 Step into the
Palio and you're greeted by familiar interiors. The first thing you realise is that this
is no small hatch. It is in fact roomier than a number of mid-sizers like the Maruti
Esteem and the presence of that thick 'A'-pillar imparts a tremendous feeling of security.
Climb in, get settled, 'thunk' the vault door shut and you could easily be sitting inside
a Siena. Mid-size car or small hatch, you just can't tell. You get the same symmetrical
facia from the Siena with that odd-looking joint above the glovebox, the same central
console and identical door pads, complete with the power window buttons. Though the 1.6-litre version
looks different, and yes better, it's just the materials and not the design that have
changed. You get look-alike brushed aluminium around the central console and vents and
steering wheel and gear-knob are wrapped in moo skin. Sporting drilled aluminium pedals too but
dealers beware -- some customers might accuse you of having knicked the rubber pads! The
front seats of the Palio are again similar to the Siena's but we sense some cost-cutting
here as they feel nowhere near as generous or supportive as the front chairs in the older
Uno. However, compare them to the regular hatches, tall boys etc and you feel like you are
in a limo.
 Climb into the rear and you're in for another surprise. Not only is the backrest of the
rear bench optimally positioned, but the height of the seat and the generous legroom
transcend the segment. Only the Indica feels as comfortable and as spacious at the rear.
If you're looking for luggage space, the Palio once again scores. The 265-litre boot is by
far the
largest in its class and carrying two large suitcases is a breeze.
The top-of-the-line 1.6 version has a driver side airbag and ABS brakes as standard,
safety features you don't find on cars several classes higher.
To help deal with Indian summers better the Palio has been provided a higher capacity
compressor that proved itself well during our AC tests. The blower is pretty noisy but the
cooling could not be faulted.
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October 2001