Fiat in India today announced the launch of the new Fiat Palio Stile in two petrol engine options: Palio Stile 1.1 (in three versions- SL, SLE, SLX) and Palio Stile 1.6 (Sport). New Fiat Palio is a stunning car that has nothing conventional and commonplace about it. It strikes you for its aggressive look and a technology that is unprecedented in this vehicle class. Surprise and innovation: it has been refurbished in every respect, from its young, modern looking design to new comfort and safety contents.

This car is more fuel efficient and less powerful than the earlier versions of the Palio. The new Palio 1100 comes with an 1108cc engine with 54 bhp power. This is 25 percent less than the previous version which carried over 72bhp. The estimated torque in the Palio 1100 is 9kgm and the Kerb weight of this car is close to 900 kgs. The trunk is pretty spacious at 280 liters. The cost of this car will be close to 4 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. The motor of this car is from FIAT and the popular FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotized Engine) version which is on the Palio NV too.

It is with the new look & updated and reduced capacity power plant as well, one that displaces 1100cc. Done to allow the Italian car to meet the new excise norms for small cars, which define it as being under four meters in length and powered by petrol engines smaller than 1.2 liters. Fiat is hoping this car will be a shot in the arm for flagging Palio sales. The nose of the car is virtually all- new. Your focus now rests on a pair of double-barreled headlamps.

Set deep in a very modern-looking nacelle, they deliver a grown-up modern look to the car. They also wrap around and spill on the fender and bumper. A wider black ‘anti-matter’ grille sits squarely between the lights, with Fiat’s logo looming large in the centre. However, the blue- backed badge may be replaced by the new/old logo in red. The red logo was used successfully by Fiat for years, and Fiat’s return to this bold logo is sure to add charm. The font and style of the lettering is similar to that on the nose of Schumacher’s Ferrari.

The new bumper has a unique slot in the centre for better cooling and the three-part chin of the car is all-new as well. Black has been cleverly used in the lower part of the nose to lighten the design. The shape of the doors remains similar; it’s too expensive to change these, but a different mirror and new door handles mean there is a slight change. The rear of the car is not terribly attractive, but the slab- like vertical tailgate does look new. Also new are the taller tail-lights.

The lower capacity motor will have 25 percent less power than the current car’s 72bhp, but the pulling power of the engine from low speeds is expected to be better than on the existing version. This will be a big improvement as the current car lacks pulling power at lower engine speeds. The better low speed torque is also likely to have a positive impact on fuel economy ” overall, a step up. The motor itself will be from Fiat’s excellent FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotized Engine) family, the same as that of the current NV. So you can expect it to be smooth and free-revving.

Fiat hasn’t upgraded the car’s interiors as they are not available in right-hand drive configuration. Hard- wearing plastics, comfortable seats and a solid build are things to look forward to. Fiat and Tata want to place the car where it is accessible to the widest audience and the current interiors are up to the task. With the new Palio, Fiat and Tata will look at taking this much-loved car mainstream. The expected drop in price, the expected increase in fuel economy as well as the fresh new look of the car are sure to attract customers. And they could bite too.

Engine and Mechanics

The engine bay is typical. A piece of machinery for Tony to fix again… The front “pod” where the radiator(s) and headlights are fixed is of a sissy piece of metal sheet. The metal sheets seem to be fashioned in an as easy as possible manner so it would slash time off the production man hours… Nope; I would not trust it… Performance is not worth dwelling on. Just moves the car, the brakes are good. They stop the already not-too-heavy vehicle easily. However they give the feel that they may fade too eary causing real heartbeats and adrenaline downhill… Panic braking proved to be safe with the ABS kicking in in a timely manner.

Watch out for the rear biased braking power though… ABS does not defy physics laws ya know… So do not brake all that hard in curves expecting the car to stop dead in its tracks. Careful piloting is a must. The gears engage easily, plopping into place. However the whirring of the gearbox is annoying. The shocks have a short travel and the spiral springs are stiff. So this car is highway queen. Countryside roads can become kidney pulverizes if the load and speed blend is sufficient.

