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Posted on the 30th of July 2008
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Two years and 25000 kms later I am glad i never paid heed to the "good" advice of my parents, colleagues and "well wishers" ... My Palio 1.6 rocks!
Car Details:
Model - Palio 1.6 Sport
Color - Formula Red
Date of Purchase - 25 July 2006
ICE - Blaupunkt Muai36 HU + Blaupunkt THx 693 rear ovals + Blaupunkt front
speakers (not really good, but a decent system!).
Odo reading - 25560
Tyres: Michelin XM1+ 185R60 OEM 14inch alloys
Fuel Efficiency -
With AC : Highways - 14-15 City - 8-9
Without AC: Highways - 15-16 City 9-10
Race mode on highway without AC - 11
Max Speed achieved: 160Kmph on 175R65 tyres - Mysore road.
Service Details:
All services done at Concorde Motors Hosur Road Bangalore. The first two services were disastrous, however all the other services and repairs done at Concorde have been good to excellent. The improvement has been close to 100X i would say. The staff is comfortable with FIAT now, the washing and cleaning is almost at par with a Maruti service station and the delivery time punctuality has improved (this service saw me waiting just 30 mins extra compared to the 2.5 hrs on the first service! ;))
Major accident on the 7th of Dec 2006. The front part of the car was severely damaged. After three months of legal wrangles (with the traffic cops) and endless follow-up calls with Mr. Mangesh, got the car out of Concorde Motors fully repaired as good as new (only my beat up old number plate and a slightly misaligned bonnet provide any indication of a major accident). Parts replaced - right panel, bonnet, front bumper, windshield, headlamps, fog lamps, radiator fan, condenser, power steering rod and a host of other parts. Cost of painting
the bumper bonnet and right panel 10,135. Overall costs incurred ~68000. Insurance claimed from TATA AIG covered a major portion and i had to shell out ~10000. Color difference almost none.
Contact persons at Concorde:
Service Lead - Mr. Vijay Kumar
Lead Mechanic - Mr. Adi
Body Shop - Mr. Madhu
Latest service done at Concorde yesterday; spark plugs replaced(OEM), throttle body cleaned, MAP sensor cleaned, wipers replaced (OEM), brakes cleaned and checked.
Car feels and handles as good as new!
Usage and Experience:
The move to buy a 1.6 sport was purely instinctive, on the day i had planned for a XETA test drive i happened to glance at an ad for the 1.6 sport in the papers, twas love at second sight (had fallen in love with the palio at its launch in 2001!). Financial prudence was just thrown to the wind in favour of sheer driving pleasure. I remember the first time i went full throttle against a merc on the inner ring road ... the adrenalin rush, the sense of exhileration and the
thrill of knowing that i kept a merc in my rear view mirror for the entire stretch of the road ...
Have done 4 trips to Udupi, 2 to chikmagalur, 1 to Pondi(with PUG), 1 to ooty and innumerable trips to mysore! Overall i'd say its 50-50 between city and highway driving. The car has never let me down, be it pulling up with ease on the ghats or cruising past bigger vehicles on straight stretches or off-roading on the village "roads" of South Canara! There have been one or two "heart in the mouth" moments thanks to the lack of ABS, but now i have learnt to live with it and drive slower on the highways!
One of the biggest pillars of support in my ownership experience has been PUG! You guys have given me the confidence of knowing that there are people who know the true worth of the FIAT and have not been afraid to make a stand and buy differently to own an exclusive and handsome car on Indian roads. A big THANK YOU to all PUGers with whom i have shared my experiences and had a chance to partake in your experiences albeit via the medium of e-mails!
I guess the car looks good and feels good, good to go for a few more years atleast ... yup, gonna keep this baby with me for a while.
One Helluva happy Palio owner!
Amith Dsouza
Car Details:
Model - Palio 1.6 Sport
Color - Formula Red
Date of Purchase - 25 July 2006
ICE - Blaupunkt Muai36 HU + Blaupunkt THx 693 rear ovals + Blaupunkt front
speakers (not really good, but a decent system!).
Odo reading - 25560
Tyres: Michelin XM1+ 185R60 OEM 14inch alloys
Fuel Efficiency -
With AC : Highways - 14-15 City - 8-9
Without AC: Highways - 15-16 City 9-10
Race mode on highway without AC - 11
Max Speed achieved: 160Kmph on 175R65 tyres - Mysore road.
Service Details:
All services done at Concorde Motors Hosur Road Bangalore. The first two services were disastrous, however all the other services and repairs done at Concorde have been good to excellent. The improvement has been close to 100X i would say. The staff is comfortable with FIAT now, the washing and cleaning is almost at par with a Maruti service station and the delivery time punctuality has improved (this service saw me waiting just 30 mins extra compared to the 2.5 hrs on the first service! ;))
Major accident on the 7th of Dec 2006. The front part of the car was severely damaged. After three months of legal wrangles (with the traffic cops) and endless follow-up calls with Mr. Mangesh, got the car out of Concorde Motors fully repaired as good as new (only my beat up old number plate and a slightly misaligned bonnet provide any indication of a major accident). Parts replaced - right panel, bonnet, front bumper, windshield, headlamps, fog lamps, radiator fan, condenser, power steering rod and a host of other parts. Cost of painting
the bumper bonnet and right panel 10,135. Overall costs incurred ~68000. Insurance claimed from TATA AIG covered a major portion and i had to shell out ~10000. Color difference almost none.
Contact persons at Concorde:
Service Lead - Mr. Vijay Kumar
Lead Mechanic - Mr. Adi
Body Shop - Mr. Madhu
Latest service done at Concorde yesterday; spark plugs replaced(OEM), throttle body cleaned, MAP sensor cleaned, wipers replaced (OEM), brakes cleaned and checked.
Car feels and handles as good as new!
Usage and Experience:
The move to buy a 1.6 sport was purely instinctive, on the day i had planned for a XETA test drive i happened to glance at an ad for the 1.6 sport in the papers, twas love at second sight (had fallen in love with the palio at its launch in 2001!). Financial prudence was just thrown to the wind in favour of sheer driving pleasure. I remember the first time i went full throttle against a merc on the inner ring road ... the adrenalin rush, the sense of exhileration and the
thrill of knowing that i kept a merc in my rear view mirror for the entire stretch of the road ...
Have done 4 trips to Udupi, 2 to chikmagalur, 1 to Pondi(with PUG), 1 to ooty and innumerable trips to mysore! Overall i'd say its 50-50 between city and highway driving. The car has never let me down, be it pulling up with ease on the ghats or cruising past bigger vehicles on straight stretches or off-roading on the village "roads" of South Canara! There have been one or two "heart in the mouth" moments thanks to the lack of ABS, but now i have learnt to live with it and drive slower on the highways!
One of the biggest pillars of support in my ownership experience has been PUG! You guys have given me the confidence of knowing that there are people who know the true worth of the FIAT and have not been afraid to make a stand and buy differently to own an exclusive and handsome car on Indian roads. A big THANK YOU to all PUGers with whom i have shared my experiences and had a chance to partake in your experiences albeit via the medium of e-mails!
I guess the car looks good and feels good, good to go for a few more years atleast ... yup, gonna keep this baby with me for a while.
One Helluva happy Palio owner!
Amith Dsouza