1993 FSO Polonez Atu 1.6

Vehicle Overview

After the fall of Poland’s communist regime, the FSO had to work on a new model to survive. The 1993 ATU was a try, but it was nowhere near the market’s expectations.

FSO built the ATU on the same platform used by its predecessor, the Polonez. But under the mid-size sedan hatchback was a 1961 Fiat platform. The Polish carmaker had to work with what the communist regime allowed. Surprisingly, it allowed a design made by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and the result was not bad for a 1978 vehicle when the car appeared on the market. Later on, the local design office tried to restyle the car and give it a new look. The last try was the FSO ATU, which was introduced in 1993.

The main difference between the ATU and the Polonez was the car’s shape. Unlike its older brother, it featured a three-box sedan body. It shared the same front fascia with horizontal headlights and a black grille between them. The carmaker installed an additional window behind the rear doors and a short trunk area in the back.

Inside, it featured retractable seatbelts and a new dashboard design. Its instrument cluster was wide and filled with dials and gauges. The speedometer and tachometer were bigger and placed in the middle, while the fuel-level, coolant temperature, battery charger, and oil pressure were mounted on the sides. Its gear-stick popped through the center stack, angled toward the driver.

Under the hood, the Polish carmakers installed one of its older 1.6-liter engines fitted with a fuel injection system developed by Daewoo. But its suspension, with a rigid axle and leaf springs on the back, was not fit for a ’90s sedan.