Like the 125, the 132 came with a five-speed manual gearbox, optional in some markets and standard in others: this was still a relatively unusual feature in this class of car in 1977.

[4]: 42 A major update to the front suspension was implemented for January 1974 in response to criticism of the handling and very low geared steering.

[2] Press reports of the time commend the improved handling which was also supported by the fitting of wider tires, although poor fuel consumption at high speed continued to draw adverse comment, even where the (unusual for the time) five speed transmission option was specified.

[5] At the same time, an external redesign[5] gave the impression of a lowered waistline resulting from larger side windows.

[6] The 1600 cc engine remained unchanged but the 1800 cc engine benefited from a modified cylinder head and carburettor, resulting in a small increase in claimed output to 107 hp (80 kW), along with a usefully flattened torque curve.

[2] New plastic "safety" bumpers were introduced to the model plus big rubber side protection strips,[2] and the gearing of the steering was raised, supported by the addition of servo-assistance.

An innovative feature of this edition were the acrylic sunvisors, which could be extracted from the headliner, both forward and sideways at the same time.

[7] FSO only did the final assembly, fitting minor parts like wipers, batteries, seats, wheels and logos.