Fiat Palio 1.6 - 5.5 years and 100,000 kms

lucifer919 · 15th February 2010, 12:06

I have been a reader and follower of Team BHP almost since its inception and reading about the 1.6 kept me wanting to buy one the first chance I get. Well, that day was 11 October ’08.
Don’t really know where to begin in terms of this write-up. The car has been a pleasure to own and drive. I used to drive a Marina for the better part of 4 years so moving over to the Palio was a refreshing change.
Originally the car came with Goodyear GPS2 and just looking at them made the car look anemic. It just didn’t feel right. Changed the tyres on the car to Goodyear Eagle NCT 5 within the first week. Upgraded the contact patch a tad bit to 185/65 R14. Added audio equipment as well and was a happy camper for about 3 months. Then was in Bangalore when I got a K&N for the car, got the Conical Extreme on it. The sound is to die for. The intake roar from the stock airbox itself was quite loud and this change puts it in a different league. People actually stop and look at why my car has the roar coming out of the engine bay and not the exhaust. Hehe J.
Then came first strike. My grandma passed away and was heading to the hospital from office when a Corolla comes out of the lane outside Mangeshkar hospital and provides the finishing touches to the left front fender, headlight and the alloy wheel. The lip of the wheel had actually been sheared of in the impact. Cursed myself for not looking and the Corolla driver for not watching and moved on as was in a hurry. Dropped off the car for repairs the next day. Insurance covered all the expenses except 50% of the headlight costs which amounted to 4000 Rs.
Total Expenditure: INR 4000
Have driven the car extensively on highways between Pune, Goa, Bangalore and Hyderabad and don’t have any complaints about its driving manners. It stays where I want it to be. Overtaking on the highway is a breeze.
Then came strike two. I commute to work using the NH4 Bypass in Pune. There was a traffic snarl one day and I was stuck behind a truck. The trucker just decides to step out and check what the hangup is without applying any brakes to the standstill mammoth. It rolls back and rips through my hood like it’s made of paper. Take down his contact details and head to office just wondering what damage this will have on my pocket. Drop off the car for repairs the same day. Insurance covered all the expenses as the hood had to be replaced.
Total Cost: 0 INR.
At 22000 KMS, the tyres were showing signs of wear. Mid-corner I had a lot of tyre squeal and even while braking. So replaced the donuts with Goodyear Eagle F1s and upgraded the tyre size some more to 195/60 R14. Keeping the tyre pressure at 28 PSI has kept the tyres performing well in terms of grip and also comfort.
I had earlier used the Philips Crystal vision in the Marina and was quite happy with the visibility provided so got the same in H7 form for the Palio. This improved the illumination to an extent but was an absolute pain in the rains. Swapped them out for Philips HIDs and been smooth sailing since then. No complaints in any weather conditions. The headlights also provide a good light cutoff so I don’t blind the oncoming traffic too much. Though, since I don’t have projectors, it is going to happen to an extent.
Have religiously followed the servicing procedure mentioned in the manual of 7500 interval and the car has been trouble-free so far with one exception. Was driving down to Hyderabad when I felt the car just revving and not actually moving as it should at the RPM. Another couple of hours of similar response, I called the Tata Service personnel and found that the oil seal in the gearbox could have been toast and leaking oil on to the clutch causing it to slip. I was asked to go to any Fiat A.S.S. and get the same worked on. Called ahead to Concorde in Hyderabad and let them know the situation. I was assured that the work to be done is minimal and I can drop off the car when I get there and collect it the next day. The Service Advisors at Pune also told me that the repairs would be covered under warranty. I was going to be in Hyderabad for just one day so was OK with the commitment given. This however was only short-lived as they delayed the work to 2 days and I had to pay 7000 Rs. for the clutch and also the labor charges. Since I was in a hurry to get back to Pune, I dint bother arguing and just paid for the same.
Total Cost: 7000 INR
Every servicing expenditure: 450INR
Overall, I am really satisfied with the way the car is performing. No rattles, no troubles and no failures.
I have saved one point to end with and that is F.E. been hearing a lot about the Palio not being a very fuel efficient vehicle not only on this forum but also from friends and colleagues. I am getting 12-13 KMPL in city driving and once also got 14!!!! On the highways, 14-15 is the efficiency I’m getting. I am not one to drive with a light foot either. Have done 195 KMPH on the way to Bangalore with no drop in F.E.
Also, the FIAT A.S.S. that everyone is cribbing about eludes me. I have had nothing but good experiences with Pandit and B.U. Bhandari in Pune. No service delays or waiting. I go to the extent of sitting at the workshop hours at an end watching as they work on the car. They have not raised a concern regarding me being around either.
FIAT definitely has a lover won over in me and I am also considering buying the Punto soon.
Hope this covered all my experiences with the car. Let me know if you guys have any questions.

