The Wannabe World-Car
We don’t expect many changes on the technical side for the all-new Fiat Palio, but here’s proof that the Italian make is yet developing a successor to today’s car which was and still is a good success in South American and emerging markets around the world. Though badged as Fiat’s “world-car”, the bigger part of the range (like 3- and 5-door hatchback and the sedan called “Sienna”) have actually never made it to Western Europe – and the company is currently not active in the U.S. at all.
Only the estate called the “Palio Weekend” is available in “old Europe” – and we have no doubt Fiat is going to split the range again for the new model. On the other hand, with production plants in Brazil, Argentina, Poland and Turkey the car can still be called a “world-car”, and it’s actually sold in South America, East Europe and some Asian countries.
We reckon that all existing engines will remain unchanged and that buyers will have a choice between petrol engines with 1-litre and 65 bhp, 1.2-litre with 80, 1.6-litre with 103 and 1.8-litre with 106 bhp. The known 1.7-litre 72-bhp turbodiesel will make it into the new range again, too.
