Review all Models of Fiat Linea

Fiat’s Indian revival hinges on the Linea. After years of dithering, Fiat seems to have finally pulled its act together for what is its third proper crack at the Indian market. This time round there are no half measures, the ancient Kurla facility inherited from Premier Automobiles has been sold off and the sprawling Ranjangaon facility is finally on stream. Installed production is 2,00,000 cars a year and even more significant, 3,00,000 engine and transmission units will be built for use not just in Fiat cars but in the new Tata Indica and Indigo among others. OverDrive (Jan. ’09) takes a look if Fiat is on the right track this time…

Design
The one thing Fiat’s never lacked for is style. The Uno was a looker so was the Siena and of course the Palio gave birth to the whole hot hatch genre in India. What strike’s one immediately is the extremely elegant, tasteful and unmistakably Italian manner in which the lines have been penned, no doubt helped by having a supercar (Maserati) inspired nose. Viewed in profile the elegant sweep from the bonnet to the windscreen give it a dynamic form as do the flared wheel arches which house large 15-inch tires. Look closely and one can see the small quarter glass in both the A and C pillars which together with the blacked out pillars gives the Linea a large and airy glass house effect. The large tail lamps give the rear a distinctive finishing touch with the downward slash from the top of the tail lamps to the rear wheel arch being a lovely design flourish.
The Linea’s platform is same as the Grande Punto with similar suspension set-ups, the wheelbase stretched by over 90mm to give it a Jetta-rivalling wheelbase (2600mm) and overall length (4560mm).

Interiors
The Fiat has one of the finest car cabins in its segment, says OverDrive (Jan. ’09). A complete contrast from Fiat’s earlier sturdy but dowdy cabin designs, the Linea interiors are done up in a tasteful and inviting combination of black and beige and are built of excellent superior material. In fact, the car has so many stand-out elements that one does not where to start…
The steering is great to look at and prominent grips make it a tactile delight. Retro-themed chrome-ringed white faced clocks are better than the ones on higher segment cars and between the speedo and tacho is a comprehensive multi-function display that also shows CD track info, average and instantaneous fuel consumption and distance to empty on both trips. The range-topping Emotion variant also gets Blue&Me technology co-developed with Microsoft that enables syncing your mobile via Bluetooth to the stereo to make and answer calls. There’s even full iPod compatibility and of course you can plug in thumb drives as well.
The Emotion variant also gets climate control while safety has been accorded top priority with twin airbags and ABS though unlike international variants there’s no ESP or curtain bags.
The cabin is spacious and the rear too is very comfortable with the seat back reclined at just the right angle offering adequate knee, shoulder and leg room. Head room however is just about adequate.
If theirs is any criticism, it has got to do with the driving position. Even though the seats have height adjust, it’s impossible to get a good driving position, hampered as one is by the steering that doesn’t adjust for reach and seats which aren’t too comfortable lacking back and thigh support.

Engine
This has to be the Linea’s trump card; neither the Honda City nor the Maruti SX4, have diesel power plants whereas the Linea does and for many buyers that will her the default choice. The Linea uses the same 1.3-litre multijet diesel that powers the Palio, the Indica Vista, the Swift and DZire. Only in addition it boasts of a variable geometry turbo that boosts power by 16PS to 91PS (at 4000rpm). The fuel cut-offs is just above 4000rpm though the engine revs without much effort almost to 5000rpm. Torque is also boosted to 203Nm, on tap at 2500rpm and that makes a big difference to her drive ability.
On the Linea performance is no way handicapped by the lack of capacity. There are advantages to using such a small engine – it weighs in at just 130 kilos and is a masterpiece of packaging measuring just 500mm in length and 650mm in height.
 Fiat claims that this engine has been designed to run for 2, 50,000km without needing a maintenance check and can do 30,000km between oil changes. Fiat also claims reduction in noise due to the multiple injections per cycle but when worked hard the engine can get quite loud.
As for the petrol engines, the Linea will get a 1.4-litre 8-valve FIRE engine putting out 77PS of power which considering the 1.1 ton weight, won’t make for rapid performance. Incidentally, these are the same engines the Linea gets internationally, not India-specific down-sized engines.

Performance
Just 91PS of power to hustle 1185 kilos will never make for a very fast car and with a 75.90PS/ton power-to-weight figure, the Linea didn’t exactly excite the OverDrive team much. Thanks to the torque diesel engine, initial acceleration is brisk, the 40kmph comes up in 3.5seconds but then as you shift to second the acceleration tapers off and it takes 6.1 seconds to get to 60kmph while 100kmph takes 15.6 seconds. She takes 19.9 seconds to get to 400 meters while the standing kilometer takes 36.47 seconds, the Linea clocking 113.3kmph at the kilometer mark. Top speed is 169kmph.
But of course the upside is excellent fuel efficiency. In the city with the air-con, OverDrive (Jan. ’09) got an efficiency of 14.9kmpl which shot up to an amazing 19.1kmpl on the highway without the air-con. With a tank capacity of 45 litres and an overall fuel efficiency of 15.9kmpl that gives her a range of 716km.The Linea uses 257mm discs at the front and228mm drums at the rear, backed up by ABS and EBD. 

Ride & Handling
The Linea feels more like a hatch than a sedan.  Nimble and agile, she is more than game for being chucked around corners with enthusiasm. It’s actually at odds with her stately and shapely lines that hint at a nose-heavy car but her handling is anything but that. Turn-in is quick and impressively direct; the nose tucks in with surprising verve and front-end bite is generous.
She rides on MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam set-up at the rear with anti-roll bars at both ends. 15-inch 195/60 Goodtears have very good grip and the steering too is well-weighted and precise.
The Linea like all Fiats is strong on build and ride quality and it copes very well with broken tarmac in the city as well as the highway, beating bumps and potholes into submission.

Verdict
Unexpectedly brilliant – that was the verdict from all the OverDrive testers. Fiat India has set a whole new benchmark and has done its homework well. That’s why the Linea will be launched with a diesel engine first, something the two main rivals in this segment don’t have. That in itself makes it a sure shot winner but the Linea is not just about low running costs of the multijet engine.
Its exteriors and interiors are classy and will turn heads for many years to come. Equipment levels are extraordinarily comprehensive and interior room is generous. Finally there’s the excellent ride and handling package that gain has raised quite a few eyebrows.
The only area left to be covered is its pricing which is expected to be between the Rs. 7-Rs. 8 lakh segment - a price which represents excellent value-for-money, a bargain in fact. So this time round, Fiat seems to have things just right.