Seeler_Rebeiro · 15th February 2010, 12:50

<Quote>Overall, I am really satisfied with the way the car is performing. No rattles, no troubles and no failures.
I have saved one point to end with and that is F.E. been hearing a lot about the Palio not being a very fuel efficient vehicle not only on this forum but also from friends and colleagues. I am getting 12-13 KMPL in city driving and once also got 14!!!! On the highways, 14-15 is the efficiency I’m getting. I am not one to drive with a light foot either. Have done 195 KMPH on the way to Bangalore with no drop in F.E.
Also, the FIAT A.S.S. that everyone is cribbing about eludes me. I have had nothing but good experiences with Pandit and B.U. Bhandari in Pune. No service delays or waiting. I go to the extent of sitting at the workshop hours at an end watching as they work on the car. They have not raised a concern regarding me being around either.
FIAT definitely has a lover won over in me and I am also considering buying the Punto soon.
Hope this covered all my experiences with the car. Let me know if you guys have any questions.[/quote]

Nice write up there. I also own a Palio 1.6 Stile (2007 model). I regularly get 15kmpl on Mumbai Pune runs @100/110 kmph. In Mumbai city, I used to get around 9 to 9.5 kmpl. But last week, my fuel pump gave way. I think it was due to the adulterated fuel I filled in along the highway. I got it replaced at Bharti Automobiles (formely GM dealer) at Jogeshwari. They did a real neat job of replacing the pump and cleaning the fuel lines. Since then, the car has become ultra smooth and I need lesser pedal to acheive the same speeds prior to the pump replacement. think I am now getting around 10.5 - 11 kmpl in Mumbai but I need to verify this. Will do that after tank up. The needle seems to be going down much slower than earlier.

How has been your upgrade to 195 ? Hows the noise, grip and comfort compared to stock ?

lucifer919 · 15th February 2010, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seeler_Rebeiro

<QuoteHow has been your upgrade to 195 ? Hows the noise, grip and comfort compared to stock ?

the levels of grip and confort are miles better than stock.

noise i really cannot compare coz i dont bother paying any attention to it. i have the Wuerth underbody coating done so road noise is considerably reduced. other than that, music is mostly always playing in the car so dunno about trye noise.. sorry

finneyp · 15th February 2010, 14:37

Nice short review, but where are the pics?

Is it Palio Stile 1.6?

planet_rocker · 15th February 2010, 15:09

+ 1 - where are the pics? I am sure you are still enjoying every bit of it.

Wish you many more miles and a Puntu in future.

@ Finneyp - i think it is a Stile`.

lucifer919 · 15th February 2010, 15:26

Hi,

i'm in office right now so dont have the pictures. will get home and post the pictures.

