Palio 1.2 NV - Ownership Report - 30000 kms

[finneyp]

When I started my hunt for a perfect Car around 2.5 years back, my budget was 3 - 3.5 lacs, that time I could get only Maruti Alto for that price. Went to a Maruti showroom, saw the Alto, felt like it was a ok car. Then I checked with couple of colleagues who owned a Alto. They said it is a good small Car but if you switch on the A/C, the car grasps for power. So Alto 800cc was out of consideration. What about Alto 1100 CC? It was costing 4 lacs+. In that range, I had other options like Santro Xing, Zen and Wagon-R. Zen no doubt a good, peppy Car, but with the cramped interior space, was out of contention. Wagon-R - My wife didn't like the mini-van shaped car, so it was ruled out. Then we checked out Santro Xing. Took a test drive a couple of times. It had good pick-up, interiors was better, ideal car for city driving. I had almost finalized to book one.
But then, a thought came to my mind, why not check-out the Fiat Palio. So, I went to a Fiat Showroom, saw a Palio, it looked great, was quite spacious inside, build quality was excellent. Went for a Test drive. The moment I drove the Car, I decided this will be my Car!!!

In Jan'2004, I bought my Palio 1.2 NV ELPS Silver Frost, and from then, I am enjoying every bit of driving this Italian beauty.
And I have just completed 11000+ kms on the odo, so I thought I will share my ownership experience with you all.

Mileage
Palio was (and still) bad-mouthed for it perceived low mileage. The new Palio NV had the engine and exhaust tweaked and mileage had significantly improved. I am getting a steady mileage of 12 - 13 kmpl in City driving with 25% AC. On highways, I get a mileage of 15 - 17 kmpl. Man, you can't ask for more!

Performance
Palio 1.2 is not a performance-oriented Car, it is meant for daily City driving and occasional long drives. If you need performance, you need to buy a Palio 1.6.
Palio 1.2 is bit sluggish on the lower gears, but it once it takes off, it just glides over the road and takes on even the big Cars with ease. It is real fun the drive it on the highways, where you can easliy hover between 80 - 120 kmph. The stability and control it offers on high speeds is just amazing.

Comfort
Palio indeed is a Sedan minus boot. It has ample leg room both in the front as well as rear. It can easily accomodate 3 adults in the rear. And the boot is good enough for a small family.
Even when you drive a Palio, it gives you a Sedan feeling. The sturdiness and control it offers is simply great. The suspension is also quite good, it glides over rough roads and small potholes without any grouse.

Safety
The Build quality of Palio is undoubtly the best in its segment, even comparable to the C segment cars. To have a feel of the same, just open & shut any of the doors or just lift the bonnet & try holding it for few moments. Kudos to Fiat for having value for a life.

Servicing
I had bought my Palio from Sundaram Motors in Bangalore. That time, they were the sole dealers for Fiat cars in Bangalore. The purchase experience was very pleasant. After I booked the Car, I got the delivery in 2 weeks time. But the dealer was very stingy to give any freebies or cash discount. Whereas Maruti & Hyundai dealers were offering Free Insurance and Stereo system respectively. Basically, Sundaram is known for their 'Don't care' attitude. I could just avail the Corporate discount of 10k. Though, there were 2 Service Centers that time - Sundaram Motors & Hariprasad Automobiles. I had serviced only with Sundaram. Though, they had only Service center in Rajajinagar, it was not a problem, since it was once in 6 months affair and they had Pickup & Drop facility. Sundaram did a good job in Servicing. Didn't face any issues with them. Since I bought the Car, I visited the Service Center only for the routine service. In other words, my Palio was trouble-free.
Post Fiat-Tata tie-up, in Bangalore we have 3 Tata Service centers to cater to Fiat cars, in addition to the 2 Fiat Service centers. So, poor Fiat Service is a old story now!

Looks
I love the looks of the Palio. Kudos to the Italians for such an beautiful design. The clear-lens rectangular Headlamp adds to the uniqueness of Palio. And, if you can afford Alloy Wheels and Rear Spoiler, it looks all the more deadlier!. The interiors are good enough, has a dual-tone dashboard. All the keys and buttons are perfectly placed for easy access by the driver.
Overall, a perfect Car under 5 lakhs!!!

