Fiat Linea

Introduction:

Fiat India's family sedan Linea was first introduced in the country in 2009 and it happened to be the first car in its class to come with a turbocharged petrol engine. Its robust body structure, rugged characteristic and remarkable performance has earned it a place in the league desirable sedans in the country. However, its old fashioned design didn't really go well with the Indian customers. Now, the Italian automobile firm has showcased the Linea 125s, a performance version of this sedan at the Auto show in Delhi. This car could be a game changer for Fiat in the country. Let's explore the sedan point by point to get a complete picture of the car.

Pros: 

1. Interiors are rather spacious, while seating is very comfortable.

2. Both engines, especially diesel motor performs exceptionally.

Cons:

1. There is a lot of work to do with the exterior styling.

2. Its fuel economy is the least in its class.

3. There is no touchscreen infotainment system.

Standout features:

1. This car has value-for-money package featuring all the essentials that are required to be a perfect family car. It features an automatic climate control unit with rear knee level AC vents.

2.Cruise control, ambient lighting on dashboard and other functional features make this sedan a tough competitor.

Overview:

The 2016 Delhi Auto Expo has turned out to be a huge success for many automakers across India and around the globe. Talking about Fiat India, it has displayed few of the upcoming models including the Fiat Linea 125s. It is nothing but a more powerful version of existing Linea, which is powered by a 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol engine. This motor, unlike in regular petrol versions, produces a maximum power of 123bhp along with a peak torque of 210Nm. As for the transmission, it is most likely to be mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox. As per the sources, this performance version is expected soon in the second half of this year, or may be during the upcoming festive season.

Exteriors:

In the year 2014, this sedan has undergone extensive makeover to its styling, especially on its outside. The previous year, its limited edition variant has been introduced with an accessory package featuring some sporty cosmetics. However, it didn't save Linea from experiencing a downfall in its sales. Now, at the Delhi Auto Expo 2016, the automaker has displayed its performance version, christened as Linea 125S. It is essentially the existing version of Linea, but with few upgrades to its engine and with some minor changes to its styling.

This soon to be launched vehicle features exclusive cosmetics such as blackened roof, outside mirrors and alloy wheels. We can also see exclusive badging of the variant on its boot-lid.

Moving on with the existing version of Linea, it looks more like a budget car. Although it received facelift in 2014, the Linea failed to garner attention, thanks to its sobered front facia.

Its headlight cluster bears a dual barrel design featuring conventional lamps. The manufacturer should have offered projector headlamps instead of dual parabola headlamps. Most other rivals of Linea including the likes of Ciaz and Verna come with projector headlamps.

The redesigned radiator grille has dated design with extensive chrome treatment to its surround strip. There are two horizontal strips in it garnished with glossy black. The company's emblem is positioned in the center of grille.

Its front bumper is the only thing that could attract you. It looks drastically different from its predecessor and has bigger air vents and a premium design rendering a class look to the car. Unlike other sedans, there is an extensive use of chrome that adds to the sophistication.

The side profile of the car has a similar design to that of its predecessor or perhaps, it looks precisely the same as its earlier version. Even the design of alloy wheels remains the same. Its base and mid-range variants get 15-inch steel rims, while the range topper Emotion gets 16-inch alloy wheels.

As we all know, Fiat has displayed the performance version of its family sedan, the Linea 125s at the Auto Expo 2016. This car is seen with black alloy wheels and red disc brake calipers exuding the sense of sportiness.

The rear profile of the car has a contemporary look like every other C segment sedan. We can see a great amount of chrome on the boot-lid and bumper as well. The taillight cluster too has chrome underlining that makes for a rich appeal.

This contemporary sedan measures 4596mm in length, 1730mm in its width and stands at a height of 1487mm. It also has a long wheelbase of 2603mm, but Ciaz has the longest wheelbase in this class with 2650mm.

Linea is more like a classy looking sedan without much of modern design traits. However, its build quality, fit and finish is something better than other conventional sedans of today.

Interiors:

The 2014 version of Linea received a significant makeover to its interior design exceeding all the expectations of average auto lovers. Its cabin is spacious, well designed and equally well arranged over its predecessor. This sedan has class leading cabin space and ergonomic seating arrangement, making for a comfortable travelling experiencing. Also, it is loaded with good package of features ensuring convenient and comfortable drive. Company's recent introduction at the auto show Linea 125s also features the same design like its existing variants. However, it features a few additional equipments including an infotainment system.

Step inside the vehicle and you'll notice the dual tone dashboard. The colour scheme looks bright unlike other sedans. The fit and finish inside the car is far better and it will surely surprise you. However, the design still lacks that modern touch.

The central console of dashboard gets some glossy black inserts rendering an upmarket look to the cabin. These inserts are seen around the infotainment system and the AC vents.

The instrument cluster has a twin-pod design with sporty dials. It features four analogue gauges along with a digital display aiding driver to receive all the vital information related to the car. Also, it features a few warning lights.

The 2014 Linea gets a conventional 3-spoke, yet a stylish steering wheel that feels premium. It features multi-functional switches, which feels smooth and easy to operate. The company is offering the range-topper Emotion trim with leather upholstery.

