Fiat Palio 1.2 ELX petrol + BRC sequential LPG. Review on Fiat Palio Stile

This is my first review online. In 2010 I planned to buy a new car, I planned to go for new maruti 800. If I buy a new car also I need to pay the remaining by emi. At that time my wife was also pregnant so I needed a car.

Due to financial crunch for medical need I dropped the idea to buy a new car. I started searching used cars in online and dealer. in that list totally 3 cars came below the one lakh price tag(Fiat palio, zen and opel astra and corsa). zen and opel cars are discontinued at that time. I rounded off fiat palio petrol while compared to zen car is very much spacious. Dealer quoted 2002 model 70k ran car 1.5lakhs. again I searched the car in online and talked with the owner directly bargain and bought atlast for 95k(2002, 39000km, 3rdowner).

I am the fourth owner of the car. the car completed genuinely 39000kms. Before I bought the car I read lots of bad reviews about fiat palio but surely I know fiat product definitely a robust product so I trust and bought it. once I bought the car I tried to do full service and check up so I try to book an appointment in tvs sundaram automobiles anna salai, but they refuse to take it for service due to slot full. then I tried concorde they also replied the same. atlast I have given the service at carnation. previous owner also servicing the car at carnation only. I done only oil service and under chasis rust coating for 12000k. Replaced oil and gasket also. then mechanic noticed that my car power steering has oil leak and oil deposited in lower arm. I inquired new one. concorde quotes 25k for entire assembly. So I planned to do an overhaul. I took the car to an road side mechanic and overhauled the power steering hydralic for 5k. After all the service over car responds very good and Many times I have done long driving without any problem. Maximum speed I have touched 150. I have got mileage of 14kmpl in highways with ac and 16kmpl without ac(only at 90kmph speed). In city I got only 12 to 13 only. I was very happy on purchased the good product.

First problem occurs: One day while washing the car in my house unfortunately I sprayed the water in to the ecu. I tried to start the car but its not started. I again searched the help in online, palio user group peoples helped me lot. I removed the old ecu and given it to one of my mechanic friend he sealed the ecu with new selant and cleaned internally with cleaning solution. after that car started again but not like before, in idling sometimes car died. So I planned to go for new ecu. I inquired new one in concorde Chennai they quoted 18k and also I need to pay full amount after that it will take one month to receive. so I dropped the idea. I got the kava automobiles contact through palio user group site, he quoted new one 7k. with in two days I got new ecu. after that car does not faced any problem. then I have done only regular service only. After completed 50000km I replace all the belts, clutch kit, used power steering assembly(from donar car), and service ac for 12k with labor in a good mechanic shop. Then without any problem I drove up to 58000km. Due to petrol price I unable to run the car affordable. so with the help of mouthshut and team bhp I came to know the lpg kit varieties. I planned to put sequential lpg kit, so I got quotes from different shop.

Finally I went for BRC sequential kit(different ecu) for 35k with torridal tank and+5k for RC endorsement. Really I loved the performance of the vehicle in lpg, also I got more torque in lpg mode. once I started the car immediately within 1 min it automatically switchover from petrol to lpg. In LPG I got mileage of 13 to 14. Till now I have saved half of the cost(15k recovered). the lpg peoples told the kit required service after 25konly. The LPG kit also have separate injector so petrol injector will not work while driving in lpg mode. Then I recently I painted car in a road side mechanic shop for 10k. Some of the rubber parts are started kaput. so planed to replace main rubber components in engine. So recently I purchased OEM spare parts from 99rpm.com for 20k. I have replaced ignition coil, camshaft rubber boot, water pump, radiator flush(cleaning), radiator rubber hoses, intake air filter assembly(previous one broken so in idling it vibrated lot) and front wheel bearing. Now my car completed 68000km. Still going good. I am very much happy with the performance in lpg mode. I used to maintain 90kmph in highway on lpg mode otherwise if I cruise more than 100 means lpg mileage drops to 9 to 10. so I always stick with 90 to 95kmph. Build quality: It has tank like build quality. One day(before lpg tank fitment) a 2011 all new honda city hit behind my vehicle in the signal the mistake was from his side only after he hit I thought back portion fully gone but once I step out and saw the rear I was fully surprised only bumper was misaligned and dent in the bumper no impact to the chasis.honda city front grill gone and it impact the radiator also.so his radiator started leaking and the coolent flow like a river. after that police who stands on the signal came and shouted to clear the traffic. honda city owner asked me to pay for it but police supported me because he also saw the accident, that car owner was driving while he talked in the cellphone. For my luck that signal was equiped with camer facility.

