27.10.2004 Today at the Auto Africa Expo 2004, Fiat Auto SA will PREVIEW the new Palio and Siena, models to be built locally, that will make their debut in South Africa next January

Fiat Auto South Africa unveils the new Fiat Palio and Siena – contemporary new models that will make their debut in the crucial compact car segment in South Africa in January 2005.

The South African unveiling at Auto Africa represents only the second country after Brazil to receive the new Palio and Siena, indicating the significance of this introduction, and South Africa’s front-line position on a global scale.

Further elevating the importance of these models is the fact that the new Palio was recently awarded the Car of the Year 2004 title in Brazil, facing off against a brace of extremely competitive challengers.

Locally, the outgoing Palio and Siena have performed well since introduction in 2000, with a subsequent facelift in 2002 giving the models added sales impetus.

Between 2000 and September 2004, almost 30 000 Palios and Sienas have been sold in South Africa, with the Palio hatch having dominated the sales at some 20 000 units.

However, with the release of the latest models, Fiat Auto South Africa (FASA) aims to up the ante significantly, especially as the new contenders account for the use of some 80 percent of new components. The revisions have given the latest incarnation of Fiat’s ‘World Car’ a fresh new personality, with extensive improvements to the design, functionality and ergonomics.

As one of the most up-to-date contenders in the Fiat fold, the new Palio and Siena reinforce the company’s new brand values and image, with the emphasis on becoming an even more competitive player in the local market.

“The new Palio and Siena compete with the latest in style, performance, reliability and value,” explains Giorgio Gorelli, Fiat Auto South Africa’s managing director. “With these new models we have a more extensive product range that continues the emotional positioning of the brand.”

With production at the Rosslyn plant, the Palio and Siena are positioned as convincing challengers, made in Africa for Africa. “We also plan to introduce in the market the latest Palio and Siena with a diesel engine, offering good performance and low running costs,” Gorelli says. “Fiat Auto SA aims to lead the segment with the Palio and Siena, offering unrivalled reliability and affordability.”

EXTERIOR DESIGN

The new Palio and Siena represent a major step forward on the design front, building on the styling themes introduced with Fiat’s latest products. The front, in particular, emphasises the car’s more appealing and eye-catching execution.

Larger rounded headlights incorporate a tapered wrap-around effect, along with a neatly scalloped lower element narrowing towards the attractive new grille, resplendent with its characteristic Fiat Centenary badge.

The headlights are distinguished by a small circular indicator flanked by a large dipped beam lens, with the focussed stare of the inset main beam giving the car an assertive look. The front bumper adds further touches of flair to the mix, neatly following the contour of the headlamps, with the lower air intakes opting for a sporting three-element design.

This appealing front end treatment alone gives the Palio and Siena a notably more contemporary appearance, complemented by the endearing side profile of the hatch model, with a slightly more conventional approach used on the sedan version.

Using a bold C-pillar creates a strong visual line that leads into the attractive, even cheeky rear of the Palio. New tail light clusters and a more athletic design for the tailgate and rear bumper enhance the fashionable visage, giving the Palio a modern, trend-setting character – whether in three or five-door guise.

The Siena maintains its practical booted configuration, but benefits from an extensive redesign that gives it a conspicuously more modern look while retaining one of the best in class boot capacity’s.

Adding to the upmarket look, all models have colour-coded bumpers, while body colour mirrors, door handles and side skirts define the more exclusive derivatives. Trendy chrome grille treatment and front fog lights are extended to the two range-topping ELX Palio and Siena models. This is complemented further by tasteful 15-inch alloy wheels and substantial 195/50 R15 tyres in the case of the top-line Palio, with 14-inch alloy rims and 175/65 R14 tyres fitted to the most expensive Siena ELX

Steel rims with full wheel covers, in either 13 or 14-inch sizes, are fitted to the more price-sensitive models in the range, comprising the Palio GO!, Palio EL and Siena EL.

INTERIOR STYLE

Modern interior trim has been specially selected for the South African models, and the specific market each model competes in. ‘Vogue’ cloth is featured in the Palio Espresso panel van, ‘Collins’ cloth in the Palio GO!, ‘Radio Flok Grigo’ fabric in the Palio and Siena EL models, and an upmarket ‘Ercole’ textile for the ELX specification.

The Palio and Siena boast competitive levels of space throughout, with new seat designs contributing further to the welcoming accommodation and good overall comfort levels. A wide variety of storage areas are offered in the cabin, while the neatly laid out instruments and controls provide easy access and effective ergonomics.

Both the Palio and Siena offer a high level of flexibility through the fold-down rear seat – a single-piece version on the Palio Espresso and GO! models, with a useful 60/40 split included on the Palio and Siena EL and ELX derivatives.

In the case of the Palio, standard boot capacity is rated at 290 dm³, extending to 650 dm³ with the seat folded. The Espresso has a practical 896 dm³ to play with when loaded to roof height. Generous load capacity remains the overriding virtue of the Siena, with an impressive 500 dm³ boot volume in standard configuration, extending to a massive 920 dm³ when the rear seat is tumbled out of the way.

EQUIPMENT

A high level of standard specification has been adopted for the new Palio and Siena range, extending from the entry-level models right through to the top of the range versions.

