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Old 14th March 2006, 20:28   #46
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well to be true. I have posted on this thread before comparing the two but here is the real situation

Palio 1.2 and swift while being in the same segment are not really competiters. it goes like this.

Palio 1.2
Swift
palio 1.6

palio 1.2 is the cheapest, has the smallest engine and a value for money buy. better for those who want a cheap but big hatch.

swift 1.3 lies somewhere in between, and a newer maruti product with an old but reliable engine. closely competes with getz and indica. pucca premium hatch these cars are.

palio 1.6 is a scorcher, has biggest engine, better features than 1.2 and better than swift in all ways except some kit and interiors. for people who crave for performance and dont want a sedan.

Its not a case of new and old. Palio still looks as new as swift. that's what matters. Interiors show their age though. engines of both the cars are good. ride and handling and comfort is better in palio. performance and features are more in swift(ABS,Airbags, climate control).

palio is Italian and that surely is an asset. Swift looks are debatable but its a maruti and in India being maruti is an asset.

it is to be decided by the owner what he/she wants to buy.
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Old 14th March 2006, 20:29   #47
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I haven't seen the Swift so can't comment on it. I have driven the earlier Palio 1.2 a lot and had a test drive in the NV and loved the feel of the car. It feels very European and solid. From this thread and comments I understand the following:

1. nandab's head and heart tell him to go for the Palio. Difficult to ignore both the head and heart!

2. He wants a reliable hatcback with good ride and handling. Both the cars have that.

3. nandab says FE is not a major concern. Both the cars have respectable FE considering the size, weight, engine capacity and segment they are in.

4. nandab has said palio 1.6 is out of the list as it may be too much to handle for a novice. Come on nandab, it's a car not a Mig 27! I don't agree with you on that. The car is a Palio with 100bhp not a Bugatti Veyron with 1000bhp. I am very sure you or any other novice will be able to handle the car well. It may take a few days to get used to the extra power but you will be hooked in a few days. Trust me I own a S10.

5. I don't agree with people who say Palio is not for a first time buyer. If the buyer knows what the car is and knows what the car will give him in terms of performance , ASS , FE and ownership expereince he can buy any car. If tomorrow a poor guy wins a lottery would you tell him to buy a Corolla over a Mercedes saying it's not a car for a first time buyer?

6. I don't think nandab or any of us should get excited over the TATA-Fiat deal at the moment. It will only lead to disappointment if things move slower then we expect. Like any partnership it will be a evolving process. It's not a magic wand that the companies will wave and things will get improved. I expect a lot of teething problems and it should take at least 6 months for things to smoothen out. Having said that having read some stories of Maruti ASS, I wouldnt rate MUL service as the best. I think Hyundai is the best. Ultimately, it's the individual dealer that decides if your expereince is good or not. I was pleasantly shocked at the service I got from Anuroop Fiat.

7. Some people think Palio is a risk because the car may be coming out from a submerged factory. Well the Swift comes out from a state of the art factory and has niggling build quality problems which has been well documented here.

8. Resale is a definate Fiat weakness. But are you going to buy the car for resale or for enjoying it? It can be one of the reasons for buying or not buying a car but not the deciding one. And what Rs. value can we attach to pleasure of owning or driving a car? High time we considered such intangibles too instead of getting down to the nitty gritty of number crunching. Come on we are supposed to enthusiasts.

9. Without having seen the Swift or having owned a Palio 1.2, my choice would be:
Between Swift and Palio 1.2 : Swift because it's a new design and supposedly is a car with less niggling problems and better ASS.
BUT, nandab if you can have more confidence on yourself and if you believe you can 'handle' the 100bhp of the Palio 1.6, then no contest. The Palio 1.6 RULES!

All the best!

PS I think your head and heart have made the decision!
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Old 15th March 2006, 00:05   #48
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I agree completely with Amit.The 1.6 is just a wonderful 100 bhp car and not a rocket.I've been driving a 1.2 since the past 3 years and just bought a Palio 1.6.It took me a couple of days to get used to the engine and i'm perfectly comfortable with the car.You might take a little longer since its your first car.
Anyways,there is a hell of a difference between the two as far as the pick up is concerned.Palio 1.6 = Everything that a Palio 1.2 offers + the most addictive 1.6 engine.
Alright forget about the number crunching,forget that the 1.6 is a scorcher.You wont be driving all that fast all the time.In our day to day driving its all about driveability.Thats the key word.Thats where the 1.6 is so much better than the 1.2.back to back city driving in a 1.2 can be tiresome,while in the 1.6 you can potter around all day long in 3rd or 4th gear and zoom ahead when you feel like.
As far as fuel efficiency is concerned,there is hardly any difference.I get 9 kmpl in Mumbai with the 1.2 and 1.6 is giving me 8-8.5.Not bad at all
If you have the budget of around 5 lakhs,dont think twice and plonk your money on a 1.6.If you dont,the 1.2 rules the roost under 5 lakhs.Great VFM,great car.There is so much more to it apart from that lazy 1.2 engine.Even though its slow,its addictive because of that one important factor "driving pleasure".Nothing in that price range can offer you that.You really feel your driving a 10 lakh car.Its only when you have five people on board and the a/c running that you realise that its really a 4 lakh car.LOL
I personally found the swift nothing great,even when compared to my 1.2.Just my opinion.But it felt like a wannabe european car.Engine apart,1.2 is much better.Good luck

Last edited by roms : 15th March 2006 at 00:17.
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Old 15th March 2006, 20:20   #49
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Swift anyday, anytime.
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Old 15th March 2006, 21:03   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by furioussphinx
Swift anyday, anytime.

right or wrong depends on the end user but please back your statements with facts. This may help better.
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Old 16th March 2006, 09:50   #51
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Palio 1.2 is slightly underpowered. And the heavyness of the vehicle gives the feel more than the truth. Being a owner of Santro and Palio 1.2 (OV), I can say its just a feel. Santro feel like zipping in city, but it will do only with single person. Load it fully you'll see the difference. This is applicable for other small vehicles also.