It has always annoyed me to see that car manufacturers always claim that the McPherson strut system is best. This strut system is the simplest; thus cheapest to build. And it is of no significant comfort or handling improvement whatsoever. If that was the case, Mercedes, Porsche etc. would use it… They just pump us with what they wish us to believe.

Design, Interiors, Engineering

The Palio has not had a visual face-lift since its launch, but it still looks sturdily handsome and feels superbly built and secure. The doors shut with a sound hunk, and the car’s build imparts a safe feel. The car has specifically been engineered for developing markets, and over-engineered at that, so it is extremely tough and more thoroughly engineered than most small cars. Designed as Fiat’s ‘world car’, the Palio is also sold in markets like Brazil, Turkey and China, all of which require toughness and simplicity of design. Even the Macpherson strut/lower wishbone suspension in front and the torsion beam at the back are extremely tough, and built to last.

The Palio still looks pleasant and very grown-up; a clean, strong-looking and squat design livened up by the jewel-like headlamps and flame-shaped rear lamps. However, just to keep the pot boiling, Fiat has face-lifted the Palio in Brazil, and will bring that model here in 2005. The Polio’s interiors are spacious and comfortable, with passenger room comparable to a mid-size car.

The seats, which are shared with the Siena, are extremely comfortable and feel like they belong in a bigger car. The ergonomics are excellent with all the controls well-placed and falling easily to hand. There is decent legroom, head-room and width, but the design is the same as on the Siena, introduced in 1998, and looks dated now.

The chunky steering is great to hold, the dead pedal to rest your left foot is a boon on long drives and the high-set music system that sits nicely in line with your vision makes you wonder why other manufacturers haven’t adopted the same approach. A problem area is visibility, hampered by the thick A-pillar, high waistline and unhelpfully small mirrors; plus, we wish the Palio had seat height adjustment. Fit and finish aren’t terrific, and the plastics feel down market.

Safety and special features

Fiat claims its Palio stile is equipped with auto intelligence system which includes Double Crank Prevention System - A unique engine guard system which prevents re-cranking of the engine when already on, Reverse Gear Lock - A sensible reverse gear lock prevents any accidental engagement of reverse gear and ensures that you always travel the right way and an engine Immobilizer - a high security system which ensures the engine start only when your coded key is inserted and acts as a theft prevention device (a must device for Indian vehicles especially when the recovery ratio of the lost vehicle is very poor) along with Fire Prevention System (FPS) and child safety lock. All the safety systems are standard on all variants of Palio stile. Rear wiper is standard in 1.1SLX and 1.6 sports and sadly there is no defogger in Palio stile too.

Price and Service

Fiat wishes to rebuild its image with its partner Tata. Fiat Palio stile is the first new vehicle produced after Tata-Fiat JV hence both the partners will be keen to ensure customers a valuable service and value for money. Palio stile’s prices are competitive and are ranged from Rs 3.49 lakh to Rs 3.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) while the Palio Stile 1.6 is priced at Rs 4.31 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The entire range is available through the country-wide Tata-Fiat network of 63 dealerships covering 42 cities. The plan is to increase this dealership number to 100 in the next few months in preparation for the new models that are on the anvil. Fiat hopes its Tata alliance and aggressive pricing (cheaper by Rs 40,000 than the base models of the recently launched ‘Getz Prime’) will help to sell decent numbers of Palio stile and in revival of Fiat’s brand. Yes, the partnership seems to be working.

