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2014 Fiat Linea Review
Fiat has been in India for some good time. The company has enjoyed an unparalleled popularity in the Indian market. Fiat customers have always enjoyed owning these cars but then the after sales experience was not in the same lines.
But then Fiat India has addressed the same by going solo. The normally relaxed Italian car maker has decided to get aggressive in 2014. With massive dealership expansion plans and new launches up its sleeve, the company is taking its competition very seriously.
Fiat unveiled the new Linea at the 12th Auto Expo in Delhi along with an adventure concept Avventura. The new Linea gets revisited exteriors and premium furnished interiors. We took it for a brief drive and explored the new bits.
Appearance Exterior
I have personally always loved the way the Linea looks. In the world of aggression and razor sharp design, the voluptous looking Linea gets an elegant design. It looks very balanced from every quarter. The design does not scream about being modern but then it strikes the perfect balance between modern and classic.
The New Linea thankfully retains its original essence along with revisiting certain bits to make it look modern. The large dual barrel headlamps have been retained but then the illumination has been improved with reworked reflectors. The radiator grille has been changed and gets a chrome surround with twin chrome slats running across. The front bumper gets its set of modern upgrades with multiple layers. The jaw line is very evident with a strong rib section flowing across the bumper. It also gets a new housing for fog lamps.
On the side, the new alloy wheels are the first to be noticed. The new design makes it look sporty. The ORVMs have been embedded with turn indicators. It looks visually tall with an increased ground clearence of 190mm.
The rear boot lid also gets some changes, the number plate position has been changed from the rear bumper to that on the lid. It also gets a chrome highlight with 'Linea' embossed on it. There is also a solid chrome line running along the rear bumper. The rear diffuser also starts at a higher point on the rear bumper.
Over and above, the new Linea looks attractive with the modern elements added to it.
Appearance Interior
Slide inside the cabin of the new Linea and you wont feel nostalgic at all. This is because the interiors of new Linea have been completely refurnished. The new interiors make the cabin look very smart and premium especially the high gloss central console and the new instrumental cluster.
The instrumental clustre has been redesigned and now it looks very energetic. It has increased the driver car connect. The digits and the color combination look sporty. It displays essential information like trip readings, average fuel consumption and distance to empty fuel tank along with time and date. The leather wrapped steering wheel gets audio and Blue&Me controls on it.
Two tone front dashboard with beige and ebony trims look impressive. They make the cabin look classy and elegant. The central console has been completely redone in an high-gloss piano finish. There are some cars who have attempted this but then the piano-finished central console looks the best in the Linea. The buttons and knobs have a great finishing.
With the refined interiors, the cabin feels very plush. The headroom and legroom now feels decent and more spacious than previous. New changes inside the cabin or not just superficial additions but indeed contribute to the passengers feeling nice inside. There are appropriate storage options inside the cabin.
Performance Drive
Mechanically, the Linea retains its engines from the earlier model. We will drive the petrol model soon but for this we chose the popular diesel version. The 1.3 L Multijet diesel engines, which Fiat claims to deliver 20.4kmpl produces 93PS at 4000 rpm and 209Nm of torque at 2000 rpm. It has a 5 speed manual transmission.
The Linea has always been a delight to drive and even the new Linea feels just the same. It is not one of the best engines to deliver enthusiastic performance but then it has its comfort zone where it performs the best. Even though it is a diesel engine, the NVH levels and vibrations are almost negligible. Even at higher engine speeds there is no redundant noise or engine sound seeping inside the cabin.
It comes across as one of the most comfortable cars to drive around. This one is actually lengthier and taller than the earlier model. The marginal change in dimensions does not in any way affect its performance and instead the Linea maintains its precision and accuracy in handling.
It is a heavier car so agility is not Linea’s forte but then who wants the Linea to be doing amazing at slalom test?...No one. The Linea is for those who cherish driving. Not just in city, it is as impressive on highways. It maintains its confidence at high speeds and the car is very stable. It holds on to the corners when turning on sharp corners at high speeds and this is mainly because of the wide profile tyres.
The suspension quality looks nimble but then it can surprise all by its true potential. On rough roads too, the Linea delivers its best ride quality which speaks volumes about the car.
Tech Specs
| Technical Specifications | |
| Make | Fiat |
| Model | Linea |
| Variant | 1.3L Multijet |
| Engine Capacity (L)/Cylinder | 1248/4 |
| Power (PS/RPM) | 93/4000 |
| Torque (NM/RPM) | 209/2000 |
| Gears | 5/M |
| Groud clearence | 185 |
| Length | 4596 |
| Width | 1730 |
| Height | 1494 |
| Wheel Base | 2603 |
| Turning circle radius | 5.4 |
| Fuel Tank capacity | 45 |
| Claimed fuel efficiency | 20 |
| Tyre Rating | 205/55 R16 |
Features
| Features | Active | Dynamic | Emotion |
| Power Steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central locking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A/C | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steel wheels | Yes | No | No |
| Alloy wheels | No | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated CD/MP3 Player | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blue &Me with USB Port | No | Yes | Yes |
| Steering mounted audio controls | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remote keyless entry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electrically adjustable ORVM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Driver seat height adjustment | No | Yes | Yes |
| Rear arm rest | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rain sensors | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time mileage indicator | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual tone dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leather wrap steering wheel and gear knob | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fire prevention system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Immobiliser with Rolling codes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual airbag | No | Yes | Yes |
Competition All Specs
| Specifications |
Fiat
Linea |
Hyundai
Verna |
Honda
City |
| Variant | 1.3L Multijet Diesel | 1.4L CRDi | 1.5L iDTEC |
| Engine Capacity (L)/Cylinder | 1248/4 | 1396/4 | 1498/4 |
| Power (PS/RPM) | 93/4000 | 89/4000 | 99/3600 |
| Torque (NM/RPM) | 209/2000 | 224/1750 | 200/1750 |
| Gears | 5/M | 5/M | 5/M |
| Key Features | |||
| Power Steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central locking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A/C with climate control | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alloy wheels | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated CD/MP3 Player | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steering mounted audio controls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote keyless entry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electrically adjustable ORVM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Driver seat height adjustment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear arm rest | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time mileage indicator | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leather wrap steering wheel and gear knob | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Immobiliser with Rolling codes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual airbag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage claimed (Kmpl) | 20.4 | 23.5 | 25.1 |
Conclusion
The new model gets modern updates but then not that the car did not look good earlier. Yes, the new changes make it look modern and even more elegant than before. The interior cabin is the area which has seen maximum changes especially the plush treatment with high gloss plastic.
Some may feel skeptical behind opting for a Fiat and the reason being poor servicing but in reality it is just an image as Fiat India has made sure that post sales experience gets a lot better. If paid attention to the latest activities, Fiat India has been very active lately with new dealer launches. This means in addition to increasing their hold across nation the company has got a lot serious about its business in India. One should keep an eye on this company as it is on its way to the top at a steady pace.
