Honda City petrol vs Fiat Linea T-Jet comparison

What’s new?

Fiat’s Linea has always been one of the best looking sedans around. Nice to drive, decently equipped and spacious, it was a car that had a lot going for it. What was missing was that little bit extra, which its competition, namely the Honda City, had plenty of. The cars you see here may resemble the previous Linea and City, but trust us, they’re very different. The City, though it may look like a mere facelift, is all-new. Honda has kept the look of the previous car for reasons of familiarity. And it has put some serious work into this car – it is, after all, the company’s golden child in India. The Linea, on the other hand, is a facelift, but a significant one – Fiat has done away with the old car’s simple lines and has gone for a more premium look, both inside and out. And as far as prices are concerned, they are quite similarly positioned. The City petrol starts from Rs 7.19 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.80 lakh for the top-spec Automatic variant, while the Linea starts from Rs 7.44 lakh for the base T-jet trim and goes up to Rs 9.01 lakh (there’s no automatic Linea). So, does the much-improved Linea stand a fighting chance against the City?

What are they like inside?

Step into the Linea and you’ll be impressed by its stylish Italian cabin. The Linea’s cabin is easily one of the most elegantly designed we’ve seen recently. The cream-coloured section on the dash is finished in soft-touch plastic, and the new two-tone theme and the updated controls on the new central column elevate the cabin to another level. The layout of the dash is much neater, there’s less clutter and the audio system and air-con vents are well integrated.

There are other delights as well. Fiat has used a warm ambient lighting theme that looks positively plush in the night. Fiat’s ‘My Car’ settings allow you to customise a few aspects of the car, like the intensity of the lighting. The Fiat’s seats are good too. The big leather seats are beautifully contoured and the perforated leather feels nice; there really is a real luxury air about the car. The seats, however, are not as comfortable, per se, as the Honda. Support for the back is not as good and there isn’t as much legroom in the rear either.

There are also still some gremlins – we would have liked a touchscreen system, some of the plastics do feel a bit hard-edged and headroom at the back is a bit tight. Fiat, however, has been generous with the amount of storage spaces – we particularly found the small bin at the top of the dash to store your toll tickets and odds and ends quite useful. The Linea also does feel a lot more solidly put-together than the City. You can expect to have fewer squeaks and rattles over the years and the more robust build also gives a greater sense of security.

Step into the City’s cabin and what you’ll immediately notice is how comfortable the seats are. The soft seatback of the driver’s seat holds you snugly in place, and Honda has used generous amounts of cushioning to make it feel almost sofa-like. The new T-shaped dashboard, with its piano-black theme, is quite appealing, and the feather-touch air-con controls function with a slickness that is simply delightful. The piano-black surface, however, is susceptible to scratches, and a reach-adjustable steering would have been ideal. The only part that looks out of place in the cabin is the gearlever, which though extremely easy to operate, looks very basic.

Honda has also made sure the rear seats are supremely comfortable and spacious. The Japanese company has made a name for itself as far space efficiency, or the best use of space, is concerned, and the City is no different. There’s more legroom here than on the old car, and since this car is wider than the car it replaces, three people can sit comfortably in the rear. The rear AC vents work well and there are three 12v power outlets, so your phone never has to run out of charge. Headroom, however, is slightly limited. Honda has also raised the rear parcel shelf, to help it align with the boot, and this hampers rear visibility.

In true Honda fashion, the cabin is littered with cubbyholes to store your various knick-knacks. Also, the City’s 510-litre boot is the largest in this segment, but here’s where you notice a bit of cost cutting, there is no cladding on the inside of the bootlid and Honda has left the metal and wiring exposed.

What’s new?

Fiat’s Linea has always been one of the best looking sedans around. Nice to drive, decently equipped and spacious, it was a car that had a lot going for it. What was missing was that little bit extra, which its competition, namely the Honda City, had plenty of. The cars you see here may resemble the previous Linea and City, but trust us, they’re very different. The City, though it may look like a mere facelift, is all-new. Honda has kept the look of the previous car for reasons of familiarity. And it has put some serious work into this car – it is, after all, the company’s golden child in India. The Linea, on the other hand, is a facelift, but a significant one – Fiat has done away with the old car’s simple lines and has gone for a more premium look, both inside and out. And as far as prices are concerned, they are quite similarly positioned. The City petrol starts from Rs 7.19 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.80 lakh for the top-spec Automatic variant, while the Linea starts from Rs 7.44 lakh for the base T-jet trim and goes up to Rs 9.01 lakh (there’s no automatic Linea). So, does the much-improved Linea stand a fighting chance against the City?

What are they like inside?

Step into the Linea and you’ll be impressed by its stylish Italian cabin. The Linea’s cabin is easily one of the most elegantly designed we’ve seen recently. The cream-coloured section on the dash is finished in soft-touch plastic, and the new two-tone theme and the updated controls on the new central column elevate the cabin to another level. The layout of the dash is much neater, there’s less clutter and the audio system and air-con vents are well integrated.

There are other delights as well. Fiat has used a warm ambient lighting theme that looks positively plush in the night. Fiat’s ‘My Car’ settings allow you to customise a few aspects of the car, like the intensity of the lighting. The Fiat’s seats are good too. The big leather seats are beautifully contoured and the perforated leather feels nice; there really is a real luxury air about the car. The seats, however, are not as comfortable, per se, as the Honda. Support for the back is not as good and there isn’t as much legroom in the rear either.