Technical Specification

DIMENSIONS	1.2 EL NV	1.2 EL PS NV	1.2 ELX NV	1.2 Sport NV	1.6 Sport	1.9 D EL PS	1.9 D ELX PS
Length	3763mm
Width	1620mm
Height	1440mm
Wheelbase	2373mm
Ground Clearance	170mm
Trunk Capacity	260–950
Kerb Weight	1015kg				1080kg	1140kg
Fuel Tank	47 litres
ENGINE	1.2 EL NV	1.2 EL PS NV	1.2 ELX NV	1.2 Sport NV	1.6 Sport	1.9 D EL PS	1.9 D ELX PS
Capacity (cc)	1242				1596	1910
No. of Cylinders	4
Max. Power	72 bhp				100 bhp	63 bhp
Max. Torque	10.4 kgm				14.0 kgm	12.2 kgm
SUSPENSION	1.2 EL NV	1.2 EL PS NV	1.2 ELX NV	1.2 Sport NV	1.6 Sport	1.9 D EL PS	1.9 D ELX PS
Front	Independent wheel, McPherson type with lower wishbone anchored to cross member, coil springs, telescopic dual effect shock absorbers
Rear	Torsion axle, coil springs, stabilizing bar and telescopic dual effect shock absorbers
STEERING	1.2 EL NV	1.2 EL PS NV	1.2 ELX NV	1.2 Sport NV	1.6 Sport	1.9 D EL PS	1.9 D ELX PS
Type	Rack & Pinion
Turning Radius	5.1m
BRAKES	1.2 EL NV	1.2 EL PS NV	1.2 ELX NV	1.2 Sport NV	1.6 Sport	1.9 D EL PS	1.9 D ELX PS
Brake System	Hydraulic, Dual-diagonal split, servo assisted
Front	Ventilated Disc
Rear	Drum, Self adjusting Type

Maruti launched all new Zen Estilo. Zen Estilo has got Wagon R’s engine and chassis and Suzuki MR Wagon’s shape. Whatever remains is taken from Zen, well does anything remains actually? Yes, Name! Name is taken from Zen, ‘Zen Estilo’. In essence it’s stylish Wagon R, Japan’s MR Wagon, combination of the two or anything but Zen. It seems Maruti wants to exploit Zen brand-image hence named this car after Zen.

Maruti has put the new Zen through rigorous testing program me to tailor this model, which was originally derived only for the Japanese market, to suit Indian conditions. A past master at this game, the ride height of this car has also been increased for increased ground clearance and the suspension beefed up as well to more easily tackle Indian roads.

With this car, Maruti plans to re-launch the Zen brand which, according to its internal studies, is as strong a nameplate as Maruti itself. The company hopes to fill the vacuum created by the discontinuation of production of the earlier Zen in March 2006 and expects to sell over 6,000 units every month. Pricing will be key to sales and company sources have it that the new Zen could be even cheaper than the model it replaces. The fireworks are about to begin!

Zen Estilo has the same engine (1061cc, 64.8ps, 84Nm, 4-cylinder, 16-valve, MPFI F10D Petrol) under the hood that is found in Maruti Wagon R. Absolutely nothing has been changed except for the fact that this engine is much refined and is slightly better at responsiveness and fuel economy. This simply translate into ‘Zen Estilo is a bit faster and more fuel economic than Wagon R’. Due to highly good drivability, driving in city would be more fun with Zen Estilo. Electronic Power Steering (not available in LX version) really helps in crowded traffic. Owning and maintaining Zen Estilo won’t be a problem, engine is proven reliable and virtually maintenance-proof.

The biggest difference I noticed was interiors of Zen Estilo. You can still accept this car as Zen from outside but you will not accept it from inside. The first note I made was while I was entering the car. Going in and out of Zen had never been this easy. This was the biggest reason people used to hate Zen (Yes, most of the people used to hate Zen and Esteem for just this reason!). If you have a Zen and are of an average built, getting inside your car is a project in itself, no? Thank god it’s not the case here; you find Wagon R effect here too.

Wheelbase is 25mm larger (2360mm) than old Zen which is adequate but not very good, it could have still been a bit larger. Car is taller by approx. 200mm (1595mm) than old Zen and shorter by 65mm than Wagon R, a good move in terms of headroom. Space inside is enough and is utilized better. Dash-board gives contemporary feel, especially VXi version with dual-tone interiors. Seats are mounted high and are overall comfortable enough. Air-conditioning is simply fantastic.

