It was at the Auto Expo that a very spirited MD of Fiat-Chrysler India, Nagesh Basavanahalli, said about bringing 4 new products to India in 2014. He promised that this year was a big change for Fiat India and now, here we are.
Fiat today launched the all-new Linea facelift and has priced it at Rs. 6.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). This is the first of the four products that will be launched later this year. We've seen this car in Turkey in 2012 and it's taken some time to get it to India.
The Linea gets a mild facelift, after all it did look out of sorts, 5 years after it was first launched. It has always been the best looking car in the mid-sized sedan segment and now it looks fresh and even better. The facelift gives it a more premium look with major changes made to the front grille.
The top-of-the-line Emotion variant gets a lot of chrome on it, on the prominent two-slat grille and the air damp as well. The chrome bits continue as you move to the rear with a strip on the bumper and one above the boot lid. Fiat has placed the number plate on the back of the boot lid.
However, the major change is to the inside of the car and Fiat has taken pains to completely revamp the interiors. There is a completely new dashboard with a new colour scheme of black and cream; which gives it a premium look. The AC vents and the audio system are neatly integrated with a glossy black finish making the overall fit and finish very appealing. This in turn has an effect on the ambiance inside the car and the Linea does not disappoint.
The new Linea will come in two engine options - the 1.3-litre, 92bhp churning Multi-jet engine and the 112bhp churning 1.4-litre T-jet turbo petrol engine. Fiat has reserved the 1.4-litre mill for the Linea Classic and has made the ellusive T-Jet engine more accessible. We have always loved the T-Jet because of its phenomenal throttle response and it just makes the car that much more fun to drive.
The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and Fiat offers a lot of features including rain-sensing wipers, programmable follow me headlamps, all-disc brakes (T-Jet only) and even ABS.
The Linea's main competitors here are the Honda City, the VW Vento and the Hyundai Verna and with all that Fiat has offered in its sedan, we are sure that the Linea will claw its way back into the competition.
The prices of the Linea are as follows:
Petrol:
Active - Rs. 6.99 lakhs
T-Jet Active - Rs. 7.44 lakhs
T-Jet Dynamic - Rs. 8.53 lakhs
T-Jet Emotion - Rs. 9.01 lakhs
Diesel:
Active - Rs. 8.15 lakhs
Dynamic - Rs. 9.27 lakhs
Emotion - Rs. 9.72 lakhs
(All prices ex-showroom Delhi)