The Espresso panel van, available in three-door form, comes standard with tinted windows, key-operated central locking, intermittent two-speed windscreen wipers, a Fiat CODE rolling immobiliser, heated rear window, interior remote boot opener, internally adjustable external mirrors and pre-wiring for radio and antenna fitment.

Fiat’s Palio GO! models proved extremely popular in the previous version, and also form the entry-level point in the new range in a choice of three and five-door body styles. In addition to the standard equipment in the Espresso, the GO! benefits from power steering (limited to the five-door diesel model) and luggage compartment lighting.

The next step up is the EL specification on the Palio three and five-door, as well as the Siena sedan. Further equipment fitted as standard includes remote-operated central locking, a rear window wiper on the Palio models, as well as colour-coding for the mirrors, side skirts and door handles.

Interior additions comprise of electric front windows, a rear ashtray, power steering with height adjustment for the steering wheel, a digital clock, front and rear grab handles, air-conditioning, illuminated glove box, door pockets and driver’s left footrest.

The five-door Palio ELX and four-door Siena ELX are the most lavishly equipped, gaining electric rear windows and a radio with front-loading CD and four-speakers. As with the preceding model, Bluetooth technology will be incorporated in selected models to aid functionality, making an important contribution towards safety while driving and communicating on a cell phone.

SAFETY

All models, including the Espresso, feature height-adjustable front head restraints, a third brake light, Fiat’s Fire Prevention System (FPS) that comes into force in the event of an accident, rear fog lights, side impact bars in all doors, anti-submarining seats, a collapsible steering column and a full-size spare wheel. In addition, EL and ELX models benefit from the fitment of a driver’s airbag, as well as height-adjustable front seatbelts with pretensioners.

PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMY

During 2005, there are plans to break new ground in the diesel-powered passenger car sector in South Africa; the overriding emphasis with this powerplant is reliability. The 1.7 TD uses a pre-chamber and a mechanical pump to deliver the indirect diesel injection, along with a turbocharger to boost all-round performance.

A single overhead camshaft and two-valve-per-cylinder configuration are used on this four-cylinder 1 697 cc engine, along with a 20,3:1 compression ratio. This contributes to a power peak of 51 kW at 4 600 r/min. The maximum torque output is rated at 135 Nm at 2 500 r/min.

With a five speed manual gearbox, performance is encouragingly lively for a vehicle of this nature, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 16 sec, and a top speed of 160 km/h.

Fuel efficiency is an obvious attraction, as the 1.7 TD is capable of consuming an exceptionally frugal 6,9 l/100 km in the combined cycle test, which comprises 18 percent city driving, 57 percent secondary roads and 25 percent highway conditions. This allows for a tank-to-tank range on the fuel capacity of 47 litres (with an additional 5-7 litre reserve) of almost 700 km. Constant speed driving at 90 km/h sees the consumption dropping down to a remarkable 5,0 l/100 km, while at 120 km/h the 1.7 TD consumes 7,0 l/100 km.

Two well-proven petrol engines are retained in the latest incarnation of the Fiat Palio and Siena, headed by the 1.6 16v. This 1 581 cc four-cylinder engine employs a twin overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder and Magneti Marelli electronically controlled multi-point fuel injection to generate 74 kW of power at 5 500 r/min, matched to 140 Nm of torque at 4 000 r/min. Spirited performance is assured from this model, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 11,1 sec, linked to a maximum speed of 184 km/h.

Nevertheless, fuel efficiency remains very competitive, with a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of just 8,0 l/100 km. Constant driving at 90 km/h consumes 6,2 l/100 km, rising to 8,1 l/100 km at a steady 120 km/h.

The 1.2 eight-valve engine offers a good balance between drivability and economy. This 1 242 cc unit is credited with 54 kW of power at 6 000 r/min, along with 102 Nm of torque at 3 250 r/min. This contributes to a thoroughly respectable 0-100 km/h time of 13,5 sec and a top speed of 164 km/h. In the combined cycle the 1.2 consumes 7,8 l/100 km, with constant-speed consumption pegged at 5,9 l/100 km and 7,9 l/100 km at 90 km/h and 120 km/h respectively.

STEERING, SUSPENSION AND BRAKING

All models fitted with power-assisted steering as standard incorporate a hydraulic rack and pinion system, while a mechanical version is used on the Espresso and GO! derivatives. Overall manoeuvrability is enhanced with a compact turning circle of just 10,4 m.

The suspension system for the front-wheel drive Palio and Siena features independent MacPherson struts with lower wishbones anchored to a subframe, with additional control provided by the integrated anti-roll bar. At the rear, a torsion beam axle is employed with longitudinal trailing arms and a stabilizer bar. Hydraulic telescopic dampers with a double-acting function complement the helical coil springs used all round.

Braking is taken care of by a hydraulically controlled dual-circuit system, with 240 mm ventilated front discs on the 1.2, and larger 257 mm versions on the 1.6 16v and 1.7 TD. Drum brakes are utilized at the rear with self-centering lings and automatic lining wear adjustment.

MODEL RANGE

PALIO

1.2 GO! 3dr
1.2 GO! 5dr
1.7 TD GO! 5dr
1.2 Espresso 3dr
1.2 EL 3dr
1.2 EL 5dr
1.6 16v EL 5dr
1.7 TD EL 5dr
1.6 16v ELX 5dr

SIENA

1.2 EL
1.6 16v EL
1.7 TD EL 5dr
1.6 16V ELX