Fiat Siena: An Italian Delight | Nostalgia!

A first-gen Fiat Siena (1999) was my first car. An excellent sedan with high levels of quality and comforts, this car would easily shame many of the present-day cars in the segment. Nearly 15 years on, it still looks and feels fantastic and serves as a reminder Fiat makes good cars, keeping aside their crappy marketing in India. The car still adores my garage with pride and passion!

I have no idea how far my love for this car will go on. I just remember a Fiat ad that goes like this - "Every Fiat is always driven out of passion. Those who drive them would love them for sure". That's true in my case beyond any doubt. I know this car may look dowdy for many of you guys, not punchy enough and no respect on road nowadays. But then, we hardly own a car for so many years and feel excited after driving it just like the very first day. This is one such car. A priceless legend.

When I was a kid, I remember seeing an old man in my locality who owned a Morris Minor of 1950s. It was funny to me when I see him roam in his damn old car and get stranded midway, with tools in his hand and hood opened up. But only after owning a car for years, I realise he wasn't any weird. I have written many articles here in this blog, but I'm so excited with this piece of writing that comes straight from my heart, out of passion and love for my car.

Oh yeah, I'm starting to sound like a Fiat fanboy! Not exactly. It's my car, i own it for years, and I share my self-experiences. With some romance indeed! Kind of spicy addition!!

I went overboard by fixing tractor! headlamps for better illumination, but it looked like crap! I removed it then.

I start with how this car was conceived. The Siena is a party to Fiat's 178th World Car project meant to engineer (rather, 'over' engineer!) vehicles to withstand the arduous driving conditions found in the developing countries. As a result, one could find high impetus on durability, safety and comforts in this car. Its body shell could even shame an armoured personal vehicle, the feeling of solidity is immensely present. What You don't believe? Go feel the way the well-weighted doors and boot lid thud shut. The rock-solid chassis complements the heavy body that gives the car excellent dynamics.

Before I get into that, I wanted to tell you that the car was designed by the ever-loving, designer of the century Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italy! 

The Siena, to me, is unique to put in perspectives. Though it was built for global markets and assembled outside Italy, it is Italian in all sense and very European - solidly built and heavy, nice driving dynamics, etc. Italian design means unconventional - less boxy and distinctively curvy - and some may not appreciate. The Siena is no exception to it - its slinky-eyed headlamps, handlebar grille, thick 'A' pillars and even more thicker 'C' pillars, bulbous rear, and 'stubby' appearance. Thanks to slender headlamps and grille, the styling looks diminutive to its actual size except from the rear, which appears a bit bulky and plain. Sides look pretty, largely plain panels with mild creases and wheel arches. Many would feel the design rather uninspiring, especially to the present-day norms, but in my opinion it was a distinct departure from the conventionality of its times - boxy sharp edges and long hood lines.

A face-lifted model featuring Palio-like frontal styling and tweaked rear was launched in 2002, but I love the styling of the old model. I’ve loved the look of this Siena for as long as I can remember and I am a certified Siena addict. I may as well see how crazy you guys think I really am. Hey come on, likings are subject to one's personal sensibilities isn't it? Nowadays it is rare to spot this model on road too. So, nothing weird in it.

REAR SPOILER: Not a perfect match but looks pretty, at least to me!

The Siena's body is incredibly rust-free. Even after 15 years, it is hard to find any rust in the exterior body of my car. It has a built-to-last feel and exudes a sense of safety. Interestingly that's not the case with few other cars of its segment. My 2005 Ford Ikon's body panels (near wheel arches) shockingly developed rust in short span. My uncle had to take care while washing his 2004 Hyundai Accent since rusted roof let to the seepage of water inside the cabin! A Honda City's (1999) body panels are light and the car weighs less comparing to the Siena. 