Thanks,
Lucifer

rganeshiyer · 17th February 2010, 16:25

Lucifer, I own a 1.6 stile too and completely agree that it is a wonderful car to drive. I am interested in knowing the difference in performance that you noticed after changing the tyres to 195. Can you comment pls ?

lucifer919 · 17th February 2010, 17:18

i have used the michelin Energy XM1+ 185/65 and the Goodyear F1 Eagle 195/60 tyres on the car. currently running the Eagles. one prominent change from these tyres is the braking feel. earlier, a light foot on the brakes was enough to lock them up.

the newer and wider tyres definitely have improved braking of the car.
dont know how to explain this

but i can now feel through the brake pedal before the tyres are about to lock up so modulate pedal pressure accoridngly.

i wont recommend you to change to Eagles but i would definitely recommend a tyre change from stock

lucifer919 · 20th September 2010, 11:14

Hello All,

completed 45000 kms in the Palio last month. the car has seen a fair share of highways and the city. consistently get a mileage of 12+ in the city with AC on 50% of the time and around 14-15 on the highway runs.

highway runs are fantastic fun as well with no loss in performance or any difference seen since the car was new. overall a very happy ownership for me.

coming to the part changes so far, the clutch was replaced again with the gearbox oil seal going bust again and leaking oil on the clutch plates. don't know if this is something i am causing or just the way the previous repair was done. the *** claims that the last time was changed at Concorde in Hyderabad, they had not positioned the oil seal correctly, causing the seal to rupture again. hoping this is the last of this gremlin.

also, i moved to 15" alloys with continental CPC2 tyres (195/55/15) and have got to say that these are the tyres that were made for the Palio. road holding is just perfect. high speed cornering is fantastic and so is the straight line tracking. braking is fantastic and havnt had lockups even during panic braking or during the rains.

i was in Bangalore when the car clocked 45000 so dropped by Satya's place (EVO) and picked up motor oil flush. ran it through the car and then filled up with Shell Helix Ultra synthetic oil. the idle is extremely smooth after this change. can hardly notice if the engine is running or not unless you look at the tacho. BLISS!!!

touch-wood but the car has not had any fender benders in the las 14 months and hope to keep that record going.

lemme know if you guys need any further information.

Regards,
Kiran.

lucifer919 · 20th September 2010, 11:30

attaching a couple of pics of the car.

Fordmanchau · 20th September 2010, 11:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucifer919

Hi,
i'm in office right now so dont have the pictures. will get home and post the pictures.

Hi Kiran, you don't seem to be at home at long. 45k kms in 20 months is amazing, but we would like to see the pics of the amazing car. Please post it soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucifer919

completed 45000 kms in the Palio last month. the car has seen a fair share of highways and the city. consistently get a mileage of 12+ in the city with AC on 50% of the time and around 14-15 on the highway runs.

Amazing high mileage. 45k kms in 20 months is around 2250 kms in a month and that too in a petrol car !!!!

.
Your fuel bill till now at 12kmpl FE and average fuel price of Rs. 52 per litre comes out to be Rs. 1,95,000/- . So on average it is Rs.9750 per month. Woah!!!

But clutch change twice in a span of 45k kms does not sound too good. Hope this thing gets over with this time. I see that you have also changed you tyre twice during this time. Any specific reason or is it your driving style ?

EDIT : Just see the pics as I entered submit post.

lucifer919 · 21st September 2010, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fordmanchau

Hi Kiran, you don't seem to be at home at long. 45k kms in 20 months is amazing, but we would like to see the pics of the amazing car. Please post it soon.

Amazing high mileage. 45k kms in 20 months is around 2250 kms in a month and that too in a petrol car !!!!

.
Your fuel bill till now at 12kmpl FE and average fuel price of Rs. 52 per litre comes out to be Rs. 1,95,000/- . So on average it is Rs.9750 per month. Woah!!!

But clutch change twice in a span of 45k kms does not sound too good. Hope this thing gets over with this time. I see that you have also changed you tyre twice during this time. Any specific reason or is it your driving style ?

EDIT : Just see the pics as I entered submit post.