After that honda city owner accepted his fault and called honda road assistant to tow the car. Without paying anything I left the place in 30 min.   I have taken the vehicle to road side meachanic to remove the dent from bumper. He inspected and mentioned that if he removes the dent also its visible because of paint. so he quoted tinkering+ paint for 10k(full body painting, removed new dents and old dents and scratches). I painted it on 2012 starting. After this incident I came to know the vehicle strongess. I planned to keep the car till the spare parts availability not going to sell it. Till now I have spent only for spare parts, lpg kit and service. Now all the mandatory spare parts are new so surely it will serve for me next 10 years. Saved 2 life: One day my kid was not feeling well in midnight so I take him to hospital and admitted and also another time while returning to native my father suddenly suffred from hear attack immediatly I admitted in apollo hospital chennai, gods grace after bypass operation he becomes normal. I put only third party insurance in new india assurance(1500k every year) and basic service cost only 2000k. I always using semisynthetic shell engine oil. Towed my friends accident car i10: One one sunday my friend went to ecr to saw an film in theatre with his friends in a speed break instead of applying break he given full accelator so it hit the three vehicle in that impact his i10 front portion fully damaged and radiator started leaking immediatly hyundai road assistant taken the vehicle to his service center but they quoted 1.25lakh for full service. Actually he bought the used vehicle for 2.60lakhs only. so he contacted me I introduced my mech and he quoted only 45k for all. we planned to tow the vehicle from service center to mech shop in my palio. After that my friend really thanked me for all the help. Maintenance cost low: For an year for my running condition 2(every 6 months) times I will give for oil service each time it cost 3000rs and per year insurance cost up to 1500rs so mostly 7500 to 8000k only it will come. Current odo reading id 68000km.

I bought 4 new kenda(came to know the kenda tyres from call taxi peoples. they assured this tyre will come for surely 40000km) radial 175/70/R13 tyres from changemytyre.com for 10000k. Last year I replace 55din heavy duty tata gree battery. I bought the OBD scanner through ebay.in site, so nowadays easily myself itself diagnose the problem before it occurs. I downloaded fiatecu scanner software from website, through that I deducted the problem. Nowadays all the spare parts are available for the car easily through 99rpm.com and kava automobiles. Even new engine also we can buy from kava and 99rpm. All the spare parts are coming from thailand, indonesia, brazil and china. In this 5 years of ownership I fully studied the vehicle and know where we can buy the spare parts. I am not depending on fiat service center. Till now approximately I spend 70 to 75k for my car but most of the time I voluntarily changed the spare parts to keep the car in good condition. I am not planning to sell the car so I have spent. Nowadays I spent only for service and insurance. surely for next 5 to 8 years only service+ insurance cost only will come. If I buy new car also really I need to pay emi+ interest+ more than 10k for insurance+ service cost. Instead of that in that money I put lpg and run the car. and happy car is fully mine not the banks. car weight is fully 1.25 tonne. so in future if I give for scrap also surely it will go for minimum 35. engine fully aluminium block so it go for huge price .

Disadvantage: Only disadvantage of this car in my view is outdated model. People never respect outside. But iam not caring about that. iam running the car for my use only. I no need to bother about it.  my advice is to peoples who are interested on buying fiat palio is, Selecting the good engine with the help of mechanic, proper mechanic should be with you, aware about basic mechanics of engine. Don't expect maruti like service and spare parts availability. Over all FIAT engines are robust and tank like build quality.