[directinjection]

Originally Posted by adi

I hope everyone in the thread have noticed that the mileage I got was with Full A/c...just FYI becoz tha could very well make a 20-30% difference, incase you guys are mentioning your expereince with negligible to moderate usage of a/c

Also, you conducted the mileage test in a brand new car that hadn't been run in. Mileage should go up after the running-in is complete.

Incidentally, since you are based in Delhi, you can also explore the possibility of running the car on CNG.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

I guess with the TATA deal, this should not be an issue since one of the pre conditions laid down by teh Tata guys was the availability and affordability of spare parts.

What's the source of your information regarding the Tata guys laying down such a pre-condition before signing the deal?

The Tata-FIAT alliance is now about seven months old. Still, one doesn't see many new FIAT cars on the road. Vivek Automobiles at Delhi have had two Adventures in their stock since April but haven't been able to sell one till now.

Nor does one see Tata spending money on advertising FIAT cars or making other promotional efforts to sell them. There were a couple of Palio Sports ads released by Tata initially but now all's quiet. So, where's this alliance headed guys?

[deepakhon]

Originally Posted by directinjection

The Tata-FIAT alliance is now about seven months old. Still, one doesn't see many new FIAT cars on the road. Vivek Automobiles at Delhi have had two Adventures in their stock since April but haven't been able to sell one till now.

Nor does one see Tata spending money on advertising FIAT cars or making other promotional efforts to sell them. There were a couple of Palio Sports ads released by Tata initially but now all's quiet. So, where's this alliance headed guys?

Interesting bit of info on Delhi. In Bangalore, it looks like the situation is not as bad as in Delhi. I have seen quite a few new Palios (both P and D) and have seen a few new Adventures too.

But I agree with your comment about the money being spent on promotional activities by Tata dealers on Fiat vehicles. Of late, the only Fiat ads I see in newspapers at Bangalore are the ones by Javali Motors, which is the sole Fiat exclusive dealer. It indeed is a big challenge for Tatas and Fiat to work together as there is quite a bit of overlap in their product ranges.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by adi

Heck they stopped making cars that have everything going for them

There never was and in all probability never will be a car that is the best at everything.

Originally Posted by directinjection

Also, you conducted the mileage test in a brand new car that hadn't been run in. Mileage should go up after the running-in is complete.

Not really. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no substantial increase in FE after run-in period. Any small increase that you notice, could be negated by the inherent errors in measuring FE. With my car, I have been consistently getting the same 12kmpl that I got when the car was new.
It would be an interesting experiment to check the FE of a car before and after the run-in so as to know if there really is any FE increase and by how much.

Originally Posted by directinjection

Incidentally, since you are based in Delhi, you can also explore the possibility of running the car on CNG.

Not a nice idea unless you want to screw up the fun of driving. If FE were the sole reason, then better go for NHC or even a diesel.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Not a nice idea unless you want to screw up the fun of driving. If FE were the sole reason, then better go for NHC or even a diesel.

I once took a ride in an Adventure run on CNG. The car had fabulous pick-up, being fitted with the automatic timing advancer device which most kit suppliers never fit (unless they are asked to do so). The power loss in CNG-propelled vehicles can be minimised to as low as 5% if this device is fitted. Basically, it advances the ignition timing of the spark plugs when in CNG mode and automatically retards the same when shifted to petrol mode. CNG has an octane number of about 130 compared to petrol's 91/93.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by roms

Adi,The Adventure is brilliant,probably the best in the segment,but sales,service,spares,resale and iffy build quality are still issues that need to be sorted out.

This is the first time I've seen someone complaining about the build quality of a Palio/Adventure/Petra since build quality is the attribute these cars are famous for. May be your's is a one-off case of a bad personal experience.

[roms]

Originally Posted by adi

Ok .. another thing..my wife just bumped into some one driving an adventure, ... (this is the 3rd one we have seen in delhi now) he was very happy with the car and reported a mileage of 10 (WITH A/C)...

..//..

