Fiat Palio Stile 1.1 : Roadtest

If there's ever a list of Indian cars that tingled people's hearts to the point of attaining stardom, the Fiat Palio has to be one of the top names. The car that introduced the concept of the big hatch in India probably got a lot of steam let off about its presence by the much-awaited Tata Indica that was launched around the same time. The Palio 1.6 did manage to make die-hard fans out of not only owners but also aspirers alike. To this day, anyone who's had a taste of the Palio swears by its performance. The Italians sure know how to make cars!

Why the smaller engine?

But all was not smooth sailing for the Palio. Marred by some inconsistent build quality, buying a Palio and getting a good, reliable piece was more like a lottery. As fate would have it, the Palio 1.6 was phased out and the smaller engined 1.2 did duty for a while. With a change in excise benefits for small cars with engines of 1200cc capacity and less, Fiat set out to revive the Palio. A shift in manufacturing location from the age-old Kurla plant to a new state-of-the-art facility in Ranjangaon and a facelift later, the Palio is back on Indian roads- with a 1.1 gasoline engine in the bay. But will this little brat be able to match the fervour that the original Palio had?

Definitely better looking than the old model!

What Fiat has done to the Palio's styling to make it the Stile is a little uncertain. While the front end is definitely more curvy and in tune with modern day design direction, the rear seems to have taken a step in the backward direction. All-new headlamp unit is clear lens and shows off a double barrel light cluster. Gone are the rectangular headlamps pf the earlier Palio and in comes a unit that is more on the lines of the VW Passat - very upmarket. The new Fiat logo takes pride of place in the center of the rectangular grille that is flanked by muscular creases running the length of the bonnet. A wide air damn with round fog lamps on either side comlpetes the nose.

I liked the earlier tail lamps better!

Side profile is more or less unchanged and looks sporty -well, at least as much as the previous generation Palio. While the front end is radically different from the outgoing version, the rear end harks back to the earlier car, albeit in a very understated way. Typically Fiat tail lamp design that had a lot of Italian flair and innovation is absent in the current unit. Personally, I liked the older tail lamps-they were well rounded and displayed a uniqueness that no other car had. The current set looks outrageously square and simple-making it also very uninspiring. Undoubtedly if there's an angle you'd want to look at the Palio Stile from, it's got to be the front three-quarter angle. The car looks sporty and stylish from here -just how a Palio should be!

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So, what's under the hood now?

All right, so Fiat duped the 1.2 litre and 1.6 litre models that they had been selling in the past. With the government revising the definition of a small car and laying down irresistible excise duty benefits for cars with engines under 1200cc, every car manufacturer with a model in their portfolio that fell under the new definition's dimensions came up with a tiny engine option. Fiat has followed suit and the Stile is now powered by a 1108cc SOHC petrol engine with a 32-bit microprocessor controlled electronic multi-point fuel injection system. The little Palio is capable of 57PS @ 5250rpm while torque figures stand at 92Nm @ 2750rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox to transfer power to the wheels.

Fiat also recently started offering a 1.6 litre engine option back in the Palio Stile and the unit makes 100.4PS and 137Nm of torque. If the smaller Palio’s performance is anything to go by, the 1.6 Palio might just bring back the good old days of the Palio Sport.

Awesome suspension for the everyday job.

The Fiat Palio Stile's suspension setup is probably one area where Fiat's engineers have made themselves proud. The independent McPherson type suspension up front with lower wishbones anchored to cross members, coil springs and telescopic dual-effect shocks keeps things neat and tidy up front. Torsion rods with coil springs and a stabilizer bar take care of damping duties at the rear and both front and rear setups coupled together with the high profile 165/80 R13 Goodyear GT3 impart the Palio Stile with awesome ride quality - a trait that was well and truly missing from the older model. Braking is via ventilated discs up front and drum brakes at the rear.

Does it still move like it used to?

Weighing in at 990kg, the Palio Stile isn't exactly a light car. Add to that the smaller excise-special 1.1 litre engine with 57PS on tap and it's a no-brainer that this car isn't going to be the hot hatch that it once was considered to be. In fact, the Palio Stile takes its own sweet time to hit the 100km/h mark on the speedo in all of 20.2 seconds. Top speed is a measly 132km/h - if you're looking at getting yourself a fast car, look elsewhere. Gearing on the Palio makes things worse as the major grunt is limited to the third gear. So if you're cruising around in 5th and want to overtake, you'll see yourself drop not one, but two gears to get the Palio Stile moving. All this is on the 1.1 litre car though- the 1.6 Sport that Fiat has just resurrected is a different story. With almost double the power and just a 200kg weight disadvantage, expect the bigger engined Palio to match up to the legend that it once was.

Fuel efficiency isn't too good on the Palio 1.1 though. The car makes do with a 57.5 PS/ton power to weight ratio that means the car returns just around 12.7 km to a litre of fuel.

Not the ideal car for a racetrack!

Before we start with how good or bad the Palio Stile handles, let's get one thing straight - this car, despite the moniker, is meant to be more of a city commuter than a sports machine. And considering that bit of factual reality, the car behaves surprisingly better in the ride quality department than its predecessor. The suspension setup irons out most potholes - big or small keeping occupants largely rattle-free. Push the Palio hard through corners though (if you must) and the car starts to roll about like a boat in troubled waters. Unless you trip on the feeling of being out of control, this is certainly not the car to be hitting a racetrack in! Stability at high speeds and under heavy braking is adequate enough to keep passengers from freaking out. In short, the Palio does what it's supposed to be doing with great aplomb - commuting.

Spacious cabin, but why is it so confused?

While the exteriors on the Palio Stile are reason for discussion for being a mixed bag between the front and rear end revisions, the interiors aren't really much to write about. Step in and the out-of-control curves make you feel like you're flying through a time warp-especially when you look at the cubbyholes near the gear stalk! The two-tone dash is helped by the silver trim around the air con vents and controls. Steering wheel is two-tone as well and looks good as a contrast to the rest of the car. As with earlier Palios the power window switches are set in a protruding mount from the door trim. Cabin space is quite roomy though and that has always been the Palio's biggest appeal. While the fabric used on the seats is nice, the quality of plastics on the dash hark back to poor build quality and seem rather flimsy. Most buyers will overlook the uninspired interiors though, just for the joy of owning a Palio!

Verdict

This car may share the same name as the erstwhile Palio from Fiat, but make no mistake - it's a completely different car. With a smaller engine and facelifted design that you'd love or hate, the Fiat Palio Stile isn't very fuel-efficient either. The under performing 1.1 litre Palio retails for just Rs 3.8 lakh for the base version going all the way up to Rs 4.3 lakh (OTR Pune) for the fully loaded version, so it is cheap. The Rs 4.8 lakh 1.6 litre version delivers great performance too. So in the end, it all boils down to whether you can get yourself used to that strange looking interior or not – after all buyers spend most of their time in the car!

Tester's notes

Good-looking front end needed a rear to match.
1.1 litre engine is low on performance and efficiency.
Not the best handling car on Indian roads for sure, though ride quality is superb.