Replacing it is this, the new Zen Estilo. Adding that Estilo tag to the hallowed Zen brand name might have just saved Maruti Suzuki’s skin. I can imagine hordes of Zen lovers banging on the gates of MUL’s Gurgaon plant demanding that the Zen tag be removed from the new car - How can you call this the new Zen - it’s just a funky Wagon R! The original Zen was a snappy, honest, fun-to-drive number, but this looks like one of those preening, self-conscious kind of cars that are indifferent to drive.
The car sports the same engine as the Wagon R which is a 1.1 liter 32X4 hypertech engine. The specs for the engine are as follows:
1061cc
64.8ps
84Nm,
4-cylinder
16-valve
MPFI F10D Petrol

The engine has not been refined much except for the fact that it has been tweaked a bit for responsiveness and fuel economy which certainly have given it a better mileage and better pick up time. Also the engineers have worked on the aerodynamics of this car. The biggest difference where Zen Estilo scores the most is its interiors which are at par with some of the higher end cars and give you a feel of luxury. Maruti has increased the interior space by extending the dashboard area of the car over the engine thus leaving little space in the engine compartment but certainly no complaints from me as you spend most of the time inside! This make the car look a lot more spacey.

The wheelbase is a bit larger than the good old Zen at 2360 mm. Zen Estilo has a look of miniaturized family van because of its smooth flowing, simple lines and the monoform design. Maruti Zen Estilo is a blend of the jellybean and tallboy designs, which gives it a unique stance and looks. Zen Estilo comes with plush, premium interiors. It has a two-tone colour theme and its seats have been redesigned for providing better support and sport fresh new upholstery to match the dual tone colour theme of the interior.

Suzuki made this little runabout for the Japanese market between 2001 and 2005, but that had a smaller 660cc power plant and differed in a few details. Now that it’s stopped production in Japan, MUL got the dyes and the rest of the aggregates of the car (hopefully for cheap) from Suzuki, fitted it with the Wagon R power train, gave it a few design changes, and bingo! there you have it, the new Zen Estilo. Of course I have oversimplified it here, as the development process of the Zen Estilo took 18 months till it was signed off for production. During that period Maruti engineers and designers worked with those from Suzuki, giving it that smiling, chrome-trimmed visage and sporty grille/air-dam treatment, completely reworking the interiors, shoehorning the bigger drive train and making it suitable for driving in India (you know, LOUD horn, EXTRA ground clearance, STRONGER suspension components…). Which begs the bigger question: is it as much fun as the original? Sitting inside the Zen Estilo, you know that this is not the Zen.

In the first place, it’s a not-so-tall tall-boy, fitting neatly between the Alto and the Wagon R. Which means that there is tremendous headroom? The thick A-pillar and the quarter glass means that this is a modern, contemporary car, all-right. Getting inside also is easy, no bended knees/folded hands, etc. And the interior dash treatment is modern. It has that trendy dual-tone treatment, and while the instrumentation is familiar to anybody who’s driven a Maruti, it is better laid-out. There are useful nooks and crannies to store stuff too. The shoulder room is just about adequate, but tough if you’re generous with your helpings at the dining table. And don’t blame me if you feel your co-passenger’s knee every time you’re in first gear.

Fire up the engine and its deja vu all over. The 1061cc 16-valve four-cylinder motor that develops 64 bhp at 6200 revs and 8.5 kgm of torque at 3500 rpm is to me the best small displacement engine around. It develops adequate power, but the way it delivers it is great fun. The motor is rev happy; in fact, it’s like a Suzuki motorcycle, effortlessly going beyond 6000 revs. And it’s a proven motor too, having done sterling service for quite some time now, under the Wagon R’s bonnet, and once upon a time, even under the Alto’s hood. Best of all, its fuel efficient too. The five-speed manual gearbox that’s paired with this engine does a great job of making the car drivable, but the long throws plus rubbery shifts mar the overall package.

Hey, but it’s not unique to the Zen Estilo – it’s an issue with the Wagon R as well. The gearshift quality also does not go well with the sporty Zen image or the smooth exterior design of the Estilo. But the gearing is spot-on, which is why Maruti had kept the whole drive train unchanged. Second gear takes you to 80 kph, while third tops out at 120 kph. What that allows you is an easy flexibility between second and third which is what you’ll end up doing on our city streets. The Zen Estilo manages a 0 to 60 kph timing of 6.16 seconds and manages to hit 100 kph in 16.26 seconds.

