The Hindu Business Line : It's worth waiting for new Palio

I am planning to buy my first bike and am convinced that it should be a Hero Honda product. My priorities are good looks, safety, easy maintenance and high mileage. I had earlier decided to buy the Hero Honda Splendor+, but after the launch of the Super Splendor I am totally confused. I don't know much about the Super Splendor. Which one would you suggest that I buy — Splendor+ or Super Splendor?

Benjamin Raja

The Hero Honda Super Splendor, as the name seems to suggest, has a bigger engine and is a more powerful cousin of the Splendor+. The Super Splendor is part of Hero Honda's attempt at exploring the possibilities of discovering a market for a conservatively styled and finished 125cc bike that is designed to be more practical than fancy looking.

The Super Splendor offers about 1.5 bhp of peak power more than the smaller-engined Splendor+. In addition, the other options in the Super Splendor are electric self-start and a disc brake for the front wheel. Though the Splendor+ does not come with a self-start option, the disc brake was being offered as an optional fitment. Unfortunately, the disc brake option is not being offered any longer.

Apart from these differences, of course, dimensionally, the Super Splendor sports a longer wheelbase and is lower slung, both required for better stability at higher speeds (in keeping with its exe-commuter image), and is also about 12 kg heavier than the Splendor+.

Hero Honda, through its recent commercials, is trying to emphasise that the Super Splendor will continue to keep to the brand's legendary image of reliability. That may well be true, but the Super Splendor may involve a bit of a compromise on the mileage front. In keeping with the relatively less sporty design of the Super Splendor, the bike has been competitively priced and costs only about Rs 3,000 more than the Splendor+ and will have self-start as an additional feature.

But you may want to consider the Passion Plus too as an option. It is styled better than the Splendor+, has the same engine and is only about Rs 1,500 more than Hero Honda's entry-level bike.

I drive a Maruti Suzuki Zen and am looking to change over to a big hatch that is fuel-efficient (60 km commute daily in Mumbai), safe (I have two children) and good on highways (out most weekends). My budget is Rs 5-5.5 lakh.

I have ruled out the Hyundai Getz (not fuel efficient) and the Suzuki Swift (not comfy in the rear, and old Esteem engine). I am seriously considering the Fiat Palio. A few clarifications regarding this car are:

Is it worth waiting for the fourth generation Palio? Will the changes be more than cosmetic?

Is the Palio 1.9D better for me than the petrol version? The dealer told me it is not doing well.

I am not concerned about resale value, but if the Palio gets phased out, will I get spares?

Kaushik Roy

It may be worth waiting for the new Palio, which, according to market grapevine, is likely to roll out by the end of this year. Apart from cosmetic changes to the exterior and interiors, the new Palio may also come with new 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines. And who knows it may also be offered with the common rail diesel engine that Suzuki will be manufacturing at the new (Suzuki-Fiat-GM) joint venture engine plant.

The Palio's current 1.9-litre diesel engine has not performed as well as the petrol variant and the reasons are the same. But it has also probably been hit by the Tata Indica's appeal and lower pricing in the comparisons scale for diesel compacts.

So, if you are not too keen on waiting for another nine months to a year and the resale value is not of any importance to you, then either the diesel or petrol variants of the Palio may be chosen.

If the current Palio gets phased out, spares should be available for much longer and what is better you will now also have the option of going to a Tata showroom for servicing the Palio.

Queries may be sent to: q&a@thehindu.co.in or by post to Q&A, Business Line, 859/860, Kasturi Buildings, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002.

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