Fiat launches Palio, Adventure Diesel; focus on stability, growth
By Shifra Menezes | 12 Mar 2003
Mumbai:
Fiat India played host at its Kurla plant in suburban
Mumbai for the industrial launch of the Palio Diesel and
the Adventure Diesel, the companys latest offerings.
The company also announced its business plans for the year 2003. One of Fiats plans is to focus on penetrating the countrys diesel car segment by offering the companys range of diesel cars, based on its famous 178 platform.
Says Fiat India director (commercial) Ananda Gupta: We will vividly focus on stability and growth in 2003 direct our energies towards enhanced after-sales services, exciting financial tie-ups and schemes, the launch of the diesel range on the 178 platform, and the expansion of our dealer network.
Fiat
is committed to succeeding in India, with a clear roadmap
in place to aggressively achieve its target. Says Fiat
India chairman and managing director Alberto Montanari:
We are very fortunate at Fiat to produce vehicles
to touch peoples emotions. We understand that our
customers have a sentimental attachment to their vehicles
and we strive to make that emotional connection tangible,
with products that surprise delight and excite.
We believe that with the introduction of the Palio Diesel and Adventure Diesel we will capture all of these practical and emotional elements. Stability and a renewed emphasis on after-sales service are the other elements that will drive Fiat India through this year.
The latest offering The Palio Diesel and the Adventure Diesel will be a four-cylinder one in line with 1.9-litre D-tech engines. The 1910cc engine in the Palio Diesel generates a massive 63 bhp at 4500 rpm with a peak torque of 12.2 kgm; it claims to deliver 13-to-15 kmpl in city traffic with the AC on and a highway fuel consumption of more than 16 kmpl.
The
engine provides adequate reserve power even when in high
gears, for instant response to accelerator units. Fiat
also uses this engine in a number of their international
models like the Punto, Multipla and the Doblo, which have
proved to be very successful.
The fuel injection system consists of an electronically managed mechanical pump from Delphi. The system employs a 16-bit electronic control unit (ECU) to achieve the best possible engine performance in terms of power, fuel consumption, emissions and drivability.
Fiat boasts of using the drive by wire technology with the Palio Diesel, fitted with an accelerator pedal potentiometer. Driver inputs at the accelerator pedal position are converted into an electrical voltage signal and sent to the ECU, thus eliminating the accelerator cable used commonly by the companys competitors.
To
allay fears of diesel engines being high on pollution,
two emission-control devices have been used to reduce
emissions. The high turbulence combustion chamber ensures
the optimum mixing of the fuel with air with the additional
benefit of lower vibrations and thus the silent operation
of the engine.
Also fitted is the exhaust gas re-circulation system. This system allows for some of the exhaust gases to be sent to the intake in certain engine operating conditions, thus diluting the fuel mixture with inert gases and limiting the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOX), thereby reducing exhaust levels.
Other features include the water in fuel indicator that safeguards the fuel injection equipment, and the On-board diagnostic sensor that warns the driver in case of any electronic malfunction, both of which are situated on the dashboard.
All variants feature a tachometer, the only car in the B segment to offer this feature on all its variants. A variable capacity AC compressor has a capacity of 126 cc, providing steady cooling without over-loading the engine even on gradients and while overtaking.
Paying
great attention to the safety features, for which Fiat
is world renowned, the Palio Diesel will be the only car
in the B segment to offer the option of driver airbag,
antilock braking system and pre-tensed seat belts.
The car will also feature an energy-absorbing steering wheel, a collapsible steering column, a fire protection switch, a reinforced body with programmed crumple zones, anti-submarine seats and side beams in all the doors.