Should Fiat Phase out Palio and introduce Panda?

[sidindica]

with the Palio nearing the end of its life cycle and the launch of Indica Vista Quadrajet at the identical price of palio multijet, should Fiat phase out the palio and come out with the tall boy panda?

Engine choices can be:

1.1 fire (the same engine from palio stile 1.1)
1.4 100hp
1.3 multijet diesel

advantages:

tall boy design, more compact and practical and nimble in the city than palio.
can give tata-fiat an effective way to compete with Santro, Wagon R, Splash and I 10.

[karanraheja]

Sid- Coming to think of the Vista. People who like Fiats build quality would blindly go for the Palio.We must wait for some more time to comment on the Vista. If Fiat had wanted they should have launched the Panda along with Palio. Panda has been in the market for sometime now. IMO Palio brand name should continue and maybe get a facelift in the near future and other small cars from fiat stable should be sold side by side.

[roms]

I'd pray they dont stop making Palio, for personal reasons of course. Frankly, the car does not deserve to die yet. Whats required is a thorough freshening up of the 178 platform, based on the Palios available elsewhere. They could probably do that a year down the line, if the newer Fiats start doing well and they have enough resources to take such a step. I have seen in Panda in flesh and I can tell you that it may look small, but it feels like a proper solid Euro car. The negative about it is that it just wont do well in India because of its looks. Its looks like a Wagon R up front.

Fiat may lauch the new Uno / Palio which is slated for a 2010 launch. Having said that, there are talks that Fiat may not want to compete with the Tatas in the economy segment. So by that theory, neither the Palio, nor the Panda should find a place in the Indian market in future. Who knows?

[finneyp]

Palio is to Fiat India, as Indica is for Tata, Santro for Hyundai, Alto/WagonR for Maruti!

So, Palio will be in the market for some more years, it will remain as a entry level hatchback by Fiat!

I guess 1.1 will be phased out, they may continue with 1.3 MJD and 1.6!

[vipul_singh]

Selling the Palio (or any other low priced hatch) would be a tough proposition till the time they are on board with Tata. Best to concentrate energies elsewhere (higher up).

[shantyrocks]

palio should remain buttt...
plz give it a face lift yaar,plz spruce up the interiors...
add a bit more features here and there and plzz dont increase the price...

[Firebird]

Forget freshening up the interiors. Even if they introduce ABS and airbag back in Palio, they will have a winner again.

I hate Fiat for discontinuing the ABS and Airbag option from Palio and Petra. All Fiat fans, please dont bash me. You can check my signature.

[nickatnite]

FIAT should be phased out of India. They have nothing to offer other than a hastily put together decades old design with patchy after sales network or support. The collaboration with TATA hasn't proven to be a rip-roaring success, has it?. They should quit gracefully. Their line up overseas isn't worth getting excited about either.

[bottle]

^ All that you say is true but I'd put up (actually I do put up) with everything to drive the 1.6 I have , really doesnt have any alternative does it ?

[finneyp]

Originally Posted by nickatnite

FIAT should be phased out of India. They have nothing to offer other than a hastily put together decades old design with patchy after sales network or support. The collaboration with TATA hasn't proven to be a rip-roaring success, has it?. They should quit gracefully. Their line up overseas isn't worth getting excited about either.

Thanks for your suggestion! But, please keep it to yourself!

Indian Car market is too huge to accomodate Fiat and any number of Car makers!
And there are buyers for cars manufactured by them!

[blue_pulsar]

Fiat should introduce more 'premium' hatches like the GP instead of a smaller one. Else, Tata dealers will push for the Indica instead of the Panda. Bringing in the more modern hatches at an affordable, unlike-500 price will probably work for Fiat.

[snaronikar]

IMO, Palio should be phased out as it is quite an old model. They should bring in new model like Panda with good interiors. It depends on their pricing.

[Autocop]

IMO, Most of the newer customers get really excited when they look at Palio from outside, but when they see the interiors it makes them think.

Palio shouldn't be phased out. Anyday is looks far far better than the models launched even today.

But please give it,

- modern interiors and instrument panel
- a bit solid and sportier gear shift stick
- replace 1.1 petrol engine with 1.2 saffire

With this I am sure PALIOs (Petrol and MJD) would do wonders.

I don't think a Tata dealer would favour Tata cars over Fiat. In fact my experience so far has been other way round. The tata dealer I came across admitted that because of the association with Fiat they are seeing a completly new segement of customers in showrooms which they would never see earlier. In nagpur itself he is selling about 30 Palios a month (60% MJD and 40% 1.1/1.6).

[Bala_R]

IMHO Fiat should continue with Palio. They should upgrade the interiors as offered in Europe ASAP, while there is no qualms about the build quality. A major facelift or the Palio based on new platform can be introduced later.
After going through many comments on the forum, it seems that one thing that turns down people from Palio is its interiors, even though many like the solid built.

[SumitBahl]

I would love to own a baby Panda Sports.
1.4-litres for the 16 valve four-cylinder, 100HP, 0-100km/h in 9.5
Not really sure about 0-100 figures, i read it on some website.
FE is somewhere close to 15KMPL.