Second-half strikes from Shaun Wright Phillips and Carlos Tevez ensured the win for Mark Hughes men.
The City boss' elected to play all his big guns including Joleon Lescott who completed his move from Everton this week.
Tevez should have handed City a second minute advantage but he blazed horribly over from 10 yards after great work from Robinho.
But Palace refused to be overawed by City's superstars.
Palace defender Paddy McCarthy forced Shay Given into an instinctive save with a back-post header in the sixth minute.
Then, Wigan target Victor Moses had Given at full-stretch after cutting in from the left.
Darren Ambrose came within inches of giving Neil Warnock's men a shock lead with a 30-yard thunderbolt.
However, City gradually asserted their authority, Julian Speroni denying Emmanuel Adebayor's wicked effort from the edge of the box in the 34th minute.
The south Londoners' keeper was forced into an even better save two minutes later, this time stopping Tevez from a tight angle.
And the Premier League side continued to press until Wright Phillips finally broke the deadlock in the 50th minute.
Collecting an inch perfect pass from the impressive Stephen Ireland, the winger thumped a shot past Speroni's near post.
The goal galvanised the away side, Speroni made a brilliant one-on-one save from Adebayor after another Ireland pass two minutes later before Wright-Phillips smacked the bar with a clipped effort from Robinho's slide rule pass.
But Hughes' men finally secured their victory in the 70th minute, Tevez nodding home Wright-Phillips' corner.