You are here : Interior, Comfort - Fiat Palio Stile 1.1 road test
Interior
The Palio's interiors were updated with the facelift worldwide, but the update was unfortunately for left-hand-drive versions only. Markets such as India and Brazil which need right-hand-drive interiors had to make do with the old interiors, which are a generation old. Our test car had beige, brown, silver and blue bits in the interior, which can seem very confused.
Still, the central console is tilted towards the driver, making the driver feel special. The amount of space on offer is also quite incredible when you consider the car's size and price.
The doors shut with a nice thunk, unlike most of its competitors, which feel tinny. However, hard, cheap plastics abound, and this takes away from the cheery feel the beige interiors impart. Archaic slider controls for the air-conditioning and clocks that seem basic exude cost-cutting. This is offset somewhat in the price of the car – you get what you pay for. The plastics may be cheap-looking and hard, but they certainly aren't low quality – you won't find any creaks or rattles from a Palio's dashboard if you go through a pothole. This is apparent even on Palios that have gone through the grind, and says a lot about the quality of the finish of its components, right from the suspension to the plastics on the inside.
The dials look good and are easy to read, even at night. Our test car had the Veglia dials that used to be standard on the 1.6 a long time ago. The age of their design is beginning to show in light of the competition, but they still manage to look special and do add that sporty touch to the cluster. A tachometer makes an appearance on the instrument console. Everything is analog but works well.
This is one of the only small cars to possess a dead pedal, which we appreciate. The door pockets are large but not terribly useful, and there aren't any cubbyholes in the central console and dash for knick-knacks like a bottle or a can of soft-drink. Boot space is phenomenal compared to other large hatchbacks. This is due to the usability of the available space – there's a wide load bay, flat floor and fairly low loading sill. The seats split 60:40 and fold flat as well.
Everything falls to hand quite easily, all switches are within easy reach. The rear power window switches are on the central console near the gear lever, which can be slightly uncomfortable.
It is easy to find a good seating position. The seat-back inclination adjust is a rotary dial, which can be a pain to adjust if more than one person frequently uses the car. You sit a lot lower than other small cars, but that is what gives it its sporty appeal. The dash clock and stereo are in the right place so you never have to take your eyes off the road. The only gripes we have are the fact that the seat rails may not reach far enough forward for short drivers, and adjusting the left rear-view mirror is a pain because of the car's width.Seat fabric quality is a notch higher than is standard for cars in this segment.
There's a lot of space, so seating even five passengers isn't much of a bother. The beige interiors make the interior appear very airy – a very good thing. The seats are back to the original height, so tall drivers won't hit their head against the roof if they take the seat all the way in front. Those who may have driven Fiats about three years ago may remember that they did raise the seat height in the interest of shorter drivers being able to see better.
Under-thigh support is adequate for tall passengers. There is a lot of legroom, even for two tall passengers one behind the other. The high door sill at the rear might be troublesome for elderly (or arthritic) people to step over, especially if they've leg trouble, since the seats are low and the rear wheel arch intrudes into the door space. That said, only the Indica betters the Palio's rear seat comfort, at the cost of boot space.
The driving position is good, but short drivers might feel a little intimidated as they won't be able to see the car's front extremities over the dashboard. They might also find reversing a little difficult due to the high waist at the rear. The steering wheel cannot be adjusted, the seat rail is now flat which helps the cause of tall drivers, and all adjustments are manual.
The Palio does not have the option of a factory-fitted stereo, but the front doors do have slots so that speakers can be installed, with space for tweeters right next to the rearview mirror adjustment. The rear speakers are a bit of a bother, though – the original slots on the side of the parcel tray are of an odd size and the parcel tray itself won't be able to hold the speakers' weight, so an aftermarket tray might be necessary.