[zulfikar]

good report Buddy.
Fe is very good.
is the FE good on new cars only or the older ones also having the same FE...

[DCEite]

Good review Finny

I have travelled extensively in the back seat of Palio 1.2Elx, i found that the seats are not supportive. They lack lower back and thigh support. Also, the design of front seats is such that you dont get as generous legroom and headroom as say in an Indica.

Nothing comes close to ride quality though... nothing that i can think of this side of 10 lakhs. AC is super cool as well.

[roms]

Thats one happy FIAT ownership report Finney.You have really taken good care of your "Pal" and it shows in the pics.Looks all shiny and fresh.
When will people realise the worth of this beautiful piece of automotive machinery.I really believe this is one car manufacturer in India that can give a lesson or two to all other cars below 12 lakhs a thing or two on how cars are supposed to be made and more importantly show them how to put "soul" and "feel" in the driving experience.Anyways,Good going Finney and I hope you have trouble free and enjoyable years ahead with your Palio NV.Hope we can meet at the next Palio Users national meet.Cheers!

[bangboy]

Nice write up finney.
Wish you a happy long drive in your Palio for years to come.

[finneyp]

Thanks Zulfikar, Dceite and Romil!

Zulfikar, mileage of pre-NV Palio is slightly less, in the range of 10 - 11 kmpl in City driving, whereas Palio NV gives 12 - 13 kmpl.

[himanshugoswami]

Good one Finney,

keep it up dude and have many more enjoyable miles with your beauty!

[madhu_calvin]

Good write up, ur car looks brand new even after 2 yrs! there are only few cars which doesnt lose out their lustre as time goes by. gr8 going

[finneyp]

Thanks Himanshu & Madhu!

[purnendubagchi]

Really good review Finney-shows the love and affection that you have for your car. One small query- since you have been driving it for close to 2 1/2 years how useful do you find it for city driving? Does it behave well for bumper-to-bumper 1st gear drive? And what exactly is the difference between NV and pre-NV cars? Cheers and happy driving,
Purnendu Bagchi

[finneyp]

Thanks Purnendu!
Palio perfoms very well in bumper-to-bumper City driving. Thanks to the high torque in lower gears, the Car moves just by releasing the clutch at 1st gear, no need to press accelerator each time.

Here are the main differences between Pre-NV and NV Palio:
- The new Palio 1.2 NV is fitted with a modified exhaust system aimed at boosting mileage.
- The car's catalytic converter has been brought closer to the exhaust manifold, which makes for better controlled emissions during cold starts, and improved fuel efficiency.
- Other notable changes include a modified temperature regulator for the airconditioning system which is supposed to reduce the compressor’s load on the engine (again affecting mileage), and a new air dam under the front bumper.

[carfreak]

good to hear about your wonderful experience with the palio 1.2
i am very new to the fiat palio group(bought a 1.6 exactly 1 month back!)ok the 1.6 is not for the mileage seekers,but still on the highway its giving 12kmpl
with a/c on 95%-dealer says will go up to 14 after 1st service.which is very much ok for me.and the superb performance makes up for any negatives the car has.anyway more on my car in a totally new post.
hope your love affair continues for a long long time!!

[finneyp]

Thanks Carfreak!

Wish you too a very enjoyable driving experience on your Palio 1.6 beast!

[icemanz]

Hi folks!!

Wot milage can i expect from Palio sport 1.6?
I will be driving very less - approx - 15Kms a day n about 30-40 kms on weekends n long drives over 200 kms once a month.

Interested in buyin a Palio, but Low FE is stoping me from...also Palio sport 1.6 will crunch my pocket. In cochin its 4.75 L + regn +taxes will mount to 5.2 L :(
hence thinking of Wagon R LPG which will be good on FE and comes for 4.06L.

But I still luv the Palio.

suggestions are most welcome.

[amit]

Wot milage can i expect from Palio sport 1.6? Interested in buyin a Palio, but Low FE is stoping me. hence thinking of Wagon R LPG

How much mileage are you comfortable with? The Palio 1.6 gives a mileage thats as good as any 1.6 L engine. Since you are comparing a Palio 1.6 with Wagon R LPG, I am guessing fuel efficiency is extremely important to you. In that case, go for the Wagon R LPG.