Fiat Punto Evo

The new version called the Evo will come with completely reworked bumpers, a new grille with a chrome strip, and small tweaks to the headlamp cluster with a frosted finish and new foglamps.




The interiors of the European Evo have been thoroughly revamped. The steering wheel is the only thing carried forward from the current model. Engines will be the same 1.2-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel sold now. It hopes to boost sales further once the Evo is launched.




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Car Fiat Palio NV Review

The well-engineered but poor-selling Palio is still a highly relevant car, even though it hasn’t been face-lifted since it was launched in 2002. Poor service has been the Palio's bugbear but Fiat claims to have improved on this.:

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 thunk, 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 Palio'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 downmarket.

With the disappearance of the fabulous 1.6, engine choice in the Palio is limited to a 1.2-litre NV petrol, and a 1.9 diesel. When Fiat introduced the NV version of the 1.2 Palio, the engine was recalibrated, more for efficiency than performance, to address the earlier car's thirst. It's not as responsive and feels sluggish at low revs. It's not near as quick as the competition but in reality it doesn't always feel that way. There's some meat near the 6000rpm red line and the near-perfect gear ratios help wring the maximum out of the 72bhp engine. The cable-operated gear lever is also a delight. It’s decent to drive in the city, but you do feel a lack of punch while overtaking on the highway.

Fuel economy is now on par with most small hatches, at 9.2kpl in the city and 14.0kpl on the highway. The diesel is fairly smooth, especially once you get going, but it's quite sluggish, and has almost no punch at the top. However, it has been optimally geared for the city, where it proves usefully torquey, if not instantly responsive. The diesel is fairly simple but quite indestructible, a 1910cc unit with 63bhp and 12.2kgm of torque. It’s no scorcher, and feels quite gravely and boomy at most speeds, but it responds really well, and the short gearing makes for surprising acceleration. It’s not a very relaxed cruiser, and top-end performance tends to tail off, but overall, it’s a good choice. The Palio’s weight affects it yet again, with figures of 11.8 and 15.7kpl, nowhere near the best.

The Palio has been blessed with a superb, strong chassis, blending a good ride with excellent handling. The steering feels lovely and accurate, there is little body roll, and passengers are well insulated from potholes. However, at low speeds, the Palio feels a bit stiff and lacks the compliance of, say, the Corsa. Also, the poor turning circle hampers manoeuvrability and the Palio is nowhere near as easy to park as its smaller rivals. The brakes have been improved over the years and offer good stopping power but the pedal feel is still mushy.


The Palio’s talents have never been in doubt – it is a spacious, sturdy and comfortable car, with a good interior and chassis, and a pair of decent if uninspiring engines. The problems lie with the company’s history of indifferent service and the car’s poor resale value. Also, new, spacious rivals mean that the Palio’s trump card, the ‘big-car feel’, is no longer unique. There however, a facelift expected in 2005, which may yet swing the tide back in the Palio’s favour. Fiat’s poor service has improved somewhat, but though spares prices have dropped, dealer attitude in general is indifferent. The car’s still worth the risk, especially considering the discounts available. However, there is real concern is over Fiat’s health in India, and the company isn’t giving signals that it plans to turn around yet.

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Car Fiat Linea Review

The launch of the Fiat Linea is considered to be the most significant launch for this car manufacturer. It represents the comeback of Fiat to India. In the global car industry Linea is not a stranger, but in India it makes a grand new entry.

Fiat Linea was first launched in Turkey in 2007 where this scintillating car received an overwhelming response. Its entry to India is also associated with the same degree of passion, enthusiasm, and determination to succeed. This new car is a perfect amalgam of beauty, elegance, and outstanding performance along with versatile functionalities. With high aspiration, Fiat is sure that this car will spark a new revolution in its segment and challenge the success of mid-sized sedans like the Honda City, Ford Fiesta, Maruti Suzuki SX4, and Hyundai Verna.

Tata Motors holds an excellent opportunity to market the elite Linea due to its recent business partnership with Fiat.


The Fiat Linea not only makes a style statement but also makes a power statement, delivering outstanding performance and impressive mileage. The car is available in six variants with two impressive forms, advanced multi-jet diesel engine and FIRE petrol engine. Active, Emotion, and Dynamic are the three variants that are available in both diesel and petrol.

The diesel variants are powered by a 1.3-litre advanced multi-jet engine mated to a Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) that churns out 85 bhp at 4000 rpm and a torque of 203 Nm at 2500 rpm. The multi-jet engine in the Linea is the next-generation engine designed by Fiat to have greater control over the car's internal combustion process. This, in turn, provides a smoother ride, improved responsiveness, lower emissions, and exceptionally high fuel efficiency.

The petrol variants are powered by a revolutionary 1.4-litre FIRE engine that generates 89 bhp at 6000 rpm and a torque of 115 Nm at 4500 rpm. FIRE or 'Fully Integrated Robotized Engine' is an engine that is constructed by robot assembly plants for cost reduction, while delivering high torque and power.

These highly efficient engines are coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission and a hydraulic power steering, which provide excellent drivability and great steering control. Furthermore, the efficient suspension system guards the car on the toughest of Indian roads giving a safe and accurate drive experience. The front suspension comprising of independent wheel and the rear suspension with torsion beam are both associated with helical coil springs, double acting telescopic dampers, and stabilizer bar to beat bumps and potholes, exponentially improving ride quality.

With a high degree of automotive engineering, the new Linea has an amazing acceleration and braking capacity. The car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 15.6 seconds whereas while braking it comes to a standstill from 80 km/h in just 2.38 seconds moving a distance of only 25.68 metres.


The new Linea is ardently designed with passion and enthusiasm to create a technological marvel. The impressive silhouette, flawless design, and impeccable lines exude style, dynamism, and attitude. The contemporary Italian design is accentuated with dual parabola headlamp, aggressive front grille, curvaceous rear, and 15-inch alloy wheels.

A step into the car interior will offer an inspiring melange that displays elegance, style, versatility, and luxury. An ergonomically and aesthetically designed interior is complemented with dual tone interiors, leather finished steering wheel, impressive instrument panels, glove boxes, powered mirrors, and a 12V power socket. With a boot capacity of 500 litres, the new Linea scores the maximum, challenging its biggest competitor, the Honda City.

Adding to the functionality and charm of the car interior are two revolutionary technologies, Blue&Me and 'My Car'. Blue&Me is an impressive technology jointly developed with Microsoft. This innovative car technology is a perfect solution for mobile communication and musical entertainment. It uses an exclusive universal voice-recognition technology that helps make and receive calls based on voice commands. Excitingly, any call can be made by simply dictating the number or by saying the name of the person whose number is fed in the mobile phonebook. This new technology also reads out messages and changes a music track on voice command. 'My Car' is a smart technology that allows customization with a variety of solutions including digital odometer, digital real time mileage, service schedule reminder, buzzer setting for speed limit, distance to empty indicator, and radio display.

Representing a blend of style and performance, this new car is also reassuringly safe with a pack of advanced car safety technologies. Some of the most significant safety features in the car include dual front airbags, fire prevention system, anti-theft engine immobilizer, double crank prevention system, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution.

All three variants, Active, Emotion, and Dynamic, have much in common in terms of car technologies, interior features, and safety technologies. However, there are certain attributes that are either optional or absent in the Active and Dynamic, which are made standard or optional on the top-end variant Emotion. Equipped with thoughtfully designed car technologies and adornments, the new Fiat Linea promises to be one of the best and safest on Indian roads.

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