In 1989, the Italian carmaker introduced a facelifted version for the 1983 Fiat Uno, a car designed to be used mainly in the cities.
In just six years, the automotive industry rocketed from the carburetor era to the fuel-injected period. The vehicles introduced at the beginning of the '80s were already obsolete by the end of that decade. Fiat still had to rely on the Uno as a base version for a small family hatchback, and it refreshed it in 1989 on all the areas.
At the beginning of the '80s, straight lines and sharp angles were a major trend in automotive design, but there was a consistent trend for the customers to prefer rounded vehicles. Fiat updated the Uno design and softened the angles, so the car didn't look like a box on wheels. There was a new pair of smaller headlights and wrapped around plastic bumpers. The Uno was available with a three- and a five-door version. The former featured longer doors to provide easier access to the rear seats. To emphasize the car's sportier character, a rear spoiler was mounted on the tailgate.
Inside, there was a new dashboard design with an integrated ashtray in the center console. Previously, that was installed on top of the panel, like it was added afterward. The designers also enhanced the glove compartment. In the back, the three-door Uno featured a folding bench to expand the trunk space.
Under the hood, Fiat installed a new engine range, and the former 0.9-liter version was dropped. Its top-spec performance was the Turbo, which featured a 1.4-liter unit that offered 114 hp. It was an increase of 9 hp than on its predecessor 1.3-liter Turbo from the 1983 model.