Fiat Auto South Africa has announced that the most affordable diesel cars on the market – the all-new Fiat Palio II and Siena II (powered by a 1.7-litre turbo diesel engine) – will be available on showroom floors from May 2005. What’s more, all Fiat dealerships will host an official ‘Open Day’ on 14th May, allowing potential customers to view and test-drive the newcomers.

Three models will be available initially namely, the Fiat Palio II 1.7 TD, Palio II 1.7 TD EL and Siena II 1.7 TD EL. The vehicles will carry the following recommended price tags: R96 900 for the Palio II 1.7 TD, R116 900 for the Palio II 1.7TD EL and R123 100 for the Siena II 1.7 TD EL. This makes the trio of new Fiats the most reasonably priced new diesel cars in South Africa – and by some margin. The triplet’s nearest rival, has an asking price of R130 000; some R33 000 dearer than the Palio II 1.7 TD.

“With the Fiat Palio II and Siena II 1.7 TD, diesel motoring is finally within reach of those on the first rung of new car ownership,” says Giorgio Gorelli, managing director of Fiat Auto South Africa. “Not only do the new Palio II and Siena II compete with the latest in style, but they also offer a very attractive proposition in terms of overall affordability and reliability.

“This shows the commitment of Fiat Auto South Africa towards providing our customers with the best value for money, and giving them the reassurance of quality and longevity,” explains Gorelli.

ULTIMATE RELIABILITY THANKS TO THE 1.7-LITRE TURBO DIESEL POWERPLANT

The 1.7 TD powerplant 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 very 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.

EXCELLENT ECONOMY

Fuel efficiency is an inherent attraction of this model, 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. At 120 km/h the 1.7 TD consumes 7,0 l/100 km.

This makes the 1.7 TD the most fuel-efficient and cost-effective model in the range, ensuring exceptionally low running costs – a trait that will appeal to fleet, business and private buyers alike.