[Proxima]

Congrats Hydra!! Was wondering why I couldnt see you online. Nice choice, the car and the alloys!!

Couldnt you have transferred the alloys from the Palio to the Swift?

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by speedzak

Good thing you went thru the swift shift before your wedding. Otherwise, you know it would've been considered as dowry. Kudos!

You mean to say it's not??

[CaliforniaKnight]

hydrashok, very clean and swet car you own there.
everything seem to be where it should be except for that black beading in the front an drear of the car. great alloys, really matched the overall profile of the SWIFT.
congrats again.

[sushanthr77]

Congrats Hydra, You finally switched over to the Swift from a Palio. I am sure that you would work on the interiors to make it interesting as it was in your old Palio. Can't wait for your ICE installation report .

Well, being the owner of both Swift and Palio, I couldn't agree more with you on various points.

I thought, I'll add my 2 cents to your comparisons (diesel was an absolute necessity in my case)

Originally Posted by hydrashok

The Good:
- Handles very well. I love how responsive the car is to the steering. I've not gone above 80kmph/2500RPM so far, so I'm sure I have more fun left to experience.

Yes, the handling is precise and definitely more fun than the Palio. The suspension setup has a great role to play here.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Excellent Turning radius. This is the biggest change I experienced. After driving the Palio for about 5.5years, It feels as though the Swift turns on a dime. In fact, all of last sunday, I was having fun taking U-turns in all those places in the city I used to have to take 3-point-turns before.

Couldn't agree more. U-turns have to be very well planned in the Palio.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Very good gear-shift. I prefer the slotty shift of the Swift to the more vague one of the Palio. Personal preference. Reverse gear engagement is occasionally troublesome, though.

I some hoe like the Palio's better. Just a lot more smooth but the throw is too long.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Engine feels more peppy, and is more eager to rev.

Well, the DDiS beats the 1.2 hands down. No competition.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Very nice dials and backlighting. I like, I like.
- A lighter clutch is welcome. (A much weaker clutch is not, though).
- Somewhat better visibility to the front and to the sides.
- Nice, big ORVMS.
- Smaller steering wheel feels better.
- Lots and lots of slots/nooks to store/keep stuff in the dashboard/center console.

Agree to all the above.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

The Bad:
- The car feels like it is built out of plastic. I couldn't believe how flimsy and cheap and badly put-together the Swift feels!

Yes, very unfortunate here. My first rattle was when I was driving the brand new car from the showroom to my house! The entire body feels 0.5mm thick!

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Plastics feel flimsy. The Dash pushes in wherever I poke my finger. The doors close without feeling solid (The inside door handle is part of the door trim/pad and the trim/pad flexes like mad). Even the back of the steering wheel creaks and flexes.

Agreed. I think the quality of the plastics itself is good. However the dash just doesn't hold well on humps/bad roads. Being used to slamming the Palio doors, I find the Swift doors absolutely awful. The door trim/pad don't have structural supports in the right place to hold them firm. Hence the just move in when you poke.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Most plastic panels (inside) fit badly. Alignment problems, gaps etc etc.

Really? I didn't find any. Which ones are you referring to?

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Rattles & creaks. Already (!!!) The rear seat is driving me mad, rattling that way.

True. Not sure what would happen when you blast the S*** out of your ICE ;-)

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- NO DEAD PEDAL. I knew this before, but it hit me with the full force of inconvenience within 5 minutes of driving the car. Aaarrrrrgh!

I don't have it in my 1.2 either. So no problem.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- NO Reverse-gear-lock-ring-thing. I liked this safety feature in the Palio. Feels odd not to have it.

Yes but one does get used to it. Though it's presence would've helped.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- Seats feel uncomfortable. I'm not sure if this is because I need to get used to the car or not. But I still haven;t been able to find a fully comfortable driving position. And even short drives (not to mention long hours in traffic) are giving me a back-ache at the end of the day. Never happened with the Palio.

I actually find the seats in the Swift better. They are thicker, broader and bigger than the Palios.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- The RVM and the rear-window don't help much with rearward visibility.
- Really miss the 3-stage doors of the Palio. Just a matter of getting used to the "full-range" ones of the Swift, I know, but I think the 3-stage doors are needed.

I Agree.

Originally Posted by hydrashok

- I prefer the lower driving position of the Palio.

Me too. It feels in control and more relaxed.


To add to this:

Steering: I like the Palio's more than the Swift. Its just very smooth and feels good and heavy.

Looks: Subject yes, but I kinda like them both. Hmmmm do I? I don't know! Or may be Palio .

Ride Quality: The Palio always rides like a dream. Good roads/Bad roads throw anything at it and it is up to it. Very comfortable indeed while traveling long distances. The Swift on the other hand feels like a city.

A.S.S: MUL is the winner by a big margin. I really hope that I never get to suffer at the hands of TATA/Fiat dealers.


Overall, if the Swift had the build quality of the Palio, I would've been a die hard fan of the Swift and MUL.

In the end, I think you've made very good decision though. I think the Swift ZXI offers much more than what a 2002, 1.2 Palio could ever offer. I think a ZDI would be a real killer!

[Technocrat]

Congrats Hydra, Good car & a nice report

Will wait for the ICE upgrade

Btw I always thought that ZXi has remote boot release operation from inside i.e. near the fuel cap opener lever, isnt it?

