Team-BHP - View Single Post - New Formula Red Palio Stile 1.6

ReNaGade · 13th August 2007, 12:27

After 20 days of booking the Palio Stile 1.6 in Formula Red i took delivery from Dhingra Motors in Gurgaon on the 9th. I had been pestering them regularly and also my contact in Tata-Fiat and had made sure i am not given a TD car. Here are my experience with the delivery process and the car which has been on a Delhi-Agra-Delhi trip yesterday.

Delivery Satisfaction: 6/10
The paperwork was done fast but the car wasnt clean as per my liking so spent a good 1.5 hours in getting it squeaky clean. Suprisingly Dhingra did not have the new Palio's foot mats or mud flaps so left without them. Got 3 litres of petrol filled from the dealer (free). Got my Mithai box and paid 100 bucks to the cleaners and said tata. Next stop was the fuel pump, got the tank filled with regular petrol from BP Pure for Sure pump, the guy finning the fuel pocketed Rs. 80 on account of "Saab nai gaadi hai, pehlee baar petrol bharane ka inaam!".

ICE Installation:
Took the car to Music Car in Gurgaon and got the ICE installed.
HU: Sony with USB
Front: Blaupunkt 6.5 " Components with Tweeters and Crossovers
Rear: Blaupunkt 2 way GT Series Co-axials.
Total Cost: Rs.11500 (grey), Sound Quality: 8/10 (good bass and clarity)

Driving Experience:
My first drive in my new Palio 1.6 was to Agra. Needed to travel with wifey for the weekend so left post lunch on Saturday with all my fav songs in my pen drive. As the car had only done 26 kms at the start of our journey i knew i couldt rip it on the higway. Drove at a max rpm of 2200-2300 and a max speed of 80kmph all the way to and back from Agra. The highway is smooth and it was very painful to keep the reigns on the Palio which was begging to be driven faster. I still feel a new car should be given time atleast till 1000kms to be able to run in (i know many think otherwise). With this kind of driving the experience was very sedate and i needed loud music to keep me awake. The car performs well even at a powerband of. 1500-2000 rpm with decent torque for overtaking. The ride was good and we did take it over some very rough patches which it ate comfortably.

Problems:
One grouse with the car is that beyond 70 there is a slight vibration in the steering, this might be because of balancing since the alignment is dead straight. I have got tire pressure of 31 psi in the tyres which are 14 inch 175/65 goodyear tubeless. Please let me know if this is OK since there is no placard on the door for tyre pressure and the manual mentions it in bar and not psi.
Also the rear right power window switch gets stuck when pulling up the window, i think the problem is with the plastic switch.

Fuel Economy:
On my first tank fill and driving on the highway till Agra and back, doing 500 kms with the rpm below 2200 i got a FE figure of 12.2. I did get stuck in traffic on 2-3 occassions and drove within Agra for about 50 kms (saw the Taj Mahal too). What do you think about this FE?

I'LL UPLOAD SOME PICS VERY SOON.

13th August 2007, 12:27	#1 (permalink)
ReNaGade Newbie Join Date: May 2007 Location: DLF (Gurgaon) Posts: 36	New Formula Red Palio Stile 1.6 - 500 kms Report After 20 days of booking the Palio Stile 1.6 in Formula Red i took delivery from Dhingra Motors in Gurgaon on the 9th. I had been pestering them regularly and also my contact in Tata-Fiat and had made sure i am not given a TD car. Here are my experience with the delivery process and the car which has been on a Delhi-Agra-Delhi trip yesterday. Delivery Satisfaction: 6/10 The paperwork was done fast but the car wasnt clean as per my liking so spent a good 1.5 hours in getting it squeaky clean. Suprisingly Dhingra did not have the new Palio's foot mats or mud flaps so left without them. Got 3 litres of petrol filled from the dealer (free). Got my Mithai box and paid 100 bucks to the cleaners and said tata. Next stop was the fuel pump, got the tank filled with regular petrol from BP Pure for Sure pump, the guy finning the fuel pocketed Rs. 80 on account of "Saab nai gaadi hai, pehlee baar petrol bharane ka inaam!". ICE Installation: Took the car to Music Car in Gurgaon and got the ICE installed. HU: Sony with USB Front: Blaupunkt 6.5 " Components with Tweeters and Crossovers Rear: Blaupunkt 2 way GT Series Co-axials. Total Cost: Rs.11500 (grey), Sound Quality: 8/10 (good bass and clarity) Driving Experience: My first drive in my new Palio 1.6 was to Agra. Needed to travel with wifey for the weekend so left post lunch on Saturday with all my fav songs in my pen drive. As the car had only done 26 kms at the start of our journey i knew i couldt rip it on the higway. Drove at a max rpm of 2200-2300 and a max speed of 80kmph all the way to and back from Agra. The highway is smooth and it was very painful to keep the reigns on the Palio which was begging to be driven faster. I still feel a new car should be given time atleast till 1000kms to be able to run in (i know many think otherwise). With this kind of driving the experience was very sedate and i needed loud music to keep me awake. The car performs well even at a powerband of. 1500-2000 rpm with decent torque for overtaking. The ride was good and we did take it over some very rough patches which it ate comfortably. Problems: One grouse with the car is that beyond 70 there is a slight vibration in the steering, this might be because of balancing since the alignment is dead straight. I have got tire pressure of 31 psi in the tyres which are 14 inch 175/65 goodyear tubeless. Please let me know if this is OK since there is no placard on the door for tyre pressure and the manual mentions it in bar and not psi. Also the rear right power window switch gets stuck when pulling up the window, i think the problem is with the plastic switch. Fuel Economy: On my first tank fill and driving on the highway till Agra and back, doing 500 kms with the rpm below 2200 i got a FE figure of 12.2. I did get stuck in traffic on 2-3 occassions and drove within Agra for about 50 kms (saw the Taj Mahal too). What do you think about this FE? I'LL UPLOAD SOME PICS VERY SOON. Last edited by ReNaGade : 13th August 2007 at 12:37.