Fiat Linea facelift and Avventura coming this year, to assemble Abarth500 in India

Italian carmaker Fiat unveiled the facelifted Linea sedan at the Auto Expo 2014. The company hasn't revealed the exact launch date of the car, however the reports suggest that the updated Linea will be launched in the March 2014. Moreover, the company is planning to launch the Avventura compact SUV by the end of this year. However, nothing has been confirmed on the same. Additionally, the company is also in a mood to assemble the performance oriented Abarth500 in India.

The Front facade of the facelifted Linea gets restyled front grille, new bumpers, a new fog lamp cluster and a revised grille with chrome inserts. The outside rear view mirrors now feature turn indicators. Its rear profile also sees some subtle upgrades including revised bumper with additional chrome strip, while the number plate is now moved to the bootlid. Inside the cabin, the dashboard gets a new paint. Its interior looks refreshing and more upmarket than its predecessor. The vehicle now have more utility spaces such as bottle holders in the front. Its audio system sports USB, AUX-In and Bluetooth. It also comes equipped with several features including 16-inch alloys, rear parking sensor, cruise control, auto headlamps, rear sensing wipers and others. On safety front, the updated Linea has Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic BrakeForce distribution (EBD) and airbags.

Mechanically, Fiat Linea remains unchanged. It continue to be powered by the same 1.2-litre Multijet engine producing 93PS and 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol engine. Both the engines mated to a five-speed manual transmission, which transmits power to front wheels of the sedan.

Based on the Punto hatchback, the Avventura crossover sports tail-gate mounted spare wheel with the "Avventura" badge embossed on it and a handle for a better grip. The vehicle has lots of cladding along with larger wheels, roof rails and higher ground clearance, Which ultimately turns into an aggressive looking car.

Abarth500 will compete against the likes of Mini and VW Beetle. The vehicle is likely to be launched by the end of this year or by early 2015. Fiat is also looking to locally assemble the car at its manufacturing plant in Ranjangaon.