Muntaser Mirkar   12 Jan 2009

The new Linea comes to India after spending the last year establishing some strong international credentials.

Fiat's international presence has always hovered around the fabulous hatchbacks it makes and sells across the globe, but the Linea was the car that more or less propelled it into reckoning amongst reputed sedan makers. Launched in 2007 as a 'world car' for markets as diverse as the Middle East, Asia, East Europe and South America, the car has already been making its presence felt in these countries.

The Fiat Linea won reputed AUTOBEST 2008 Award recently, where a jury from 15 different East European countries rated it over other Japanese, European and Korean competitors. "It was a very tough competition, with strong competitors. The new Fiat Linea proved to be an overall winner with an excellent value for money, a very good car for the needs of regular customers."- if the chief of the jury is to be quoted.

It is not as if Fiat has not had sedan success in international markets in the past. The Linea's predecessor, the Marea, had a famous run especially in Brazil where the model remained virtually unchanged for almost ten years. The Linea replaced the Marea as the company's largest saloon on sale.

The birth of the Linea itself has some international links. The car, as many would know, is based on the Fiat Grande Punto platform, which was the result of a joint exercise between Fiat and GM engineers. Labeled the GM Gamma SCCS (short for Small Common Components and Systems), this platform for subcompact front wheel drive cars is currently being put to use on vehicles as varied as the GM Opel Corsa, the Vauxhall Meriva and even the recently launched Alfa Romeo MiTo, apart from the Fiat brand's duo. All successful models in their own right, the versatility and competence of the platform cannot be in question.

More on the Fiat Linea  Fiat Linea Spl. Feature  In Pics: Fiat Linea  Fiat Linea launched!  Road Test: Fiat Linea Emotion  Fiat Competition  Feature: Fiat's Arctic Antic  Feature: Fiat's Extreme Examination  Fiat - Tata Ranjangaon Facility  Fiat Linea lines up the Competition

Fiat Linea Pricing: (Ex-Showroom, Delhi)

Variant	Petrol/Diesel	Delhi	Mumbai
Active	Petrol	Rs.5,98,967	Rs.6,17,940
Dynamic	Petrol	Rs.6,29,972	Rs.6,49,846
Dynamic PK	Petrol	Rs.6,57,978	Rs.6,78,664
Emotion	Petrol	Rs.6,69,980	Rs.6,91,015
Emotion PK	Petrol	Rs.6,98,984	Rs.7,20,862
Active	Diesel	Rs.6,88,983	Rs.7,10,570
Dynamic	Diesel	Rs.7,18,989	Rs.7,41,447
Dynamic PK	Diesel	Rs.7,46,993	Rs.7,70,266
Emotion	Diesel	Rs.7,56,996	Rs.7,80,558
Emotion PK	Diesel	Rs.8,10,004	Rs.8,35,105

The 1.3-litre diesel Multjet engine employed by Fiat in the Indian Linea has also seen action all over the world, in cars of equally varied origins. Be it Fiat's own Panda and the Cinquecento, GM's Opel Astra and Tigra or the Japanese Suzuki Wagon R and Splash, the engine's urban appeal seems to have worked across the world. Little wonder then that the Linea is sixth car in India to have the same engine apart from the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Swift D'Zire, the Tata Indica Vista, and the Fiat Palio Multijet and 500.

The Linea has held high importance for Fiat around the world. Launched recently in September 2008 in Brazil where the 1.9 Multijet is pitted bang against the high-selling Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Special initiatives like the L'Unico club where Linea owners are provided with exclusive servicing lines and attendants have been undertaken to pump up Fiat's image. Since this sort of a care-driven image is the only factor that Fiat India seems to weak on, we think it would be a spanking idea for our scenario as well. All for the sales that a car as internationally competent as the Linea deserves.