Aha,So my guess was probably right w.r.t FE figures for Fiat Adventure in Delhi.Plus,you were ok with 9-10 kmpl in the first place.But like everyone on this forum is advising you against Adventure since your prime requirement seems to be FE,I too would echo the same.You have to realise that the Adventure has a lot going for it-space,attitude and butch looks,brilliant suspension & safety,driving pleasure and once in a lifetime opportunity to own a brilliant "lifestyle" car.Its just so much more than your average sedan,be it baleno,petra,fiesta or whatever.If only it had a good diesel,your search and this thread would have already ended.So like Floyd said,prioritise your needs and it may help.Heres hoping you good luck in making the right decision.By the way,I consistently get 8 kmpl with 25 % a.c and 8.5-9 kmpl without a/c with my 1.6 S10 in Mumbai.Highway mileage is 14-15 kmpl with 100% a.c on mumbai-pune expressway.

Some gyaan on the "torque" engine-
The FIAT 1.6 torque engine is the only one its class to have a completely built up italian engine.Which means it is directly imported from Italy along with the 1.6 RST ecu!So quality of the engine can be considered good,which may translate to less maintainance.At the same time,it also means expensive engine parts.
Compared to this the 1.2 is mostly localised,except for a few critical components.Which means cheap spares but engine reliability could be a tad less

Direct injection said - " This is the first time I've seen someone complaining about the build quality of a Palio/Adventure/Petra since build quality is the attribute these cars are famous for. May be your's is a one-off case of a bad personal experience."

Well I was'nt exactly talking about the strong and robust exterior of the car.I know that 3,4 or even 5 year old well maintained Palios look the same and people get surprised when the real age is revealed.So while the exteriors are bullet proof,I was referring to the inconsistent quality of various moving parts in the car from one batch to another.

[car4me]

Thanks to Team BHP for introducing me to Fiat Petra. I was not even thinking about this car earlier. I had a budget of 5.5 lac and hence I was thinking about Maruti Swift. But I got a feeling of driving a cheap car. Besides the rear seats seemed crammed. Hence I thought of looking at sedans. That's when I came across this site and found out more about Petra. The test drive went very well. The car really handles great and is very silet. The gear shifting is very smooth. I only struggled with the rear gear due to its locking mechanism. Llike the folks said on this forum, the turning radius is bit high which is a negative I can live with. I also drove Petra Diesel. Although you don't really feel you are driving a diesel car, Petra petrol gives more comfort compared to the diesel. The dealer gave me good discount and I am getting Petra ELX for 5.85 lac in Pune. I have made the payment and now waiting patiently to receive my car.

Again, thanks to all the Petra owners for sharing their feedback.

[himanshugoswami]

Congrats car4me.

do join us at groups.yahoo.com/groups/paliousersindia

enjoy ur new ride.

what colour have u bought. Post some pics when u get ur new baby!

[supremeBaleno]

Congrats on the buy.

Originally Posted by car4me

The dealer gave me good discount and I am getting Petra ELX for 5.85 lac in Pune. I have made the payment and now waiting patiently to receive my car.

5.85L ??? Then how come I keep hearing a lot about it being extremely VFM due to being available at 5L ? How many models of the Petra are there ? Could anyone list the models and the respective prices (ex-showroom or OTR), including the diesel ?

[shbhrao]

I got my Fiat Petra ELPX( P for power windows I guess) november 2005 from Shaman automobiles for an on road price of 5.34 lacs.

[finneyp]

Congrats car4me!

You have made the right choice! I am sure you will enjoy driving it!!!

[car4me]

Thanks to all of those for greeting me on my new purchase.

I have bought the Moon Mist Grey color. In Pune, the listed on road price for Petra ELX is about 6.15 lac. I think there is 30K discount given in Petra Scheme and I negotiated the music system. I think the increase in price includes increased Registration fees in Pune other than the manufaturer price increase.

I will surely post the pictures once I get the car.

[icemanz]

Hi shbhrao, can you please give me the contact number for Shaman automobiles? vbmenu_register("postmenu_255115", true);

[sivadas]

Originally Posted by car4me

Thanks to all of those for greeting me on my new purchase.

I have bought the Moon Mist Grey color. In Pune, the listed on road price for Petra ELX is about 6.15 lac. I think there is 30K discount given in Petra Scheme and I negotiated the music system. I think the increase in price includes increased Registration fees in Pune other than the manufaturer price increase.

I will surely post the pictures once I get the car.

Congratulations car4me, I am sure you will enjoy the car.