The Alto, Wagon R and the Zen Estilo are spun off the same platform. Which again means a proven underpinnings package that has done sterling service in the country? The suspension package on offer – McPherson struts at front and three-link rigid and isolated trailing arm at the rear – can surprisingly take a great amount of abuse, so expecting the Zen Estilo to take the rough with the smooth won’t be asking too much. The Estilo’s ride is pretty good for a car of its class and is not unduly harsh. Handling is also well-sorted and surefooted, but it’s the tall-boy structure that does not allow you to corner the way the Zen used to do. And here is where the biggest issue between the predecessor and successor is: the Zen was a brilliant corner carver, while you are isolated from the experience in the Estilo – the new car is perfectly capable, it’s just that understandably, the thrills are missing. The electronic power steering once again takes away any semblance of feedback.

So to answer the question: it’s not as much fun as the original. Still, since all things must come to pass, we have to accept that the Zen Estilo is the car for here and now. And taken by itself, it’s quite a good machine too – a clever little car that marries the convenience of the Wagon R with funky styling and contemporary architecture. Expect its pricing to be between the Alto and the Wagon R, somewhere around the Rs 3.5 laky range, when it’s launched any time now. The only issue that rankles is the Zen tag – if it’s being positioned as a trendy, young person’s car, just the Estilo brand should have been fine. But the Zen brand, as a survey once pointed out, was stronger than Maruti – too much of a good thing to let go, I guess. Still, to me, it’s not the Zen for the 21st century.

Engine Performance:

The Zen currently uses WagonR’s F10D engine. Suzuki has decided to upgrade Zen’s engine to a newer model within a “few” months. This will affect resale values of the current models.

MILEAGE: I’m getting around 14kmpl in the city without the A/c on. Note that this is in Mysore where there is not much stop and go traffic. The car returned around 15kmpl on the highway without A/c.

PERFORMANCE: I was quite disappointed with the engine performance. When the car is fully loaded or when the A/c is running, the car begins to crawl and overtaking becomes a pain. Although I dont have the figures, I was not at all impressed with pick-up. Of course, I might be a little biased in this case because my other car is an Accent. I might have been expecting too much from this little car.

Comfort: The front seats are quite comfortable. However, the rear seats are “bench-like” and become uncomfortable during journeys exceeding an hour.

Transmission: The gear shift is annoyingly “rubbery” - It doesn’t slot into gear solidly and has an irritating “play”. I’m never sure that the gear has engaged fully. It’s close to impossible to find 5th gear on the first try because of this. As I mentioned earlier, the gear throws are long and you will end up grazing the co-passenger’s knee when you shift to 1st or 2nd.

Interior

Despite attempts at severe low cost manufacturing and localization, the Wagon R continues to have an edge on the interior front thanks to superior overall design. On the contrary, the Zen Estilo interior looks as if it was made in a hurry to meet the Tokyo Motor Show deadline way back in 2002 – and got approved for production. While the Wagon R emphasizes on practicality, the Zen Estilo has toy grade plastic written all over it. Sure, everything falls into place and you cannot argue on ergonomics terms – but then the car is so small, so everything better be within reach.

The Wagon R interior may be tight but the Zen Estilo beats it when it comes to its ability to ensure physical proximity between driver and the passenger. I kept on apologizing to a pretty lady who took a ride with me for accidentally (trust me) feeling up her thighs in my attempt to change gears. It becomes even more unfortunate when 99 per cent of the time you have hairy men rather than pretty ladies asking for a lift. Sigh. If you are going to use the rear seat to ferry three people, then the Wagon R is better off space-wise. The Estilo has a tall-set rear seat and you really don’t want to catch up on caustic gossip that happens at your ear level when you are trying to drive.

