How to get Maximum Mileage out of your Fiat Palio

This column is about how to get more mileage out of your Fiat Palio. Why Fiat Palio. Because I have one and I have perfected the art of getting Maximum mileage out of the machine. The tips here apply to most other Indian Cars also.

Fiat Palio in India is a much maligned model. To top its gas guzzling reputation the dealers and company left the customers in a lurch. Last year I read a news article in which the head of Fiat India was proudly announcing launch of online spare parts ordering system, wherein the dealers can go online and order the spares. They can also check a VOR (Vehicle Off Road) button and spares will be despatched on priority. The cynic in me didn’t fail to notice that why allow vehicles go off road in first place. It’s a shame that a vehicle of such calibre as Fiat Palio is allowed to remain off road as some Italian clowns didn’t have time to maintain adequate inventories. OK Fiat bashing is besides the point which can become a topic for another article.

You would like to ask how much mileage I am getting in a 1.2 ELPS (petrol) , model which is marketed in India. I am managing 15 Km/ Ltr on mixed roads, which includes bit of city, bit of open highway and bit of hilly roads with AC on 50% of the time. My Palio has been delivering this ever since I am running her. This is very much contrary to the general feedback that I have from people that they are barely able to get 10 or 12. Recently my father-in-law drove my car and he could barely manage 9.

What’s the secret? It is all very simple actually….. First you must know your vehicle.

Fiat is a very spirited vehicle and if you are bit heavy on the A pedal then the motor just revs on and begs to go faster.

You do not notice speed because of excellent noise damping, suspension and body work which does not shake or rattle as you rev up the vehicle, and you do not hear the engine until you have already burnt a lot of gas. Rarely any of us see the tachometer (which is the rev-counter).

 So if you desire higher mileage then you must learn & practice as I have done. These can be applied to almost all the vehicles.

1. Do other things that they routinely tell you. Maintain good air pressure, service regularly, keep all fluids topped up and use good petrol. If possible us ones with cleaning additives.

2. Learn to be one with the vehicle, which is a slightly Zen concept, but just learn to feel the vibrations. Cars communicate through subtle vibrations through steering, seat & pedals etc. It is always not possible to check on the meters regularly.

3. Starting up : DO not press the accelerator pedal while starting, which is a hangover for us middle aged drivers who have grown up on Carburetted engines. The fiat and most other vehicles have MPFI engines, which do not need pedal pressing while starting.

4. After putting the vehicle into first gear, let in the clutch gently, feel it bite the drive train. Press the A pedal gently only when the clutch is fully engaged. Most cars including fiat are sufficiently powerful to take on the vehicle load without accelerating in 1^st gear.

5. Move into 2^nd gear quickly at about 10 kmph

6. Move to 3^rd at about 30 kmph

7. Move to 4^th at about 40 kmph

8. Drive in 5^th gear at all speeds beyond 50 kmph. Almost all cars including  the humble Maruti Alto, is able to pull from this speed upwards in 5^th gear.

9. Off course you may not be the first one of the block on a red light, but that’s not our aim here.

10. Switch on the AC once you have driven for about 2 mins.

11. In heavy traffic I generally put my vehicle in 1^st gear and allow it to coast with the pace of traffic without touching the accelerator. If required I coast in 2nd gear.Fial Palio can take this load with full AC. But it requires a gentle pedal if you are staring from stop with AC on.

12. While changing down shift from 5^th to 4^th only when you reach 40 kmph, 4^th to 3^rd at 30 kmph, 3^rd to 2^nd at 20 kmph, In a moving vehicle 1^st gear would be required only if you are slower than 10 kmph.

13. While driving uphill increase your gear changing speeds by 5 kmph to take care of momentum loss due to gradient. Mostly it will be very difficult to pull any decent gradient in anything more than 3^rd gear. DO not try to drive at 60 to 70 in 5^th gear at a gradient in full throttle. The vehicle might climb but after burning huge quantity of gas. As a thumb rule if you need to open more than 20% of  the throttle then shift down into lower gear. The vehicle is very comfortable at these speeds without any unusual strain, vibrations or noise.

14. I have specifically not given any speed limits as the Palio and most vehicles easily reach above 80 kmph with barely 20% open throttle. But off course it is alway better to stick to the lower limit of the top gear speeds for best efficiency.

15. Someone might follow the speed  limits in each gear but still get less mileage. The key is acceleration. As a rule of thumb in normal driving do not open more than 20% of the throttle in normal driving. Allow the vehicle to gently accelerate to the indicated speed and then change up. Cruise with maximum 20% throttle, which is sufficient for 80 to 90 kmph on a decent road.

16. You can also open full and reach the indicated speeds faster but will also burn a lot of gas in the process.

17. Also there are other things such as anticipate your traffic and braking and drive accordingly. Don’t be surprised. Surprise leads to abrupt accelerations and braking which lead to excess fuel burnt.

18. For example if you are approaching dense traffic , let go of the pedal and coast to slower speeds and the drive on rather than running with throttle pressed till last moment, then slamming the brakes and again accelerating hard out of the traffic.

To sum it up the key is not low speeds, you can easily cruise at 80, 90 or 100 and still get good mileage provided you reach that speed gently without pushing too hard. In palio it is very difficult to know when you are pushing too hard because it is never too hard. You always want to go faster and the vehicle allows you to, without a hiccup or a stray sound. Key as I said before is to learn to listen with your hands and feet and your bums as you car tells you its time to shift up.

So drive gently and intelligently and see you mileage figures change. In the process you can also help cut on green house gasses emmision and pollution.