[aravindwarrier]

Congrats Hydra, on your new buy..Refreshing to see somebody going against the newfound craze for dieZZZZels.

BTW, How much did your old palio fetch you?Curious because even we have plans to go for a switch(cannot be as swift as your switch, with Dad being a bean counter) PM me if you dont want to reveal in public (Hope the figures are not that devastating. Aaaah the paybacks of owning a fiat.)

[phamilyman]

Congrats man. The ride looks sweet.

arvind: a bean counter's advice: If say the loss in resale compared to a (gasp) wagonR is X Rs, the koshun is to go back five years and think how much it would've costed then. Assuming your smart bean counter dad would've invested it best. The typical answer would be 0.3-0.5 X. Then ask him whether driving the palio versus all the other tincans was worth it, in these five years.

How else do you justify ICE man? The feeling man ...

[aravindwarrier]

Originally Posted by Proxima

Congrats Hydra!! Was wondering why I couldnt see you online. Nice choice, the car and the alloys!!

Couldnt you have transferred the alloys from the Palio to the Swift?

No way, Since the PCD's Differ. For Fiat is 98 - I dont know about swift, but its different for sure

@Phamilyman: Don't give my dad more of such ideas(as if he is in dearth of any) .Going as per your calculation, we won't be changing the car in another decade .In fact he always used to say, It makes more sense to hire a taxi with a driver for each and every trip rather than invest 5 lac on a car, use it 30,000k in 5 years and sell it of at 2 lacs.And you need not drive as well, the time fruitfully used for more of such mad calculations..Sorry fo going OT.

[speedzak]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

versus all the other tincans was worth it, in these five years.

But then again, he is going to buy another TINCAN now na?
@Phamilyman, Lucky you said something against a car made by Suzuki/Maruti. If it was a ..... Man! Imagine the wrath.

[carfreak]

hey anup,its been a long time!!congrats on your new ride man!!so finally you are out of the fiat lovers' group ha ha!!anyway,like you said,there is a time one has to change his wheels and there is no point keeping it beyond that.

i agree with most of what you have written except that,personally i feel the gearshift of the palio is better!!

anyway keep us posted about everything new in you ride!!and happy motoring

[aravindwarrier]

Originally Posted by speedzak

But then again, he is going to buy another TINCAN now na?
@Phamilyman, Lucky you said something against a car made by Suzuki/Maruti. If it was a ..... Man! Imagine the wrath.

A tin can?
hmmmmm this time probably so.
It has to be JAP only...hence appropriately so..
BTW Zak, what is it about these Mini tanks on our roads which make you suddenly sarcastic and ????. Must be some child hood horror story, where a monster-S10 must have run over your TINCAN? (Just joking only, no offence meant and more importantly do not want to make this another battle field .)
Hydra.. Post your ICE updates before the war starts again.....

[FERRO]

lol @ aravindwarrier.

Hydra Congrats on your new car !!
btw how much did you got for your old palio ?

[speedzak]

Originally Posted by aravindwarrier

BTW Zak, what is it about these Mini tanks on our roads which make you suddenly sarcastic and ????. Must be some child hood horror story, where a monster-S10 must have run over your TINCAN?

A good one warrier!
It's definitely not a childhood one, that's sure. When I was a child, I used to be a very big fan of my dad's rally winning Fiat. Oh! I still remember our non stop trips to Bangalore, Bombay, Madras etc.. Man! Those were the days I used to kiss a Fiat. And now,

Now, let's come back to topic.
Hydra! Are you waiting for me to back in Cochin to start the next round of mods or what?

[Sideways]

Congrats Anup. Looking forward to seeing pictures with the ICE in place.

[hydrashok]

Thank you very much, folks! I had a pretty nice weekend with my Fiancee, so just logging on now after a day and a half

@bottle, thank you for the wishes!

@Zakko, thank you. will definitely update!

@vigneshram, thank you for the nice words about the Palio. The Swift will soon be set-up the same way (or even better)!

@Elito11, thank you. I don't have proper snaps, but I just snapped a pic of the new design OE alloys off the catalogue. They look much much better in person. Too bad they are not in 15".


@revvedup, I haven't sold the Apollo CAI. I'd removed it a week before I sold the Palio (to test the difference in mileage and driveability). It is being used by a friend for the time being. It will definitely find it's way into the Swift in 6 months.

@suren181, thank you! I also thought I'd be having unique alloys (at least for a while) in my city and yesterday I spotted another white Swift with the same Alloys in white, but in 15". I must say mine look better *puffing chest and crossing fingers*

@l_b_m, thank you! The issue I have with the boot release is that when I'm parked, sitting in the car with my central locking off, anybody can run up, open the boot, and run/drive off with stuff in the boot before I can unbelt and get outta the car. I did figure out later (after I read your post) that if the boot doesn't need a key to open it, a remote-release-handle beside the driver is not really needed.

@gt_bhp. thank you! Genuine Leather interiors in the same colour combi as the Palio will be coming up in 6-8 months (depending on Vitamin-M levels).

@Maxbhp, JB, Jaggu, kpzen, I think the car looks better without them too. I will remove the side-beadings once I'm familiar with the dimensions of the car (and my Dad drives it a bit too). Though ugly, their being there gives a little peace of mind for now. I got them FOC so, did not refuse them. Another 3 months or so (2nd service time) and they will be history. Jaggu, you're right, any direct brush on the side will be on the fenders first and on the body next.

@rippergeo, thanks, bud!