Hehe. yup i keep aside about 10K every month as fuel expenses and that pretty much takes care of it.

also, the clutch going out was also due to an oil leak on the plates causing it to slip and burn out. its all fixed now so hoping that it wont crop its ugly head again.

lejhoom · 21st September 2010, 18:58

Congratulations.

That's a nice picture of your car. Can you please post one of the side of the car with wheels and tires?

Thanks.

ravikn · 22nd September 2010, 15:12

Nice and short review. considering the driving pleasure it gives, the money spent on 45K is worth compared to what you could have saved in driving any other car in the segment

JVH · 23rd September 2010, 21:21

Somehow missed your review. Boy, what a coverage! You sure have a desperate urge to drive, not even diesel car owners clock that much :-)

Your mileage of 12+ in city interests me. What percentage is bumper-bumper traffic on your daily route? To be honest, I have never got more than 9 kmpl in city :-(

15th February 2010, 12:06	#1
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	Fiat Palio 1.6 - 5.5 years and 100,000 kms I have been a reader and follower of Team BHP almost since its inception and reading about the 1.6 kept me wanting to buy one the first chance I get. Well, that day was 11 October ’08. Don’t really know where to begin in terms of this write-up. The car has been a pleasure to own and drive. I used to drive a Marina for the better part of 4 years so moving over to the Palio was a refreshing change. Originally the car came with Goodyear GPS2 and just looking at them made the car look anemic. It just didn’t feel right. Changed the tyres on the car to Goodyear Eagle NCT 5 within the first week. Upgraded the contact patch a tad bit to 185/65 R14. Added audio equipment as well and was a happy camper for about 3 months. Then was in Bangalore when I got a K&N for the car, got the Conical Extreme on it. The sound is to die for. The intake roar from the stock airbox itself was quite loud and this change puts it in a different league. People actually stop and look at why my car has the roar coming out of the engine bay and not the exhaust. Hehe J. Then came first strike. My grandma passed away and was heading to the hospital from office when a Corolla comes out of the lane outside Mangeshkar hospital and provides the finishing touches to the left front fender, headlight and the alloy wheel. The lip of the wheel had actually been sheared of in the impact. Cursed myself for not looking and the Corolla driver for not watching and moved on as was in a hurry. Dropped off the car for repairs the next day. Insurance covered all the expenses except 50% of the headlight costs which amounted to 4000 Rs. Total Expenditure: INR 4000 Have driven the car extensively on highways between Pune, Goa, Bangalore and Hyderabad and don’t have any complaints about its driving manners. It stays where I want it to be. Overtaking on the highway is a breeze. Then came strike two. I commute to work using the NH4 Bypass in Pune. There was a traffic snarl one day and I was stuck behind a truck. The trucker just decides to step out and check what the hangup is without applying any brakes to the standstill mammoth. It rolls back and rips through my hood like it’s made of paper. Take down his contact details and head to office just wondering what damage this will have on my pocket. Drop off the car for repairs the same day. Insurance covered all the expenses as the hood had to be replaced. Total Cost: 0 INR. At 22000 KMS, the tyres were showing signs of wear. Mid-corner I had a lot of tyre squeal and even while braking. So replaced the donuts with Goodyear Eagle F1s and upgraded the tyre size some more to 195/60 R14. Keeping the tyre pressure at 28 PSI has kept the tyres performing well in terms of grip and also comfort. I had earlier used the Philips Crystal vision in the Marina and was quite happy with the visibility provided so got the same in H7 form for the Palio. This improved the illumination to an extent but was an absolute pain in the rains. Swapped them out for Philips HIDs and been smooth sailing since then. No complaints in any weather conditions. The headlights also provide a good light cutoff so I don’t blind the oncoming traffic too much. Though, since I don’t have projectors, it is going to happen to an extent. Have religiously followed the servicing procedure mentioned in the manual of 7500 interval and the car has been trouble-free so far with one exception. Was driving down to Hyderabad when I felt the car just revving and not actually moving as it should at the RPM. Another couple of hours of similar response, I called the Tata Service personnel and found that the oil seal in the gearbox could have been toast and leaking oil on to the clutch causing it to slip. I was asked to go to any Fiat A.S.S. and get the same worked on. Called ahead to Concorde in Hyderabad and let them know the situation. I was assured that the work to be done is minimal and I can drop off the car when I get there and collect it the next day. The Service Advisors at Pune also told me that the repairs would be covered under warranty. I was going to be in Hyderabad for just one day so was OK with the commitment given. This however was only short-lived as they delayed the work to 2 days and I had to pay 7000 Rs. for the clutch and also the labor charges. Since I was in a hurry to get back to Pune, I dint bother arguing and just paid for the same. Total Cost: 7000 INR Every servicing expenditure: 450INR Overall, I am really satisfied with the way the car is performing. No rattles, no troubles and no failures. I have saved one point to end with and that is F.E. been hearing a lot about the Palio not being a very fuel efficient vehicle not only on this forum but also from friends and colleagues. I am getting 12-13 KMPL in city driving and once also got 14!!!! On the highways, 14-15 is the efficiency I’m getting. I am not one to drive with a light foot either. Have done 195 KMPH on the way to Bangalore with no drop in F.E. Also, the FIAT A.S.S. that everyone is cribbing about eludes me. I have had nothing but good experiences with Pandit and B.U. Bhandari in Pune. No service delays or waiting. I go to the extent of sitting at the workshop hours at an end watching as they work on the car. They have not raised a concern regarding me being around either. FIAT definitely has a lover won over in me and I am also considering buying the Punto soon. Hope this covered all my experiences with the car. Let me know if you guys have any questions. Last edited by bblost : 15th February 2010 at 14:47. Reason: Font tags removed. Please do not copy paste from any editor except notepad.
	(3) Thanks