The most important thing for any sedan is its seating arrangement and this Linea lives up to our expectations by offering good support and comfort. The seating design is based on sound ergonomics, while its side bolsters aid in offering better support to the body.

The rear bench seat also has an ergonomic design. But, we really felt surprised with the rear seating, thanks to the excellent thigh support and greater leg space. Here, you also get a center armrest with cup holders and a storage tray as well.

This car is loaded with all important equipments and features. Its central console houses an integrated music system featuring a CD player and few other connectivity ports, while the high end version also gets a CD player and an automatic climate control unit. It is unfortunate that the car didn't get a touch screen infotainment system. However, this feature is on offer for the recently launched Elegante edition. This limited edition trim features a 6.5-inch multifunctional touch screen infotainment system along with a CD/MP3 player and radio with AM/FM tuner. Besides USB and AUX-In connectivity ports, it also supports Blue&Me hands free system.

This car has a boot space capacity of about 500-litres, and we can expand it further by folding the rear bench seat.

This 2014 Linea is unquestionably the spacious sedan in its class and far more comfortable than its nearest rivals. But the cabin design lacks that sheer modern look like those in the Ciaz and Honda City

Performance:

The existing version of Linea comes with two engine options including the 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol motor and a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine.

Petrol engine:

The 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol motor is known for its sheer performance. With a power output of 112.4bhp, it outperforms every single car in its class. Ignite the engine and you’ll feel its power right away. You'll find it hard to stop yourself from revving it up at idle. Such is the efficiency of T-Jet petrol motor. Pick-up and acceleration of this version is simply outstanding. Its high torque output at low rpms makes city driving even more exciting. But the real fun comes only on highways and it can easily go beyond 160 kmph mark. Even at a speed of 110 kmph, the engine feels relaxed and ready to go even further. The transmission duty of this engine is handled by a 5-speed manual gearbox that offers smooth shifting of gears. The other one is a Fire petrol engine that also comes with same displacement capacity and configuration like its T-Jet counterpart. However, it churns out less power of 88.8bhp at 6000rpm and the torque of 115Nm at 4500rpm, which is drastically lower than T-Jet mill. On the other hand, the recently unveiled Linea 125s trim is said to be more powerful with an output of 123bhp and a torque of 210Nm.

Diesel Engine:

The diesel version of Linea gets a critically acclaimed and most awarded 1248cc oil-burner. This motor has been the game changer for Fiat, especially in the country like India. It is powerful, efficient and reliable, as compared to any other motor in its class. Driving the Linea with this 1.3-Multijet under the hood feels absolute fun. Its power deliver remains linear and the response of engine is amazing. Its drivability on city roads is so simple, thanks to the low end torque. This motor can pump out a maximum power of 91.7bhp at 4000rpm and a maximum torque of 209Nm at just 2000rpm. However, its mileage is a big letdown, since it returns only about 20.4 kmpl.

Ride and Handling:

All the variants except T-Jet versions come with disc and drum braking mechanism, while the T-Jet variants are loaded with disc brakes for all four wheels. Adding to this, the anti lock braking system and electronic brake-force distribution makes driving for more predictable. This ABS feature is available as standard for Dynamic, Emotion and all T-Jet variants. The Linea gets a superior suspension system as well. This car's front axle has an independent wheel type of layout and the rear one gets a torsion beam type of mechanism. Both these axles are further loaded with helical coil springs along with double acting telescopic dampers and stabilizer bars that enables it to deal with all the irregularities on the roads. Not but the least, this sedan gets a highly responsive power steering system that makes for a predictable handling.

Safety:

Safety standards of this sedan are at par with other best-selling sedans. That’s because of its sturdy build quality and features it has. Even the base versions in the line-up gets automatic door locking facility, fire prevention system and an engine immobilizer with rolling code. Also, they have features like double crank prevention system and central door locking. The mid range and the top-spec variants get all-four disc braking mechanism as standard (T-Jet petrol version only). In addition to these, they also have dual stage driver airbag with early crash sensor and a front passenger airbag as well.

Variants:

This current version of Linea comes in three trim levels namely Active, Dynamic and Emotion. 'Active' is the entry level variant featuring all standard and essential features ob-board. This base variant comes packed with a manual HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) unit along with foot level AC vents for rear passengers seat as well. This variant also comes with few other features including electrically adjustable outside mirrors, interior roof light with dimming effect, rear defogger with timer, power windows, remote keyless entry and most importantly, an integrated music player with 4 speakers. If you are a budget conscious person, then going for this base variant would save a lot of money.

The next-in-line Dynamic variant has few additional features including an automatic climate control unit, driver seat height adjuster, reverse parking sensors, an audio system with Blue&Me feature, 6 speakers, USB/AUX-In connectivity and a multi-functional steering wheel.

The high-end 'Emotion' variant on the other hand gets sophisticated features including a cruise control unit, ambient lighting on dashboard, premium leather seating upholstery and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Verdict:

In our opinion, Fiat Linea is a decent car to go with. Despite of a few shortcomings, it has enough features that offer a great value for money. Besides, its performance is simply the best in its class. Its cabin is spacious and far more comfortable in the C-segment. However, it lacks the styling of a modern car, which is unfortunate. If you are a budget-conscious person and looking for a reliable and a durable car in the segment, then Linea is the one for you.