[spadival]

Blunted?? Nah.. The Palio 1.6 WILL hold on to the Hot hatch crown.. Atleast until its bigger cousin, the Grande Punto arrives on the scene.

[BUSA]

No ways has time or technology blunted the Palio 1.6

Its engine is a gem, infact the 1.6 engine is so ahead of its time that no other small cars engine comes close to it. Can anyone tell me about a DOHC hatch? The Palio 1.6 is a fantastic product, let down only by Fiats A.S.S and poor marketting.

Also i really dont believe one thing about the article, the fact that it reaches 100 kmph 5 secs slower, 2.5 secs is more like it.

[i_see]

I am shocked how can anyone say this!!

Experience the rush of the 1.6 engine past 4000 rpm once and you will be hooked on to it!

Its damn addictive

[sassid]

These are two cars meant for two completely different audiences. I drive the swift diesel and have driven the palio in its original gtx form - my friend was one of the first buyers.

The Palio is a definite merchant of speed car and currently offers the cheapest 0-100 thrills in the country (that is if you exclude fuel costs) but the swift - esp on good tyres - is something special and will annahilate the palio in anything approaching modest city traffic.

I have had the swift now for 11k km and this baby is going nowhere away from my garage - my friend on the other hand sold his gtx in 6 months. Enough said.

[gemithomas]

These are a few things where i think the FIAT 1.6 is slightly outdated (techologically) When i compare it with the 1.6 ford fusion engine

1.Higher Engine Noise.
2.The engine takes a few revolutions of the starter motor before it starts. I mean you need to keep the key in the turned position for 1-2 seconds.
3.Response time is slightly higher than the fusion 1.6.
4.Nobody clearly knows how to service/repair it if anything goes wrong!!!!
5.The fact that this engine has been withdrawn from many countries. I guess the 1.8 has taken over!!!


Though the power kick is less at lower revs, this makes it more easy to glide through city traffic. So i'm not complaining about this.

I guess its the engine-suspension combo that makes it outstanding in its class.(and even above)

[spadival]

Originally Posted by sassid

but the swift - esp on good tyres - is something special and will annahilate the palio in anything approaching modest city traffic.

I can probably annahilate a Ferrari with my rusty Baleno in modest city traffic. But thats more of a testimony of the driver's "autorickshaw driving" skills rather than the ability of the car.

[theMAG]

After seeing the Swift and the Palio next to each other in that link, I really feel sorry that Fiat India let down such a gorgeous and capable car as the Palio 1.6.

[GTO]

So many years since introduction, the Palio is still the most powerful petrol hatch. The only areas where the Palio lacks is fit / finish and the interiors, which technology has nothing to do with. But the raspy 1.6, supreme ride quality and solid build more than make up for it. I'd pick the Palio 1.6 any which day over the Swift. It's still the hatch for a petrol-head.

P.S. : A freeflow on the Palio 1.6 sounds especially nice!

[ram_hyundai]

IMO palio 1.6 was the first car in india to have drive by wire technology.correct me if i am wrong.So technologically it was superior to the competition in that era.
RAM

[i_see]

Originally Posted by ram_hyundai

IMO palio 1.6 was the first car in india to have drive by wire technology.correct me if i am wrong.So technologically it was superior to the competition in that era.
RAM

Palio 1.6 never came with drive by wire....it was palio diesel which had it.

for a few months after we bought our S-10, we had both our old santro 1.0 and S-10. the first time i drove the palio, i was wondering if it really have double the power of santro! especially the santro producing power quite early....
But once the revs began to rise, palio was a beast to be tamed! it quite shocked me the first time i crossed 4000 rpm!
At that moment ,It brought a huge smile on my face . She still has the quality even though she is almost 5 yr old now!

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by GTO

So many years since introduction, the Palio is still the most powerful petrol hatch. The only areas where the Palio lacks is fit / finish and the interiors, which technology has nothing to do with. But the raspy 1.6, supreme ride quality and solid build more than make up for it. I'd pick the Palio 1.6 any which day over the Swift. It's still the hatch for a petrol-head.

P.S. : A freeflow on the Palio 1.6 sounds especially nice!

At the time when GTX was launched it had the best interiors in its class and some classes above too. Fit and finish on the first generation palio were as good as you get, dunno abt the present generation.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by GTO

P.S. : A freeflow on the Palio 1.6 sounds especially nice!

It sounds so nice anyway. In fact, even with a leaky muffler, it sounds great. I haven't heard the 1.4 petrol, but I am sure Fiat engineers make sure their engines not only move the car right, they even sound right.

[jerish666]

I agree with GTO a freeflow on 1.6 sounds awesome.Most of the fiat cars with free flow sounds nice especially Premier Padmini.Even without a freeflow it sounds nice.

[prabuddhadg]

There is something about sound. I have heard a Harley. No wonder they have a copyright on the Harley sound. If you ask me, the fiat 1.6 is great too. That is one reason my drives have few pee breaks.

[chetan]

does this mean will FIAT phase out the palio 1.6 ?