Palio Stile 1.1SLX short TD report

[sankey]

Hi guys this my first post at Team-BHP so I hope to see you guys here much more from now on...

Ok..So I am totally fida over how the Palio Stile looks and its sexy looks dont compare to anyone in the B segment.
Just test drove the 1.1SLX (1.6 was not available for TD) at Wasan Motors here in Mumbai on Monday evening.
I did a test drive in the evening time about 15 min when most of the 'office to home traffic' is on the road.So didnt actually rip the car by any means.

Looks
It looked beautiful in its Magnesium Grey paint a clean bonnet and an imposing front grille that bears the badge with much authority(how I hate the trapezoid grille on the Xing) . The new double barrels remind me of those in the Civic and a very streamlined body design that even some Indian sedans lack. And a new look from behind with great new tail lamps.
Interiors are not too different from the earlier Palio exept for the new beige addons which looks good but could have been avoided.

Drive
Wasn't particularly impressed with the pickup in second and third(accelerating from first is very good but felt underpowered when accelerating from low speeds in 2nd and 3rd) but the sales person said that is a compromise for good FE =-0. (i.e he tells me the 1.6 packs more punch at about 100ps and obviously guzzles more than the 1.1....duh).
He also told me "seeing by your driving style you may get around 13-14 with a/c on within city traffic and about 16/17 on long highways".
Driving wise I really felt gripped to the road for whatever little time i drove and the P/S looks much more refined than the Xing I test drove few weeks earlier. Felt very confident while driving unlike the Xing where I feel like flying off the road even around 80.
Gear shifting bit hard but plops into place well
Cornering at around 40 Ks felt so easy and the car was optimally responsive.
Brakes very smooth and didnt jerk when I braked from around 60 at a traffic signal.
Suspension is much improved in my opinion and felt very comfy over a rough stony surface where I drove.

Comfort
Ac was on 3 all the time and cooled adequately the 3 persons inside . Seating a bit lower but the steering position is very good and I could rest my hands firmly on them. Back seats are fairly comfortable with good leg space. Great white dials and top provision for stereo on the dash and black a/c vents rectangular as I want them to be.

Price
My already stretched out budget is 4.5 which is almost that of the 1.1 SLX on road....(the dealer will throw in a 10k discount over 4.5) so I wouldnt afford to buy the 1.6 but would like to TD it for sure.
I believe all in all the 1.1 is good VFM and A.S.S. is expected to be better with the Tata alliance so I am all for it.

P.S. Sorry for the lack of photos...Maybe I was so excited I forgot the cameras. :P

[roms]

Nice review.Before you settle in for the top end 1.1, test drive the black 1.6 at Shaman auto - Prabhadevi.

[EatMyDust]

If you liked the 1.1, the 1.6 will rock u! pls get urself a TD asap.

There's been a lot of discussions reg. Palio/ no Palio. Please go thru them all before you make decision.

EMD

[gemithomas]

way to go. you'll never regret the drive in a FIAT. But not all would dare to own one. basically because we always want to be on a safer side of things. If you like the 1.6 do go for it. You will get a mileage above 10-11 in city and 14-15 on highways. Guaranteed. You wont regret stretching your budget a little more once you own it.

[yatin]

Given reservations expressed by many TBHP-ians on increased FE with 1.1 engine compared to 1.2, I tried to look up some info.
I found:
Road Tests: FIAT Panda 1.1 Active Road Test
and it says the 1.2 has marginally better (0.8 mpg more) FE than the 1.1.
What can we read into this, if anything?
(Note that the car there is 150kgs lighter that the Palio Stile)
(Note that the 1.2 engine there develops less peak power than the old Palio's 1.2, but quite similar torque)

[sallubhai]

Hi friends,
I suppose that I am among all fiat lovers. I am looking for a car for last few days and took test drive of Palio SLX and Indica Xeta GLG yesterday. Comparing the two I can say that the sound is lesser in Xeta, Ac equal, ride quality better in Xeta, dont know about fuel efficiency except what has been told to me by the sales person.
The wheels are bigger and sitting is a bit higher in Palio. Reclining knob for co-driver seat is old fashioned in Palio. AC vents are rectangular for both.
And lastly though Xeta has lesser boot space it has 60:40 split back seat. Anyday seating comfort in both front row and back row what I felt is better than Spark, WagonR and Estilo (May be thats due to my height, I am 6'2")
Please suggest between this two or any other vehicle, it will run for say about 50 kms a day mixed AC and both City and highway.