On the inside, the dashboard layout was different too at that age. It may look a bit dull, but once you get used to it you'll definitely appreciate. Things are appropriately placed where they ought to be for maximum utility. One thing that I badly miss is a tachometer and the instrument cluster illumination is boring after seeing different cars all these years. Yet, the dials are clear and easy to read. The blower throw however has deteriorated, after working all these years effectively. Some say that the thick 'A' pillar of the Siena limits vision, but I never experienced great annoyance out of it. Accessibility to the boot is phenomenal, flip fold the rear seats to make as big as 500 litres. Seats are designed for optimum comforts and pampers you especially for long drives. Not to forget the eccentric rail mechanism that lifts the seat while adjusting. I find the seats of my new Fiesta classic less supportive and not comfortable enough comparably. To that matter, most of the cars that I have driven.

The Siena wins heart with its exemplary ride comfort. Put your hands on the boot lid and push the car down, it'll be like moving a hanging cradle back and forth! The ultra-soft rear suspension system smothers even the most dreadful bumps and potholes. Even those who are not interested about cars would be struck by its serenity while wading through bad road, filtering most into the cabin. Though you are sure to complain about the car's ridiculously low ground clearance of just 140mm. Without any effort, you can easily scratch the Siena's underbody! That would be a nuisance at times for me frankly - no risk taking, slow down, confront the speed bumps diagonally and scrape less!

BLUE WONDER: This paint shade of the Siena is one of the best looking that complements the whole design.

The recipe for the Siena is a pretty good one, a 1242cc 8V MPFI petrol engine. It's like a Chettinad non-veg recipe falling short of (little perhaps) adequate spiciness! It's light weight, compact, but small for the car of this kind. Back in its era, the Siena had the smallest petrol engine in its class and so got a bigger 1.6 l motor few years latter in 2002. Driving the Siena is a heartfelt job that I often undertake. It isn't a nimble handler, but can still be fun to drive even today. If you compare today, the performance is certainly poor, but it's absolutely unfair to do so. Maybe all it need is a little more power, but if you can keep it in working order it should be rewarding.

This 1.2 is an internationally acclaimed motor, found its use in many of the Fiat cars including the Palio, Punto, Marea, and Bravo. It develops 72bhp, excellent in refinement and drivability. Straight-line acceleration maybe lethargic in competition, but the responsiveness in all five gears will surely impress. Throttle response and force feedback while driving will say you that a brutish machine is under the hood. Even at a speed as low as 30 kmph in top gear, step on the gas and you'll notice the car hopping without any hick-ups. I still find this very trait amazing for a motor of this size. Today, the engine's characters have waned with increased NVH levels and drop in acceleration after working to fullest all these years and running in LPG sometime. But I did experience the crux of the engine until few years back. I don't say the car is superb in fuel efficiency, but is absolutely decent in both petrol and LPG.

ABS & Airbags: Many would not believe.

The Siena is synonymous to passenger safety. You may find hard to believe, my car is equipped with ABS and a driver-side Airbag. Fiat did offer the passenger Airbag as an another option. In fact, Fiat was the only brand in India that offered ABS and Airbag in its cars (Siena sedan & Weekend) beside Mercedes Benz until 2002. Other features includes Collapsible (energy absorbing) steering wheel, Anti-intrusion side impact bars in the doors, Front structure with controlled deformation and reinforced struts, Fire Prevention System, Fiat's Anti-theft device (Key-code system) and Rear seat belts.

The steering of the Siena is undoubtedly a boon, I love it. Albeit doing its duty for almost a lakh kilometers for 15 years, the steering is incredibly responsive now, free and fun to work with. Lighter than my new Fiesta Classic really. Especially at higher speeds, the steering is firm without any tremble. Cross the 140kmph mark, and then you can feel some jerks. Comparing to Accent and Lancer, the Siena's high speed stability is worth praising. I managed to clock a top speed of 165kmph (Speedometer reading of the car) on a flat-out highway some years back. But the turning radius is restrictive comparing to other sedans. Of course you get used to it! 

