What a turn around by FIAT India!
I was really impressed by my first ride in the Palio 1.6. It is simply unbeleivable that a small car can give such a feeling of stability and comfort.
The engine is terrific, but putting the AC on, does sap power by a small margin. But this is acceptable, as the AC does do a terrific job of chilling the interiors.
The interiors are decent, though nothing exceptional. The power windows do not have an auto roll up/ down feature. You have to hold the button up or down to roll them. Pretty irritating while driving!
The ride is on the firm side. But this is to be expected as it rides on low profile tires.
Luggage space is good, but not as much as in the Uno.
Another thing is that they should have provided proper rear seat neck restraints and seat belts. Especially when their ad campaign goes ’...Safety to the Max’.
Build quality is very good, except for the power window pods which seem to be made from cheap plastics.
Service has always been the Achilees heel of FIAT in India. But even here there is a sea change. The dealers are more polite and helpful. Though there is still room for improvement.
If you have the cash go in for the 1.6 GTX SP PS, or better still the limited edition Sachin version. It comes loaded with ABS, Air bag. Worth every penny (err..paisa).
For the paisa concious... the 1.6 drinks a litre of fuel every 10km in city and every 15 km on highways. Both are with AC on.