[ashutoshb]

Oncars.in spotted the Zotye Nomad II with Premier Rio badges on test in India.





Also, reports are still doing the rounds on Premier searching for an engine partner, including Fiat.


Courtesy:
Exclusive Scoop! Premier Rio facelift / Rio 2 caught on test | Latest Autos & Car News | OnCars.in

Premier Rio likely to come with Fiat Multi-jet diesel engine | Indian Autos blog

Zotye Holding Group

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

The Premier dealership in Koramangala, Bangalore, seems to have shut down. The place is empty, floorspace is totally bare. Premier board is still there, though.

Yes it has shut down, Premier board is gone and I vaguely remember seeing to-let kinda board,

[sidindica]

Link: Exclusive Scoop! Premier Rio facelift / Rio 2 caught on test | Latest Autos & Car News | OnCars.in via indian autos blog

[fiat_tarun]

Just came across this story. This should make the Rio a good deal, provided the other fit and finish issues are taken care of. Of course, brand image and A.S.S will still be a problem.

In a bid to appeal to a wider section of customers, Premier Automotive is working on a CRDI variant complying to BS4 emission norms for its Rio compact SUV. Launched back in late 2009, the Premier Rio wasn’t a runaway success for the company. Its slow start was blamed on the absence of a refined powertrain and limited visibility of the brand and product.


Operating with dealers mainly in small cities and towns, Premier needs a capable product and good dealer network to voyage into bigger cities to start with.
Mumbai-based Premier Automotive spokeswoman to Indian Autos Blog -
At this moment, we are in discussions with various engine manufacturers, including FIAT, for a Euro IV engine for the RiO. The outcome of these will be known shortly. Preliminary tests are currently being conducted to determine engine compatibility for the RiO. The current situation is that we are in a pre production mode and a few vehicles have been seeded in the market to gauge initial market response. The feedback has been very positive, and based on this the product has now been fine tuned to meet customer expectations.
It is very clear that Premier is aiming for the 1.3-liter Multi-jet engine used on the Palio, Indica and Swift for the sub-4 meter long Rio. Presently, an outdated Peugeot-based 1.5-liter turbocharged engine producing 65PS and 152Nm of torque powers the vehicle.
With an improved engine and a good dealer network, India’ first and perhaps only mini SUV, with adorable looks, can feature on many hatchback-seeking customers’ choice list.

Source

[333]

That is a neat face lift now. Just wish the car was a little more wider though. Very good looking alloys, hopefully engine might be very impressive too to give it a good fighting chance

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

Oncars.in spotted the Zotye Nomad II with Premier Rio badges on test in India.

Also, reports are still doing the rounds on Premier searching for an engine partner, including Fiat.

The redesigned front end looks much better than the existing model. Also, with the speculated 1.3L Multijet diesel engine sourced from Fiat expected to power this new model, will it be enough to turnaround the sagging fortunes of the Rio and Premier Automobiles?

[nik_kapur]

That is a neat job indeed. It should have an upgraded engine and hopefully they have done something about that really poor interior.

[sagarpadaki]

Looks better than the current one.Whatever they do,they must first replace its ancient heart ! But still the 1.3 MJD is not enough for the car(err MUV) of its size!

[avishar]

The lower part of the bumper looks like the BMW x1.Looks good!

[rameshnanda]

I am curious to know the sales figure of Rio since its launch. Any one have any idea on this?

[phamilyman]

To hell with the facelift - they need an open heart surgery followed by some competent doctors (read as quality A.S.S). At present, Rio deserves Euthanasia!

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Just came across this story. This should make the Rio a good deal, provided the other fit and finish issues are taken care of. Of course, brand image and A.S.S will still be a problem.

Now the 1.3MJD if comes, will give it a better image. I was just looking thru their website, Kerala has just one dealership and thats like 3 hour drive for me if I need to take it for servicing!! To be honest I never saw even a single Rio on road. Anyone knows whats the price of this car - the site doesn't give the price details. And yeah, the car is better looking now !! And good alloy wheels as well.

[amitwlele]

This looks much better than the first version. The front reminded me of Captiva and the back of Safari, albeit the scale is smaller.

Interesting to see how it fares.

[shankar.balan]

cosmetic facelifts for this vehicle arent going to set the sales charts on fire - what it needs is a thorough revamp - starting with the engine, drivetrain, gearbox, braking systems and other technical fiddly bits. It also badly needs a severe revamp of its interior quality and plastics.

And it is anyway priced way too high for a vehicle of its type. There are zillions of other better options available for consumers at this price (when last heard of it cost 7.62 lacs OTR BLR).

I believe this will at best remain a marginal player for the foreseeable future. The Indian consumer has moved way way beyond this kind of offering.

[jasmeetsingh]

Did someone notice the headlamps are almost same as the Current Fiesta.