[Torqueguru]

Hi guys,
I heard a lot about Fiat Palio from TBHP. I had become curious to find out whats so good about this car. So i decided to take it for a test drive. I approached the dealers near koramangala for a test drive, the guys knews nothing about the car! I felt like i was the dealer n they were the customers after a few minutes of talk regarding the specs.

I waited for 15 minutes , and then finally the test vehicle came. The car looked cool, menacingly sporty stance and a ready to zip off hatchback kinda look. Interiors looked a little plasticky, but i didnt care much about the interior, i was more interested to see how this baby drives! But i got my first jhatka when i started the car and shifted to first gear, gave the accelerator and then braked...the brake and the accelator pedals are soooooo close that when i push the brake, the accelerator also gets pushed...i had to be extra careful to avoid that.
(This probem was there right throughout the test drive. )

The pick up was decent...but i didnt seem to feel a 100 bhp kinda pick up though. Braking was not great,or so i felt, maybe because i was used to abs and ebd. Suspension was just average, i was not impressed after a small stretch of bad road. What was really great was the steering. It seemed responsive and smooth, justifying the car's reputation for handling...but i really think abs and ebd was being sorely missed. Gear shift was ok, i have had smoother shifts though in a Swift. With the A/C turned on, there was a serious depletion of power....the vehicle suddenly got a hold back effect when i switched on the A/C.

All in all, the car was just about ok. I feel the swift petrol is a much better deal than palio 1.6. The main problem i felt was that, it was a very crude experience, lacked the refinement expected from a 5 lakh vehicle.

And after the test drive, boy was i glad to see my Cedia baby waiting for me to drive her home!!!! Well, the most enjoyable thing of the day was my drive to the showroom and back home, in her !!!

[codemarauder]

Originally Posted by Torqueguru

Hi guys,
But i got my first jhatka when i started the car and shifted to first gear, gave the accelerator and then braked...the brake and the accelator pedals are soooooo close that when i push the brake, the accelerator also gets pushed...i had to be extra careful to avoid that.

Seems you need to get used to the pedal positions as every vehicle is different. I have broad feet and shoe size 10, even then I never came across such an issue.

The pick up was decent...but i didnt seem to feel a 100 bhp kinda pick up though. Braking was not great,or so i felt, maybe because i was used to abs and ebd. Suspension was just average, i was not impressed after a small stretch of bad road. What was really great was the steering. It seemed responsive and smooth, justifying the car's reputation for handling...but i really think abs and ebd was being sorely missed. Gear shift was ok, i have had smoother shifts though in a Swift. With the A/C turned on, there was a serious depletion of power....the vehicle suddenly got a hold back effect when i switched on the A/C.

Well, BHP does not directly imply for a better pickup but torque value does. You get better torque once rpm rises above 1500 and even accelerating in 4th or 5th gear pushes you back. It has happened many times that other cars try to overtake from the wrong side and I simply press the pedal a little and it zooms like a bullet. I never feel any lack of power no matter if AC is on or off. It is another thing that I always keep climate control on in order to avoid noise and air pollution. I suspect that you had got a bad piece to test drive.

Suspension is on the stiffer side in order to provide better handling. If air pressure is correct in the tyres (28-29 psi for light load and 31 psi for full load) bad roads are not a problem. Earlier I also used to get a bumpy rides but after following the tyre pressures as mentioned in the user's manual, it feels like riding on an air cushion.

[ankura12]

Originally Posted by yatin

Given reservations expressed by many TBHP-ians on increased FE with 1.1 engine compared to 1.2,

I have crossed 2000 KMs in my PALIO Stile 1.1 SLX. I am getting FE of 14.7 in City Driving ( 20% AC) , 17.5 Highway Driving(50% AC). (Petrol from SHELL, Old Madras Road, Measured with Tank full to Tank Full method) . Driving it has been a pleasure.

[rohitgaur]

Guys ,
With my experience on the Palio, TDs of both Stile 1.1 and 1.6, I just love this set of wheels and To get the max mileage out of your Palios, Pls drive between 70-80 KMPH , Those short bursts of Power DRINK petrol, esp cruing above 100 , your car starts to guzzle fuel.