Suspension/Ride quality: The suspension is the biggest drawback of the Zen. Even when you go over a small bump that other cars would have handled well, the Zen comes down with a sickening thud. I think this is due to insufficient travel for the suspension. The suspension is softies - good enough for the city, but not confidence inspiring on the highway. The car’s height and soft suspension mean that corners better are taken at low speeds. The 5-door locking feature is quite nice - When you unlock the doors, the hatch is also unlocked automatically. I see that I’m using the hatch more frequently now because of the convenience.

There is no rear parcel tray available and rear passengers will have to make-do with zippered pouches on the front seats for stowing stuff. The A/c is powerful and cools the car surprisingly fast. There is no provision for fitting a clock. The car doesn’t come with built-in speakers. However, speaker grilles have been provided on all doors and also in the luggage area. The thick ’A’ pillars tend to restrict visibility. Maruti has cheaply tried to cut corners with this car - there is neither cigarette lighter nor a vanity mirror in the co-passenger’s sun visor. These are small things but tend to irritate customers if missing.

Ride and handling

The Wagon R feels like a mini SUV on bad to terrible roads and can handle a great deal of abuse. The Zen Estilo offers an equally good ride on bad roads but it loses poise easily as speed increases. If you have to hit a series of potholes at close to three digit speeds and still end up laughing, then you better be driving the Wagon R. I get this feeling that Suzuki did over-engineer the Wagon R so as to compensate its overall tall stance. These are not cars you buy to attack corners in, but if cutting lanes is your thing, then they are very good at it. Both cars are nervous wrecks when you attempt high-speed cornering. I personally would root for the lower Zen Estilo to the taller Wagon R, but I have had a good time driving the Wagon R on mountain roads to not dismiss it easily. Let us put it this way, both these cars are way more capable handlers than what they look like.

Sitting inside the Zen Estilo, you know that this is not the Zen. In the first place, it’s a not-so-tall tall-boy, fitting neatly between the Alto and the Wagon R. Which means that there is tremendous headroom? The thick A-pillar and the quarter glass means that this is a modern, contemporary car, all-right. Getting inside also is easy, no bended knees/folded hands, etc. And the interior dash treatment is modern. It has that trendy dual-tone treatment, and while the instrumentation is familiar to anybody who’s driven a Maruti, it is better laid-out. There are useful nooks and crannies to store stuff too. The shoulder room is just about adequate, but tough if you’re generous with your helpings at the dining table.

And don’t blame me if you feel your co-passenger’s knee every time you’re in first gear. If you want a small car that looks good, there’s nothing that comes close to the Maruti Suzuki Swift today. The Swift features contemporary styling, wears all colors very well and it fits into your buget too. However, if you want more bang for your buck, the other good looking car which will be seen on our roads soon is also from Maruti Suzuki – it’s the new Zen Estilo. This new hatchback has neat lines and is cheerful to look at. If you are keen on the Estilo, do opt for the aero kit, which adds a sporty touch to the overall styling package.

Technical Specifications

Length	3495
Width	1475 (LX, LXi), 1495 (VXi)
Height	1595
Wheel Base	2360
Tread, Front	1295
Tread , Rear	1290
Turning Radius (m)	4.6
Seating Capacity	5 Persons
Ground Clearance	165
Max Power (bhp/rpm)	64 / 6,200
Max Torque (Nm/rpm)	84 / 3,500
Engine	F10D
Engine Capacity (cc)	1061
Engine Type	4 cyl
Transmission	5MT
Drive	2WD
Clutch Type	Cable
Kerb Weight (kg)	855 (LX, LXi), 875 (VXi)
GVW (kg)	1275
Tyre Size	145 / 70 R13 (LX, LXi), 155 / 65 R13 (VXi)
Fuel Tank Capacity (lt)	35
Front Brake	Ventilated Disc
Rear Brake	Drum
Transmission Type	Manual - 5 Speed, All Synchromesh with two overdrive gears
Suspension System	Front: McPherson Strut with Torsion type roll control device Rear: Coil Spring, Gas filled shock absorbers with three link rigid and isolated trailing arm
Power Steering	Type: Electronic Power Steering (EPS) (LXi & VXi)