The road manners of the Palio were never in doubt. It handled and drove superbly with a well damped feel that only a large hatch could delight in delivering. Its fluency over most roads is a joy to experience.

Cut across to the Indica and the experience is astounding. Gone is the hesitancy and the wander so reminiscent of the earlier machines. Pitch it in through the corners and the Indica displays a controlled ride but more importantly she handles in a rather more sporty manner with good grip and little in the way of body roll. Our testers have been outspoken on this count earlier but the new mods effected have silenced us. Thanks to the floorpan now being pinned tight and true plus with reinforcements at crucial areas near the suspension mounting points, the chassis has not only gotten stiffer but it has also meant better wheel control thanks to consistent wheel geometry being maintained. But I think that the Telco boffins now need to retune the spring and damper rates because the car feels a shade stiffer, good for the highway and also on the loose, but in-town it is a bit jarring. If this can be effected, expect the Indica to be one of the best handling cars in its class given its ideal wheelbase to track ratio to allow the performance oriented driver to revel in its handling and new found poise.

The redeeming feature of the Palio is its cosetting ride whatever the surface and the car literally wafts over any set of roads. The control is excellent and there is hardly any body lean as it goes about its duties. In fact this acts against it in the excitement stakes because the Indica seems a far livelier car now. Both cars though display good grip and under braking are also evenly matched, though if you still want to know who came out better, the answer is the Indica.