15th February 2010, 12:50	#2
Seeler_Rebeiro BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 261 Thanked: 82 Times	<Quote>Overall, I am really satisfied with the way the car is performing. No rattles, no troubles and no failures. I have saved one point to end with and that is F.E. been hearing a lot about the Palio not being a very fuel efficient vehicle not only on this forum but also from friends and colleagues. I am getting 12-13 KMPL in city driving and once also got 14!!!! On the highways, 14-15 is the efficiency I’m getting. I am not one to drive with a light foot either. Have done 195 KMPH on the way to Bangalore with no drop in F.E. Also, the FIAT A.S.S. that everyone is cribbing about eludes me. I have had nothing but good experiences with Pandit and B.U. Bhandari in Pune. No service delays or waiting. I go to the extent of sitting at the workshop hours at an end watching as they work on the car. They have not raised a concern regarding me being around either. FIAT definitely has a lover won over in me and I am also considering buying the Punto soon. Hope this covered all my experiences with the car. Let me know if you guys have any questions.[/quote] Nice write up there. I also own a Palio 1.6 Stile (2007 model). I regularly get 15kmpl on Mumbai Pune runs @100/110 kmph. In Mumbai city, I used to get around 9 to 9.5 kmpl. But last week, my fuel pump gave way. I think it was due to the adulterated fuel I filled in along the highway. I got it replaced at Bharti Automobiles (formely GM dealer) at Jogeshwari. They did a real neat job of replacing the pump and cleaning the fuel lines. Since then, the car has become ultra smooth and I need lesser pedal to acheive the same speeds prior to the pump replacement. think I am now getting around 10.5 - 11 kmpl in Mumbai but I need to verify this. Will do that after tank up. The needle seems to be going down much slower than earlier. How has been your upgrade to 195 ? Hows the noise, grip and comfort compared to stock ? Last edited by bblost : 15th February 2010 at 14:49. Reason: Removed font tags from quoted text. Thanks.
	() Thanks