What makes my Siena (manufactured in February 1999) a priceless car is the fact that you can hardly find any local or second-rate products used in it. No made in India products to be frank (Maybe a spurious claim!). The body panels (completely died and stamped form) were imported from Fiat's facility in Turkey. The windshields and the door glasses have been manufactured in Brazil. The engine was totally imported in fully assembled and tested form. The ABS system is sourced from Bosch, Germany. The ECU has been designed by Magneti Marelli and the fuel injection system by Weber, both shipped from Italy. The engine case unit has "Lancia" name carved in it, I'm not sure what and why it is for.


Let me tell you why and how. In the end of 1998, Fiat began selling the Siena sedan in India. The company simply assembled the car at its Kurla plant out of products imported from all over the world. The Siena sedan was a CBU until October 1999! Latter the level of localisation raised up to 65 percent. Only in October that year, Fiat opened an exclusive assembly line for engines and axles. Ancillary system was then outsourced to local vendors. With further expansion of their facility and the operationalisation of the Ranjangoan plant, Fiat sourced parts for the Siena, Weekend and the newly launched Palio from local suppliers in India. Since my car was brought to life in February 1999, it was a fully imported car with parts sourced from different regions of the world.

The Siena's factory-fitted electric horn has a matchless sound, to which I could not find any match in local market. I tried a variety of brands for my other cars but nothing could rightly match. The horn units were made by Mixo, imported from France. It works hassle-free for all these years, rightly points to the quality of products used in the car. The electronic relays used in my car are unusual to the ones normally found in other cars, quite different in their designs and their brand never heard of in India. They all work well, but I fear finding alternatives now would be difficult.

I usually don't knock the doors of a workshop for most of the common problems that pop up at times. I would join my dad to try do it ourselves. Since my dad is also a motor nut and I grew up with him, we always find workshop repairing less satisfiable. Whenever we smell any glitch, we will try to address it. We have stripped many parts of our Siena and that's a great opportunity to unearth more facts about that car.

The Siena's uniquely designed electronics and neat wiring arrangements points to Fiat's incredible R & D in producing this car. Especially when you compare with Maruti, Ford, Hyundai and Tata cars in this department, you can see the difference. I would say the engineering of Fiat Siena is in par with the German cars, maybe not of today's standards since the use of electronics have increased greatly in these one and a half decade. Not just electrics. Each and every screw or bolt fittings have their unique way to work out. Anything from dashboard plastics to gear lever mechanism. Smartly designed parts associate with their allied parts to make sure there is perfect fitting.

To assemble or disassemble any parts in this car, you have to understand how it has to be worked out logically by applying some sense and devoting little time. Otherwise, you'll finally end up in breaking the part or its allied unit. Once you grasp the right way, things will perfectly fit and will point a fool proof design. That's why I do not prefer professional mechanics for certain issues, they do not devote time to address it perfectly and end up breaking things often or doing something unoriginal. And when necessary, we have to test the composure of our usual mechanics by spending our whole day with them while overhauling our Siena!

I did face some complex problems with my Siena. The engine coolant get over-heated due to malfunctioning radiator fan. The occurrence became habitual and so we designed a circuit system on our own to make the radiator fan run on time. Power steering rack seal failed and the steering rack assembly has been serviced twice. Clutch overhaul was carried out some years back. The suspension system have been serviced a couple of times. There is persistent problem of uneven tyre wear at rear for a long time, but the wear out is nominal. I could hear some rattling noises inside the cabin, but not to the extent that I suffered in my old Ikon! Considering the age of the car, I feel that such problems are common. Every cars show some glitches with odo readings and years pass on.

Well, this one is a legend, isn't it? I like it. Love it. The Siena is simply exceptional. What you revel in is a rock-solid chassis and a brilliant suspension system to glide over the worst of our roads. The ride is unmatchable, even to cars in the premium sedan segment. The solid build quality is what you take pride in everyday. It is so valuable to me, I bet I would never miss my beloved Siena at any point in life! I'm probably that insane. 

So yeah, the Siena is undeniably a priceless legend to me- whatever that means!