Fiats to come

LONG TERM readers of this column may remember the article `Unique Uno' that appeared nearly a year ago on the eco-friendly, Euro III compliant, Fiat Uno and its 1242 cc petrol engine. This car had just succeeded the version with the 999cc `FIRE' engine, which was widely appreciated for its spaciousness and excellent ride, thanks to a compliant and rugged suspension, but appeared to be underpowered with the airconditioner on.

The Uno continues to have the most comfortable seats this side of an S-Class Mercedes Benz (really!) and the eccentric rail adjustment helps drivers of all shapes and sizes find a comfortable position. The new engine, like its 1700 cc diesel cousin, is powerful and economical and the spacious Uno also has the most luggage room of any car in its class. That it has not succeeded as well as it should have is more a reflection of poor marketing and the Indian consumers' obsession with what is perceived to be the `latest' and not with a fine product.

To go back a little, the Uno is an award winning mid-1980s design by Giugiaro (who also designed the original Volkswagen Golf) that was applauded for its advanced and space-efficient design. Its 1242 cc engine is a single point injection version of the Fiat Siena's engine that came into India in 1999. The latter multi- point version develops 72 bhp against 62 in the Uno.

The Siena is a sturdy car and was the first in India (after Mercedes) to offer an anti-lock braking system (ABS). Fiat India again made a mistake and ruined the prospects of a good car by launching a low powered Siena, initially at a relatively high price - not learning from Ford's experience with the 1300 cc Escort three years earlier. If only they had introduced it with the 98 bhp engine that it has now, they would soon have been kings of the Indian mid-size segment. Compounding this has been the abandonment of the excellent seats that the Siena came with originally.

The Weekend

Fiat has since introduced a derivative of the Siena, calling it the Weekend, stretching the wheelbase by 63 mm and beefing up the brakes and rear suspension. The Weekend also sports 14" wheels (instead of 13") that improve its ground clearance. It continues the Fiat tradition of rugged, but compliant, suspensions and is arguably the best looking car in its segment that also includes the Opel Swing and the Maruti Altura. Available with petrol or diesel engines, poor marketing is again not allowing it to realise its true potential.

A true family car

Fiat exhibited the unusual Multiplia at the Delhi Auto Expo last year and found that people either loved or hated it in equal measure. The Multiplia is a true six seater (not even the S-Class Mercedes can make a similar claim) that is less than four metres long. In other words, it is a spacious family car that is easy to drive and park thanks to its compact dimensions. It is available in petrol, bi-fuel (petrol and either CNG or LPG) or common-rail diesel versions.

Its space frame construction (essentially a skin covering a three dimensional "space frame" is borrowed from the aeronautical industry) allows for economical production at relatively low volumes. That Fiat has still to decide whether to market it in India tells its own story.

The Palio

The Palio is Fiat's "world car" and is available in several versions - with hatchbacks, boots (the Siena), as estate cars (the Weekend) and the like. The latest version (illustrated) was launched last year. The Indian "avatar" will appear early in October with the multi-point version of the 1242cc petrol engine (also available on the Siena) optimised for driveability and low fuel consumption. Diesel and more powerful petrol versions will follow next year.

One hopes that it will use the excellent "Uno'' seats with eccentric-rail adjustment for the driver. It is reported that the suspension has been modified and the ground clearance increased to "match'' India's wonderful roads.

The Stilo

The forthcoming Stilo is a successor to the Brava and Bravo that Fiat introduced in the 1990s. The Stilo is to be launched in Europe next month and will again employ space-frame construction optimised for volume production. It is bracketed in the "D'' segment to take on the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord and Opel Vectra. With a range of power plants, including second generation common- rail diesels, it should prove a worthy addition to Fiat's range. It will perhaps be the last "true" Fiat - not sharing anything with General Motors.

C. Manmohan Reddy

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