Fiat unloads a ship load of 2012 Palio Images and reveals crucial details

Don't ask us if Fiat is planning the 2012 Palio for our market, because we don't know. The last we heard from Fiat was on the postponement of the small car launch to 2013 leaving time for independent dealerships to go operational.

The next new product is said to be smaller than Punto with a 1-liter petrol engine. A diesel option is compulsory, a scaled-down derivative of the 1.3 Multijet is viewed as a good choice. New products such as the Uno, Panda and the Palio shown here are ready to use for Fiat India.

We're doubtful of these three as there could be a fourth small car built exclusively for BRIC nations. Could it be smaller than the Palio to reach into the segment guarded by the Hyundai Eon and Maruti Alto?

Fiat is taking its time with new products and with independent outlets, customers will not confuse their offerings with Tata's counterparts.

The mystery deepens around the identity of the new small car, and its better to move on by saying this - Images of the 2012 Palio are out on the internet and they are a sight for Fiat lovers and Palio owners.

2012 Fiat Palio - In a nutshell

• The Palio has grown 31 mm in width; 60 mm in height, 28 mm in length; and 47.3 mm in wheelbase
• 1.0-, 1.4- and 1.6-liter engines paired to manual and automatic transmissions power the Palio
• The new Palio is feature-packed with dual airbags, ABS with integrated EBD feature, steering-mounted audio controls with leather cover, butterfly-type switch for changing gears on the steering wheel, twilight and rain sensors, cruise control, audio connectivity with iPod and USB, remote key, etc.
• Development time of the car was 824,000 hours using 526 prototypes, test vehicles and pre-series that were put through 61,434 virtual tests, 61,583 physical tests, and driven for more than 1.7 million kilometers. 3,300 new components were developed.
• Rear lights use LED cluster and the chrome strip on the bonnet was borrowed from the 500's design manual
• There are 17 storage compartments in the cabin. Fiat offers manual AC on all variants.

Head over to NetCarShow.com to see the images.