2005. Production in Fiat's factory in Poland ran till 2002, while it is still produced in Brazil and is sold as the Fiat Mille. This model received a recent facelift in the 2004 model year and in 2005 a Flex Fuel system was added, allowing it to use both gasoline and ethanol. It has also been assembled in CKD form in Pakistan and Brazil-built, right hand drive Unos will soon be exported to South Africa. Recently this car has clicked over 8 million.
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