Team-BHP - New compact SUV from Premier Auto. EDIT: Rio quick testdrive on page 10

i visited Korum Mall, Thane yesterday and the Rio was on display there. upon inquiring about the test drive, they offered me a test drive right that time but since i was getting late for the movie i did not opt for test drive. following is what i remember:

finish and built quality of this vehicle looks average at the best and the interiors/plastics are below average.
comes in two engine options, petrol (1.2 L, 77 BHP) and diesel (1.5L, 65 BHP) and diesel engine is NOT BSIV compliant according to their representative.
comes with ABS in top end models.
they are going to do promotion of this vehicle until Dec 31 and display it in various Malls/Public Places.
no 4x4.
ptrol varient at 4.7 L ex-showroom and diesel at 5.5 (i hope i remember this correctly).

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno (Post 2580521)

^^^I meant if Suzuki had a similar sized and good looking mini-SUV with a 1.3D engine, it would have been a good option for me. Buying a Premier is not really a risk I would take.

Yes i agree with you.

They sell the Suzuki Jimmny but that comes in only a 1.3 Petrol Version

Shame as a Diesel one would be popular

Autocar India website carries pictures of the new RIO which comes with a 1.2ltr BSIV compliant petrol engine.
But Premier has to go overdrive to shed the juggad and the most customer unfriendly tags first.

Excerpts from Autocar India; Premier Rio has moved out of the ‘beta’ phase. After a year and a half of playing on the fringes, a new BSIV-compliant 1.2-litre petrol motor will help the Rio tackle the big cities and bigger numbers. To further broaden the car’s appeal, Premier will unveil a facelift at the Auto Expo that should help it fit right into the urban landscape.
Overall the original Daihatsu Terios’ DNA remains unchanged. The compact body seems to be teetering on a narrow track, although the chunky 15-inch tyres give it a strong footprint. Add 200mm of ground clearance to the mix and you can be sure that the worst of Mumbai’s rain-ravaged roads won’t shake up the Rio.
Premier has an ace up its sleeve – a Rio powered by Fiat’s 74bhp Multijet is slated for a mid-2012 launch, and that will change the Rio’s value equation massively

Is it just me or do the pictures make the fit and finish look better. With the MJD and the additional 10bhp will surely make this a good city car- high seating + Diesel. If played well, this could give the dzire a good run for its money.

I was going to post the same. The refreshed look and interiors seem to be of better quality than before. Seems like Premier is trying hard.

And the Fiat diesel and the 1.2 petrol (who are they sourcing it from?) should do well to help them gain numbers. Their dealers are slowly but gradually growing. I havent seen a single car in Abad yet though.

Vital Statistics of RIO Petrol

Price Range expected
Ex-showroom price Rs 4.95-5.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai)

Engine
Fuel Petrol
Installation Front, longitudnal, RWD
Type 4cyl, in line, 1173cc petrol
Power 75.5bhp at 5800rpm
Torque 10.5kgm at 3500-4250rpm

Transmission
Gearbox 5-speed manual

Dimensions
Length 3970mm
Width 1570mm
Height 1730mm
Wheel base 2420mm

Tyres 205/70 R15

Brakes
Front Disc
Rear Drum

Performance
0-20 2.04sec
0-40 4.44sec
0-60 7.88sec
0-80 12.19sec
0-100 19.39sec
0-120 30.14sec

Acceleration in gear
20-80kph in 3rd gear 21.80sec
40-100kph in 4th gear 39.05sec

The new Rio is now powered by a four-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol motor. Although the engine is designed by AVL, it is manufactured in China and is brought in assembled from. The longitudinally mounted engine delivers 75.5bhp of power and 10.5kgm of torque.

Those do not seem to be Indian pics/
no registration and the cars in the background don't look Indian either
Wonder what the cost-cut interiors will look like

And look at the second pic. the logo at the back is clearly photoshopped

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluengel180 (Post 2628614)

All these pics are shot in India.
In the 3rd pic, the cars seen from Windshield are also Indian i.e: One is Premier Rio & another is some Cargo Mini-truck like Mahindra Gio or else or might be Premier's own Cargo carrier.
Nothing in the pic seems to be Photoshop edited.

Shockingly the interiors look better put together than the standard indica or even etios !
Photos can be deceiving though.
Its a shame that a good concept like Rio going drains. Even the Multijet won't do much of a difference.

Fiat should actually come up with something as out of box as Rio to revive its brand.

Yup Looks like pics are from somewhere near to Premier factory or may in their own premises.

Actually the new model looks much better in looks and finish.
If they can get the Fiat engine and setup better after sales service network they can be back in business.

I think they need better marketing and make sure people know Rio as the 1st mini SUV before Ford/Maruti bring in theirs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRtorquefan (Post 2628653)

Look at the logo on the wheel in the second pic. its front facing from every angle?

Pretty neat interiors! I guess there is still scope for improving ergonomics in the inside. Do I see the power window switches on the "round" panel on the door? Should be a design disaster looking at the pics. Once the MJD variant comes, they could do some really aggressive marketing & introductory pricing to move some of those from the shelves. But if these guys do some blunder with pricing, Mini Xylo will manage to be a run away hit from day 1.

Quote:

Originally Posted by madan80 (Post 2623642)

If played well, this could give the dzire a good run for its money.

C'mon, players like Hyundai & Toyota could NOT shake a bit of Maruti - should we expect Premier to do it? MJD alone is NOT a hit in India - Otherwise we would have seen Fiat doing better numbers. Indian market looks for more than just the engine options available in a vehicle before choosing one.