Thanks to our friend Marlos Nay Vidal, we're able to bring you more spy photographs of the Fiat Palio replacement, which we assume is the small car Fiat's bringing to India in the next two years. Fiat India has confirmed that its small car will have a 1.0-liter petrol engine.
The 2012 Palio has been designed in Italy. Key engineering inputs have arrived from Fiat India's engineers. The vehicle will be slotted under the Palio, which by then could be phased out of the Indian market.
This will be Fiat's Palio replacement globally. We are sure Fiat India will avoid using the "Palio" branding. They are trying to distance themselves from the Palio, so we feel they'd give this new model a completely new identity.
The vehicle shown here was spotted near Fiat Brazil's factory in Betim. Marlos has spotted the heavily camouflaged mules several times in this location where Fiat engineers are testing the different systems on this vehicle.
Marlos, who has seen the car in action, claims the rear seat comfort on the Novo Palio will be good. The roofline doesn't slope and hence the rear passengers will have ample headroom. Marlos adds Fiat will launch both two and four-door variants.
Interestingly he says the car will not have a conventional radiator grill. The intake will be from the area between the fog lamps.
The headlamps and tail lamps will be miniature versions of the Punto's. The door handles on the test mules were from the current Palio. The glass area is more, so occupants will have more light and visibility. The tires, as expected, are skinny.
Click here to see IAB's earlier rendering of the 2012 Palio
Source - Autos Segredos