I ve extracted mileage of 13-14 on my Petrol Palio just by keeping the Accelerator under check, less Clutching (Meaning Less gearshifts), and less braking, use the accelerator to control your car
Also ensure that when you are not using the clutch, your foot rests on the footrest on the left of the clutch and not on the clutch

THE FIAT PALIO RULES

[Torqueguru]

Originally Posted by codemarauder

Seems you need to get used to the pedal positions as every vehicle is different. I have broad feet and shoe size 10, even then I never came across such an issue.

Well, BHP does not directly imply for a better pickup but torque value does. You get better torque once rpm rises above 1500 and even accelerating in 4th or 5th gear pushes you back. It has happened many times that other cars try to overtake from the wrong side and I simply press the pedal a little and it zooms like a bullet. I never feel any lack of power no matter if AC is on or off. It is another thing that I always keep climate control on in order to avoid noise and air pollution. I suspect that you had got a bad piece to test drive.

Suspension is on the stiffer side in order to provide better handling. If air pressure is correct in the tyres (28-29 psi for light load and 31 psi for full load) bad roads are not a problem. Earlier I also used to get a bumpy rides but after following the tyre pressures as mentioned in the user's manual, it feels like riding on an air cushion.

Hi codemarauder,
It could be that i got a bad piece. But all in all i really didnt enjoy the drive. Like i said, I just felt the refinement element missing. I had taken the Swift too for a drive and i found it much better, especially the braking.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by Torqueguru

The pick up was decent...but i didnt seem to feel a 100 bhp kinda pick up though. Braking was not great,or so i felt, maybe because i was used to abs and ebd. Suspension was just average, i was not impressed after a small stretch of bad road. What was really great was the steering. It seemed responsive and smooth, justifying the car's reputation for handling...but i really think abs and ebd was being sorely missed. Gear shift was ok, i have had smoother shifts though in a Swift. With the A/C turned on, there was a serious depletion of power....the vehicle suddenly got a hold back effect when i switched on the A/C.

Palio has skinny tyres which need an upsize for better handling. However come on... I drive a Cedia too and the initial responsiveness of the Palio 1.6 is way way way better than the Cedia. The midrange acceleration could have been better though. You shouldn't even be comparing the acceleration to the swift... its like comparing a mule to a horse. Swift is one of the slowest cars off the blocks.

The gearbox on the Palio is rather slick and way better than the notchy gearbox of the swift. I agree to the fact that the chassis and suspension of the palio is no way close to the swift. About the brakes... well the issue is not with the brakes per se... its just that you have to push the brakes way harder than most other cars. Once you do, it brakes well. The pedal does lack the feel though.

All in all, the car was just about ok. I feel the swift petrol is a much better deal than palio 1.6. The main problem i felt was that, it was a very crude experience, lacked the refinement expected from a 5 lakh vehicle.

Err crude in what sense? If you are talking about the engine being a bit vocal, I just love that... the way the engine revs, its like sweet music. I've been in/driven bottle's palio quite a bit and I just love the car. Other than a stiffer chassis and springs, the Swift offers little else in terms of driving experience.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by sankey

(the dealer will throw in a 10k discount over 4.5)

10k discounts?

As a part of TATA million cars offer- there are discounts of 44k on the Palio! Ads are in the papers. Please check. I think that would bring the 1.6 in your budget!

Originally Posted by Torqueguru

All in all, the car was just about ok. I feel the swift petrol is a much better deal than palio 1.6.

Blasphemy!

[vittalnrv]

Originally Posted by codemarauder

Well, BHP does not directly imply for a better pickup but torque value does. You get better torque once rpm rises above 1500 and even accelerating in 4th or 5th gear pushes you back. It has happened many times that other cars try to overtake from the wrong side and I simply press the pedal a little and it zooms like a bullet. I never feel any lack of power no matter if AC is on or off. It is another thing that I always keep climate control on in order to avoid noise and air pollution. I suspect that you had got a bad piece to test drive.

What ,,, 4th or 5th gear pushes you back,you must be kiddin right. I have never experienced this even on the new Camry manual tranny! Maybe you mistook the Italian Palio for an Enzo.

Climate Control...high hopes heh

I suspect you are talking about the wrong car.

[abhibh]

Originally Posted by Torqueguru

Hi guys,
And after the test drive, boy was i glad to see my Cedia baby waiting for me to drive her home!!!! Well, the most enjoyable thing of the day was my drive to the showroom and back home, in her !!!

Well you answered your own questions. After Driving CEDIA you cant settle for a PALIO as in breaking and ride comfort. But regarding pickup and comparing palio with swift . Swift is even slower than Esteem!