My new Palio Multijet

[aushdeep]

Hi All I finally got the delivery of my palio multijet SDX. Here are the first 100Km reviews.

1. Drove the car approx 100Km in one day , first drove it to Gurgaon and then back toVaishali where I live from the Mathura Road Showroom. Well test driving one was different but owning one is a totally different experience. One word anyone who has driven Swift Santro or Maruti 800/Alto, Driving a palio is culture change. The car feels robust , shyed in the first 25 Km of my drive but teh engine gradually started responding very well. In evening bumper to bumper traffic of Delhi, gearshift which seemed sloppy at first started to feel good, Trust me the gear clicks with ease , just one thing Fiat encourages to press clutch completely else the lever wont click but once you get used to it , It is really fun to drive but one word of caution , Palio is much bigger car to drib=ve than any of its competitors , it is more robust and huge, it takes time to adjust which I still am. The first ten km was at ease , the next 15 km was a bit tensed as teh traffic was quite a lot and there was not enough space, Till now had driven only the cars mentioned above except the test drive car. The engine is smooth , crisp and demands more, it drives similar to an MPFIat 2nd gear without pressing excellerator it easily drives at 20 and on third between 25 - 30 . It is easy to fdrive and gear changing requirements were less as compared to the VDI possibly to do with the gear ratios.

But the car runs to 20 as soon as one engages the 2nd gear . It drives like a dream on bad rroad and speed breakers and some we dint even feel. Today was the test of the car as my family had strong objection in buying a fiat hence took teh car to my sister's place to drive her around as today being a Sunday, Fitted the kid seat at the beck left side as used to do in santro, the Car seat fits well and tehre was enough space for two people as unlike for one in Santro the rear view is still precise and clear. I remembered having faced a lot of problem driving in Swift with my nephew's car seat clung in the back seat. Now every one seems convinced as they liked the drive and the space and the AC which is a chiller to the core.

The only problem I faced is with the high turning radius and had to try repeats after repeats to fit the car in a tight spot . I think it has to do with lack of judgment as was driving the car for long after having driven Santro and M 800 for long. Dont ask teh fuel efficiency as have not check and neither fuel gauge needle has tried to slip a point.

The car finish is excellent but the finish of theplastics is not that great , Fiat should do something about it the passenger handles are really rough and seems can cause a cut or bruise. will get them cushioned by getting leather or any other fabric insert on them. I have started liking the dash and is really very practical.

The max I drove was at 80 but the engine is really responsive and just wants to eat the distance. it was really fun to drive.

Overall it was pleasant drive but now when I see the car being parked with ther cars on road I realise why the turning radius is high. It was almost the same size as of my neighbors esteem, The car is huge and drive a bit tall. After driving , my M 800 felt like an underpowered toy with no response and the santro feels sad too. The first day has been good lets hope the *** is good too.

Moderator's note: New thread created as it pertains to an ownership report

[speedzak]

Congrats on your new car. Nice to know that you're enjoying it to the core.
Well, enjoy her while it lasts. Once things grow old, you know.....

[PatchyBoy]

Congrats and welcome to the Palio family. Dont take speedzak too seriously. His signature says it all

Cheers,

Rajan

[condor]

Congrats, ashudeep. Pls post pics too.

PatchyBoy : Dont take speedzak too seriously. His signature says it all

And his location too ! "Got Kicked Out of Idukki". See ?

[rippergeo]

Congrats on the car.initially, had written a lengthy review on the car in this thread, then realised, you dont need it. you've picked up the car already. you know what to expect.

parking the car in tight spaces is difficult because the turning circle is big, and the visibility is below par. it's not entirely your fault.
things will get better, but not a lot, on that front.
congrats again.

[needforspeed88]

Congratulations . Palio is a great car and with the multijet it has acquired a new dimension.Do keep us posted with your ownership experience.

[hbkamit]

congrats on your new ride
Welcome to fiat- i know you will enjoy every moment of it
the palio is a really good car and with the multijet it has got better

[sanjaymugur]

Congrats on your new PALIO...

do the run-in for as much a 5K & reap the rewards later...properly run-in fiats become more silent & give consistently good mileage...

Originally Posted by aushdeep

Driving a palio is culture change.

you said it... thats the difference between other cars & a FIAT.. hence not many understand...

Originally Posted by aushdeep

but the finish of theplastics is not that great , Fiat should do something about it the passenger handles are really rough and seems can cause a cut or bruise.

yes, even i complained to the sales executive about the bad finish of plastics..get an art leather wrap around it as soon as possible..

FIAT, always....

[pawan_pullarwar]

Congrates on being first TBhpian owning and posting Multijet review. Fiat's diesel car last for lifetime. They are pioneer in diesel engine. You bought the diesel engineering. Keep posting the updates.

[finneyp]

Congrats & Welcome to the Fiat family!

Enjoy driving the Italian hatch with an awesome engine!

[extreme_torque]

Congrats... keep us updated as you pile on miles on her.

[kpzen]

Congrats Aushdeep!!
Keep the updates coming.

[neoonwheels]

Congrats and please upload pics

[hydrashok]

Congrats on the new car, aushdeep!

Originally Posted by aushdeep

The only problem I faced is with the high turning radius and had to try repeats after repeats to fit the car in a tight spot . I think it has to do with lack of judgment as was driving the car for long after having driven Santro and M 800 for long. ...

The turning radius is something you'll (need to) get used to. Parking/easing into tight spots with a Palio is best done by reversing into the spot. Try it a few times and you'll see how much more easier this is!

Enjoy!

[madan80]

well.. here's a thread i need to monitor very closely!

Congrats man- do keep us posted on how the car behaves - you might be pioneering the my next change!