Fiat had a roller coaster ride in India. Some cars sold hot, while some were a complete dud show. The irregular updates and launches to their lineup can be credited to the company’s overall failure. But today, we are not here to shed light on this topic. It’s rewind time, and we will look at a sedan that is a lesser-known successor to the Fiat Siena; it’s the Fiat Petra.
2004: Fiat Petra Launched
Fiat launched Siena in India back in 2002. It had some success, but again, without proper marketing, Siena soon saw a dip in sales. In early 2004, Fiat launched the Maestro edition of Siena to sell off the unsold inventory.
The Siena moniker was not a success for sure. So, Fiat decided to tone down the sedan and relaunched it as the Fiat Petra. What was under the hood? Let’s find out.
Fiat Petra | Engine Specifications |
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Engine | 1.6-litre DOHC Petrol | 1.9-litre SOHC Diesel |
Power | 100ps @5,500rpm | 63ps @4,500 rpm |
Torque | 137 Nm @4,250 rpm | 120Nm @2,500rpm |
Transmission | 5-speed Manual | 5-speed Manual |
Initially, Fiat offered the petrol engine only. Later, in August 2004, a diesel engine was also offered. The diesel engine was not good enough for this size sedan.
Fiat Petra | Dimensions |
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Length (mm) | 4,113 |
Width (mm) | 1,620 |
Height (mm) | 1,445 |
Wheelbase (mm) | 2,373 |
Ground Clearance (mm) | 170 |
Boot space (litres) | 500 |
The boot space was huge, even for a sedan. For your reference, the 2020 Hyundai Verna offers a boot space of 480 L. The headroom, legroom and shoulder room were optimum.
Also, read Fiat Palio | A Hot Hatch from the 2000s
How was the driving experience?
The diesel engine felt underpowered. Petrol, on the other hand, was optimum. Talking about the driving dynamics, the anti-roll bars at the front and the rear helped the manoeuvrability of the Indian roads. The ground clearance of 170mm also helped to cruise through the tough roads.
The interiors oozed out European sophistication, or as the TVC says. It had premium upholstery with various features like power windows, power steering, powerful air-conditioning, etc. It was safe; being a European car, the Petra had an ECE crash standard-tested cabin with properly placed crumple zones.
Did Petra perform well?
The Fiat Petra was discontinued within 3 years, i.e. in 2007. So, it can be said that the company also received a low sales response for Petra. Fiat Petra could have done better, especially in the diesel segment, if the engine had been somewhat powerful. The petrol variant was priced at around ₹4.7lakhs while the diesel one cost over ₹5.7lakhs.
Please take a look: 5 Fiat Cars we wish would make a Comeback in 2020!
Were you aware of Fiat Petra before? Do let us know in the comments section below.
I am a proud owner of Fiat Petra 1.9d elx . It’s very hard to find a knowledgeable mechanic for this car where the car is at present, so I am learning everything by myself to maintain this car. And it is far more stronger than modern cars in terms of build quality
Need complete make over of my car FIAT Petra 1242 petrol version.
Please call.
9293720534.
Hey Satish
Getting a callback arranged!