Fiat introduced a facelift for the Uno lineup in 1989 and tried to convince the customers that it was a completely new model.
While the technology advanced, Fiat’s products started to fade away in front of its competitors. It managed to stay on the market’s budget side, and the new countries opened for business on the East-European continent helped them sell more than expected. The Uno, for instance, was one of its spearheads that managed to get more attention thanks to the Polish market, especially in the five-door version.

The straight lines of the ’80s were no longer trendy, and the Italian designers had to adapt. 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. Even though the Est European customers were looking more for sedans, the five-door hatchbacks convinced many of them to ditch their older communist cars and switch to western vehicles.

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. Thanks to its hatchback construction, the carmaker was able to install a folding bench in the rear, which was good in expanding the trunk area.

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. Moreover, it offered a fuel-efficient diesel version.