Today one may see swift look as good. But it will get bored very soon. But the classic design of Palio will stand for long time just like Old Honda City or Old Zen. If you plan to have the vehicle for 4-5 years and your a soft driver doesn't engage in races, Palio is your car.
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Old 16th March 2006, 10:08   #52
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I own both the Swift ZXi and the Palio GTX. Between the two, I'd say buy the Palio if you want performance and the Swift if you want overall satisfaction.

However, since you're leaning toward the Palio 1.2, this becomes a no-brainer. Buy the Swift.
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Old 16th March 2006, 10:16   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by airfoil
I own both the Swift ZXi and the Palio GTX. Between the two, I'd say buy the Palio if you want performance and the Swift if you want overall satisfaction.

However, since you're leaning toward the Palio 1.2, this becomes a no-brainer. Buy the Swift.

but remember palio 1.2 is more than a lakh cheaper. also offers better ride and handling along with the same tank like quality.


All I can say is this guy should go and test drive all the three cars. I wonder why he didnt put the getz in comparo. that would have included the whole segment.
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Old 16th March 2006, 15:43   #54
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Just to add further here .... there is a huge price difference for sure + Now Palio 1.2 ELX (fully loaded model) comes with beige interiors and a price reduction of 20K.

The Ex showroom price in Delhi for ELX 1.2 is 3.99/-

Test drive both and take decision.

Cheers.
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Old 16th March 2006, 17:19   #55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by namit
Just to add further here .... there is a huge price difference for sure + Now Palio 1.2 ELX (fully loaded model) comes with beige interiors and a price reduction of 20K.

The Ex showroom price in Delhi for ELX 1.2 is 3.99/-
Then there is not a lakh of a difference in price as is being qouted again and again.
For the Swift VXi - which has same features as Palio 1.2 ELX, is available in delhi for 4.05 L - Only 5k difference here ...

Perhaps Fiat is offering a 1L discount
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Old 16th March 2006, 20:20   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra
Then there is not a lakh of a difference in price as is being qouted again and again.
For the Swift VXi - which has same features as Palio 1.2 ELX, is available in delhi for 4.05 L - Only 5k difference here ...

Perhaps Fiat is offering a 1L discount

please read post #1 properly. thats what every1's decision is based on.
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Old 16th March 2006, 20:23   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by airfoil
I own both the Swift ZXi and the Palio GTX. Between the two, I'd say buy the Palio if you want performance and the Swift if you want overall satisfaction.

However, since you're leaning toward the Palio 1.2, this becomes a no-brainer. Buy the Swift.
I think this just sums it up. I see no point further debating this thread. We have highlighted pros and cons of both cars, I think its up to you now to take a decision based on your requirements.
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Old 17th March 2006, 08:55   #58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aseem
I think this just sums it up. I see no point further debating this thread. We have highlighted pros and cons of both cars, I think its up to you now to take a decision based on your requirements.
and yes, please post what decision you took on what basis.
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Old 17th March 2006, 21:34   #59
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Guys,

Thanks a lot for your inputs.

amit, thanks for your vote of confidence

devarshi84, roms,
Thanks for the detailed comparison.

I did take Palio 1.2 and Swift Zxi for a test drive. Here's my take:

Swift - Looks (no need to say anything), Handling was good, Ride was decent, adds a bit of zing to the drive. Against that I found the interiors shockingly poor - just a expanse of black plastic everywhere and this was a Zxi.

Palio 1.2 - I like the looks, superb ride, good handling. Interiors looked better than Swift with beige settings and cubic finish at the console. Performance was a touch low.

The Maruti salesman, probably sensing that I was not satisfied with Swift, offered me a test drive of Baleno. Just a test drive. I went today. Wow, the car just bowled me over with its ride and handling. The interiors look antiquated, but the rest of the car was something else. He is offering me a cash discount of 25k+12k over ex-showroom bangalore price of 5.68 L. With free insurance and an additional 5k worth of accessories, Lxi comes to 6.1 on-road in Bangalore. Is that on par? Can I squeeze something more?

I am yet to test drive a Palio 1.6 - concorde motors in Bangalore say they will have a car for TD only next week. I am going to make a decision after that.

Though, something tells me that I am going to book a Formula Red Palio 1.6 sports

Regards,
Anand

ps:
My mom liked the Swift over Palio while rest of us guys liked Palio. A vote of 3:1 in favour of Palio.
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Old 17th March 2006, 21:39   #60
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Hey Anand, thanks for the update! To further confuse things for you, if you do drive the Baleno, how about the Petra 1.6?

The 1.6 GTX in formula red would look delicious. Formula Red and Canary yellow suit the GTX/S10 the best.

BUT wait till you drive the Palio 1.6. And be ready to have a driving orgasm!
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