15th February 2010, 14:37	#4
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,716 Thanked: 319 Times View My Garage	Nice short review, but where are the pics? Is it Palio Stile 1.6?
	() Thanks

15th February 2010, 15:09	#5
planet_rocker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bong-land Posts: 2,323 Thanked: 426 Times	+ 1 - where are the pics? I am sure you are still enjoying every bit of it. Wish you many more miles and a Puntu in future. @ Finneyp - i think it is a Stile`.
	() Thanks

15th February 2010, 15:26	#6
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	Pics Hi, i'm in office right now so dont have the pictures. will get home and post the pictures. Thanks, Lucifer
	() Thanks

17th February 2010, 16:25	#7
rganeshiyer BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 66 Thanked: 15 Times	Lucifer, I own a 1.6 stile too and completely agree that it is a wonderful car to drive. I am interested in knowing the difference in performance that you noticed after changing the tyres to 195. Can you comment pls ?
	() Thanks

17th February 2010, 17:18	#8
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	Tyre Change i have used the michelin Energy XM1+ 185/65 and the Goodyear F1 Eagle 195/60 tyres on the car. currently running the Eagles. one prominent change from these tyres is the braking feel. earlier, a light foot on the brakes was enough to lock them up. the newer and wider tyres definitely have improved braking of the car. dont know how to explain this but i can now feel through the brake pedal before the tyres are about to lock up so modulate pedal pressure accoridngly. i wont recommend you to change to Eagles but i would definitely recommend a tyre change from stock
	(1) Thanks

20th September 2010, 11:14	#9
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	Update - 20 Months - 45000 kms Hello All, completed 45000 kms in the Palio last month. the car has seen a fair share of highways and the city. consistently get a mileage of 12+ in the city with AC on 50% of the time and around 14-15 on the highway runs. highway runs are fantastic fun as well with no loss in performance or any difference seen since the car was new. overall a very happy ownership for me. coming to the part changes so far, the clutch was replaced again with the gearbox oil seal going bust again and leaking oil on the clutch plates. don't know if this is something i am causing or just the way the previous repair was done. the *** claims that the last time was changed at Concorde in Hyderabad, they had not positioned the oil seal correctly, causing the seal to rupture again. hoping this is the last of this gremlin. also, i moved to 15" alloys with continental CPC2 tyres (195/55/15) and have got to say that these are the tyres that were made for the Palio. road holding is just perfect. high speed cornering is fantastic and so is the straight line tracking. braking is fantastic and havnt had lockups even during panic braking or during the rains. i was in Bangalore when the car clocked 45000 so dropped by Satya's place (EVO) and picked up motor oil flush. ran it through the car and then filled up with Shell Helix Ultra synthetic oil. the idle is extremely smooth after this change. can hardly notice if the engine is running or not unless you look at the tacho. BLISS!!! touch-wood but the car has not had any fender benders in the las 14 months and hope to keep that record going. lemme know if you guys need any further information. Regards, Kiran. Last edited by lucifer919 : 20th September 2010 at 11:16.
	(1) Thanks

20th September 2010, 11:30	#10
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	attaching a couple of pics of the car. Attached Thumbnails
	(4) Thanks

21st September 2010, 18:58	#13
lejhoom BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 366 Thanked: 187 Times	Congratulations. That's a nice picture of your car. Can you please post one of the side of the car with wheels and tires? Thanks.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2010, 15:12	#14
ravikn BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 344 Thanked: 25 Times	Nice and short review. considering the driving pleasure it gives, the money spent on 45K is worth compared to what you could have saved in driving any other car in the segment
	() Thanks

23rd September 2010, 21:21	#15
JVH Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,045 Thanked: 207 Times	Somehow missed your review. Boy, what a coverage! You sure have a desperate urge to drive, not even diesel car owners clock that much :-) Your mileage of 12+ in city interests me. What percentage is bumper-bumper traffic on your daily route? To be honest, I have never got more than 9 kmpl in city :-(
	() Thanks