The Fiat Siena is a subcompact car produced by Fiat from 1996 to 2021 as the four-door saloon version of the Fiat Palio, a supermini designed for developing countries. It was first introduced in South America and built in several countries; in Europe the similar Fiat Albea replaced it in markets such as Poland and Turkey, and in 2012 Fiat released a second generation called the Fiat Grand Siena.
Fiat Siena at a glance
| Production | 1996–2021 |
|---|---|
| Internal type | 178 |
| Basis | Fiat Palio |
| Body | four-door saloon |
| Launched | Argentina, late 1996; Brazil, August 1997 |
| Engines | Fiasa and Fire 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 |
| Facelifts | 2000 and 2004, both by Giorgetto Giugiaro |
| European version | Fiat Albea |
| Brazilian sales | over 800,000 in 14 years |
History of the Fiat Siena
The first generation
The original Siena was launched in Argentina in late 1996 and in Brazil in August 1997 as the four-door saloon of the Fiat Palio, whose code name was Type 178. It was created because hatchbacks were selling so well in developing countries, and the range ran from Fiasa and Fire 1.0-litre to 1.6-litre petrol engines. In 2000 the model received its first facelift, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, with new front and rear fascias, an entirely new interior and new 16-valve Fire engines of 1.0 litre with 70 hp and 1.2 litres with 82 hp. In Turkey and China the redesigned Siena was offered with a Speedgear continuously variable transmission. Fiat had considered renaming the car Palio Sedan, since the earlier Siena had attracted little interest, but dropped the idea; the Siena had been the only member of the Palio family that buyers had not taken to, so the rear was redesigned with particular care.
2004 and 2007 facelifts
A second facelift, again by Giugiaro, was presented in 2004 with a new front, rear and interior. The 2004 Siena was the first Brazilian compact four-door saloon with four airbags, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a rain sensor and parking assistance, although these items were expensive in South America and are rarely found on cars in use. Engines ranged from a 1.3 Fire 16-valve and a 1.4 Fire 8-valve of 80 hp to a 1.8 GM Powertrain 8-valve of 112 PS shared with the Chevrolet Corsa; the Brazilian top model used a flex-fuel version of the 1.8, with 112 hp on petrol and 114 hp on alcohol. In Mexico the car was sold as the Palio Sedan, and the European Albea gained a 1.3 Multijet diesel of 70 bhp. In 2007 Fiat unveiled a fourth version with a front design of its own, for the first time different from the Palio, following the new Fiat family face with double headlamps and chrome details, and rear lamps integrated with the boot. It was built at Betim in Brazil and Córdoba in Argentina with 1.0, 1.4 and 1.8 eight-valve engines, including a 1.4 TetraFuel that was the first multifuel car able to run on pure petrol, E25 or E100, or as a bi-fuel vehicle on natural gas. A sporting Siena 1.6R 16v with the Dualogic gearbox was built until 2012.
Production around the world
Besides Brazil and Argentina, the Siena was produced in Turkey at Bursa, in Poland at Tychy from 1997 to 2001, in India at Pune from 1999 to 2004, in South Africa at Rosslyn, in China at Nanjing, in Iran at Saveh, in Morocco at Casablanca and in Vietnam. It was also built under licence in Nampo, North Korea, from 2002 to 2006 as the Pyeonghwa Hwiparam from Vietnamese knock-down kits, with 1.3 and 1.6-litre engines and a five-speed manual gearbox. In 2013 Venezuelan production began with Dodge Forza badges, using a 1.4-litre CNG-powered Fire engine. The Siena was one of the most popular saloons in Brazil, selling over 800,000 units in fourteen years, but it was not marketed in Italy after the poor reception of its predecessor, the Fiat Duna. Production of the first generation ended officially in October 2016, while the Grand Siena continued.
Design and features
- Palio family: the saloon version of Fiat’s emerging-market supermini, Type 178.
- Giugiaro facelifts: new bodies in 2000 and 2004 from Italdesign.
- Flex fuel: 112 hp on petrol and 114 hp on alcohol from the 1.8 engine.
- TetraFuel: the first car able to run on petrol, E25, E100 or natural gas.
- Wide production: built in Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, Poland, India, China, Iran and Vietnam.
Fiat Siena versions
- Siena (1996): the original four-door saloon of the Palio.
- Siena (2000): Giugiaro facelift with new 16-valve Fire engines.
- Siena (2004): second facelift with four airbags and parking assistance.
- Siena (2007): front design of its own and the TetraFuel engine.
- Fiat Albea: the European version, with a 1.3 Multijet diesel.
- Grand Siena (2012): the second generation.
The Siena is the saloon version of the Fiat Palio, and it replaced the Fiat Duna in South America; in Europe its place was taken by the Fiat Albea. More cars are in the Fiat collection.
Sources
- Fiat Siena, English Wikipedia: launch, facelifts, engines, equipment and production countries
