Fiat India brings you the Palio Diesel. Fiat claims that this normally-aspirated 1910 CC inline-four diesel power plant is ‘inspired by aircraft technology’. That is because it uses ‘drive-by-wire’ technology, which does away with the usual cable link between the throttle pedal and the fuel pump. Instead, an “accelerator pedal potentiometer” is used, which reads the driver’s inputs at the throttle pedal, converts those to electrical signals and sends them to the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that governs the car’s digital fuel injection system. In addition to choke position, the ECU also factors in other parameters before deciding precisely how much fuel it needs to squirt into the engine, so as to ensure maximum combustion efficiency at all times. The Palio derives power from 2 engines one the 1.2 litre and the other the sporty 1.6 litre. Palio on the plus side has an excellent ride, great performance, good interiors, decent handling, great ride and a generous boot. Last-generation Fiat diesels - the Uno 1.7D and the old Siena TD60 - weren’t spectacular success stories, but that has not stopped Fiat from bringing in a new diesel mill for the Palio, which has been doing well since it was launched in mid-2001.

 

The car is riding on 13-inch pressed-steel wheels (the Palio 1.6 GTX gets 14-inch alloys), and tyres were 165/80 Bridgestone S248s. These, combined with the soft-ish suspension set-up, provided good ride comfort. The independent front suspension - McPherson struts, coil springs and stabilizer bar, combined with the torsion axle (coil springs and stabilizer bar) rear is optimized for occupant comfort rather than all-out handling prowess, which perhaps is how most buyers would want it.

 

The chassis and suspension package is worthy of praise. The Palio uses a strong monocoque structure which eliminates vibrations and provides the car with high levels of torsional and flexional rigidity. The Palio D looks exactly like its petrol brother. The Palio’s styling is safe and dependable if nothing more. It has plastic-wood trim on the front facia. Fabrics and plastics appeared to be of good quality, and better than those on, say, an Indigo. Packaging is a Palio strong point and the car scores on interior space - for passengers as well as for luggage.

 

 

The Palio impressed with its frugality combined with its mile crunching ability, something that was absent on an earlier diesel car that we had on a long term test. With a top speed over 155kmph; we easily averaged up to 80kmph, which is excellent for over a day’s driving. The 13kmpl that it has achieved is excellent. One can expect about 12 kpl with the AC on.

 

Those who care about safety can opt for the top-end ELX SP variant of the Palio D, which comes equipped with anti-lock brakes, and electronic brake force distribution. We did not have a chance to test an ABS-equipped car, but the regular car we tested, with ventilated discs at front and drums at the back, provided adequate ‘feel’ and stopping power, but could’ve been sharper - some more ‘bite’ wouldn’t have gone amiss. Maybe it’s time for those rear brake drums to be replaced with discs?

 

The key to getting the best out of this car is not to over-rev the engine, and use its low-rpm torque to keep the car cruising along briskly. The Palio 1.9 D chugged up inclines at slow speeds in third gear where a Weekend Adventure (petrol), which was also on test with us at the time, always required a downshift. The diesel Palio keeps up with traffic and overtaking other cars is also not a problem as long as you time it right. Remember, no unnecessary downshifts - just coast by on low-rev torque.

Filed under: Fiat Cars in India