FIAT PETRA :: Good Vehicle; Very good Price. Review on Fiat Petra

I would like to make one thing clear that I do not own the Fiat Petra but have driven it many times & also I own Palio 1.2 ELX. Please read comments posted on Sept 8, 2004 for the case of (1) Case to buy Fiat Petra & (2) Why the Petrol & not Diesel.

Recently (June 05) Petra si launched with 1258cc engine around 4.40 lac price mark. making the value equation better.

WHAT IS PETRA

It is a 4 door sedan with 1.6 Liter petrol & 1.9 Diesel engine. The Petra is actually now a renamed version of the ill-marketed Sienna. It is essentially the re-badged Sienna which was very successful when it was first launched. The service network (or the lack of it) made a lot of bad publicity. Fiat afterwards came up with all-new engines 1.2 (1243cc)/1.6 (1597cc) but it was a little late & the damage was already done. The nameplate got tainted due to this.

Petra/Sienna is built on the same platform as the Palio. i.e. to say Petra is to Palio what Indigo is to Indica or the new Honda City is to Honda Jazz/Fit in the UK markets.

How about the INTERIOR

It is the same one since 98 on Siena! It is prob'ly the best in the lower C-class but now should be freshened a bit. The interior materials although good are marred by the shiny plastic. The seat fabric is cheap but dust resistant. Better to get good seat-covers ASAP! :) The seating position is very good & the best in class. The front seats are very supportive & comfortable on the long drives. The rear seat lacks the thight support though. The switchgear is of good quality & precision feel. Although it looks more tough than pretty! The power windows are very easy to use & also rear windows can be controlled from front. However Petra is the most quiet car in the class.

The outward visibility all-around is first rate but short-drivers might find it a bit intimidating not to see the bonnet/hood as the dash position is very high. The A-pillars are also wider than other cars to reduce the wind-noise. The windshield is rakish & adds to the looks of the car. The sound insulation makes Petra prob'ly the most quiet car in its class. Only issue on rough surfaces is the road-tire noise which is sometimes good to make you realize whether to adjust the speed.

TRANSMISSION & ENGINE

The transmission is butter-smooth. I think Fiat gives the best manual transmission in India after Honda. You have to use it to believe it. The gear ratios perfectly suit the engine. The 5th gear is so tall that you can't do engine braking even at the speeds of 100+Kmph! (The same applies to 4th as it is also an overdrive!) The taller gear results in better mileage on the long drives but can make things dangerous on the turns, better to shift to 3 when you plan to decrease the speed & gain control by just releasing the accelerator (& not applying brakes). The 3rd gear is ideal for the travel in valley (a common issue from Nasik--Pune). Again, it is among the best with respect to NVH.

The DOHC 1.6 Liter Engine makes 100 hp/98lbft of torque has enough power to carry 4 adults with AC-on in a summer afternoon. However at this price point this engine is HELL of a deal. It is highly powerful compared to other cars in the segment & makes this car a pocket-rocket. Engine/Transmission combo is the major selling point for this car. Even the new Honda City gives you only 78 hp! The diesel 1.9 produces a 62hp but GREAT low end torque for city driving.

RIDE & HANDLING

The ride of Petra might shame the pricier cars like City & Optra. It has a little higher center of gravity than & it makes entry/exit in the car easier but affects handling. Its hatchback roots also don't allow it to compete with Ikon for handling. Though, Petra is very secured at high speeds & the big tires help both the ride & handling. The long trips as mentioned turn to be quite comfortable. You would be surprised how comfortable the car is while taking abuse on the Indian roads. The steering has a very good feedback & gives a fair idea of whats going on where the rubber hits the road. It gives enough feedback for you to adjust speeds accordingly. It is heavier than others cars in the class & feels substantial. More Octavia than the Corolla. The diesel is more heavy (15/20kg?) in the front & has stiffer suspension to counter it.

A few months back my Mother had slip-disc & was advised not use public transport etc. If you ask her what she thinks about Palio: You will look no further & run to the nearest Fiat dealer! She travelled in in Palio for two months without any issues..now try to picture Indian rural roads. (Specially Nasik to Panwel: There was a 20 km rough patch & I was thinking that the Doctor who advised not to travel for next 6 month is going to kill me!)

STYLING

Petra's styling is very similar to Palio & that is its strength & also the weakness. It looks too much like Palio from the front & can't create its own identity. The car costing more than 5lac+ should not be mistaken for its lesser version. Overall, the styling is good & much better than the awkward looking Indigo's last quarter! :) The paint quality is first-rate. The paint option availability is very limited. Petra comes in only 4 colors currently.

SAFETY VALUE FUEL-ECONOMY

Petra/Palio are the heaviest vehicles in their class. It increases the high speed stability & also the safety (European standards) but at the same time the increased weight affects economy. You have give a little bit to gain safety.

The petrol 100 bhp Petra costs 4.80 (5.37 on road) that is loaded & presents a GREAT deal. The Diesel version of the Petra (1.9 Liter) costs 5.72/6.08 lacs & is fully loaded. At this price point I think Petra is one of the best deals in the market currently given the design that is safer, better styled with acceptable interiors.The Ikon Flair 1.3 costs almost same as 1.6 Petra! Also, you can haggle & get more discounts from the dealers.

Fuel economy is average for the class 8-10 kmpl in the city & 14 on highways.

IS IT GOOD

You Bet! I own Palio ELX from last 2 years have put more than 20K Km on it. So far zero issues with it (touch wood). Not a single time I had to go to the dealer except for the regular maintenance. Palio has been on long drives like Nasik to B'lore & countless drives from Pune-Nasik-Pune.

SO WHERE'S THE CATCH

So if everything is good why not everybody driving it: Perception accounts to 50% of the lack of sales. Fiats service network is known to be a problem (which is improving currently: The spare prices have been slashed almost 40% except engine/transmission). Petra's service interval is 1 year so you wouldn't see the dealer much. If you plan to drive more than say 80-100 KM every day then you want to keep an eye on the fuel economy.

The perception leads to much below average resale values for Fiat vehicles. If you plan to sale your vehicles after say 2/3 years then you will get hit more than say you went for Ikon or Accent. If you plan to keep for at least 5 years then it is not a problem.

Additional Info

• Recently Palio was again declared the winner by AUTOCAR against Santro, Indica, Zen, Corsa, WagonR

  
  




• Sept04 Autocar declared Petra D winner against Esteem/Indigo (D). Autocar mentions that 'the hugely overbuilt & tough chassis might shame some of the mercs!' Check the complete Comparo here: https://indiacar.com/roadtest/3cars_sep2004.htm