There are also still some gremlins – we would have liked a touchscreen system, some of the plastics do feel a bit hard-edged and headroom at the back is a bit tight. Fiat, however, has been generous with the amount of storage spaces – we particularly found the small bin at the top of the dash to store your toll tickets and odds and ends quite useful. The Linea also does feel a lot more solidly put-together than the City. You can expect to have fewer squeaks and rattles over the years and the more robust build also gives a greater sense of security.

Step into the City’s cabin and what you’ll immediately notice is how comfortable the seats are. The soft seatback of the driver’s seat holds you snugly in place, and Honda has used generous amounts of cushioning to make it feel almost sofa-like. The new T-shaped dashboard, with its piano-black theme, is quite appealing, and the feather-touch air-con controls function with a slickness that is simply delightful. The piano-black surface, however, is susceptible to scratches, and a reach-adjustable steering would have been ideal. The only part that looks out of place in the cabin is the gearlever, which though extremely easy to operate, looks very basic.

Honda has also made sure the rear seats are supremely comfortable and spacious. The Japanese company has made a name for itself as far space efficiency, or the best use of space, is concerned, and the City is no different. There’s more legroom here than on the old car, and since this car is wider than the car it replaces, three people can sit comfortably in the rear. The rear AC vents work well and there are three 12v power outlets, so your phone never has to run out of charge. Headroom, however, is slightly limited. Honda has also raised the rear parcel shelf, to help it align with the boot, and this hampers rear visibility.

In true Honda fashion, the cabin is littered with cubbyholes to store your various knick-knacks. Also, the City’s 510-litre boot is the largest in this segment, but here’s where you notice a bit of cost cutting, there is no cladding on the inside of the bootlid and Honda has left the metal and wiring exposed.

What’s new?

Fiat’s Linea has always been one of the best looking sedans around. Nice to drive, decently equipped and spacious, it was a car that had a lot going for it. What was missing was that little bit extra, which its competition, namely the Honda City, had plenty of. The cars you see here may resemble the previous Linea and City, but trust us, they’re very different. The City, though it may look like a mere facelift, is all-new. Honda has kept the look of the previous car for reasons of familiarity. And it has put some serious work into this car – it is, after all, the company’s golden child in India. The Linea, on the other hand, is a facelift, but a significant one – Fiat has done away with the old car’s simple lines and has gone for a more premium look, both inside and out. And as far as prices are concerned, they are quite similarly positioned. The City petrol starts from Rs 7.19 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.80 lakh for the top-spec Automatic variant, while the Linea starts from Rs 7.44 lakh for the base T-jet trim and goes up to Rs 9.01 lakh (there’s no automatic Linea). So, does the much-improved Linea stand a fighting chance against the City?

What are they like inside?

Step into the Linea and you’ll be impressed by its stylish Italian cabin. The Linea’s cabin is easily one of the most elegantly designed we’ve seen recently. The cream-coloured section on the dash is finished in soft-touch plastic, and the new two-tone theme and the updated controls on the new central column elevate the cabin to another level. The layout of the dash is much neater, there’s less clutter and the audio system and air-con vents are well integrated.

There are other delights as well. Fiat has used a warm ambient lighting theme that looks positively plush in the night. Fiat’s ‘My Car’ settings allow you to customise a few aspects of the car, like the intensity of the lighting. The Fiat’s seats are good too. The big leather seats are beautifully contoured and the perforated leather feels nice; there really is a real luxury air about the car. The seats, however, are not as comfortable, per se, as the Honda. Support for the back is not as good and there isn’t as much legroom in the rear either.

There are also still some gremlins – we would have liked a touchscreen system, some of the plastics do feel a bit hard-edged and headroom at the back is a bit tight. Fiat, however, has been generous with the amount of storage spaces – we particularly found the small bin at the top of the dash to store your toll tickets and odds and ends quite useful. The Linea also does feel a lot more solidly put-together than the City. You can expect to have fewer squeaks and rattles over the years and the more robust build also gives a greater sense of security.

Step into the City’s cabin and what you’ll immediately notice is how comfortable the seats are. The soft seatback of the driver’s seat holds you snugly in place, and Honda has used generous amounts of cushioning to make it feel almost sofa-like. The new T-shaped dashboard, with its piano-black theme, is quite appealing, and the feather-touch air-con controls function with a slickness that is simply delightful. The piano-black surface, however, is susceptible to scratches, and a reach-adjustable steering would have been ideal. The only part that looks out of place in the cabin is the gearlever, which though extremely easy to operate, looks very basic.

Honda has also made sure the rear seats are supremely comfortable and spacious. The Japanese company has made a name for itself as far space efficiency, or the best use of space, is concerned, and the City is no different. There’s more legroom here than on the old car, and since this car is wider than the car it replaces, three people can sit comfortably in the rear. The rear AC vents work well and there are three 12v power outlets, so your phone never has to run out of charge. Headroom, however, is slightly limited. Honda has also raised the rear parcel shelf, to help it align with the boot, and this hampers rear visibility.

In true Honda fashion, the cabin is littered with cubbyholes to store your various knick-knacks. Also, the City’s 510-litre boot is the largest in this segment, but here’s where you notice a bit of cost cutting, there is no cladding on the inside of the bootlid and Honda has left the metal and wiring exposed.

What’s new?

Fiat’s Linea has always been one of the best looking sedans around. Nice to drive, decently equipped and spacious, it was a car that had a lot going for it. What was missing was that little bit extra, which its competition, namely the Honda City, had plenty of. The cars you see here may resemble the previous Linea and City, but trust us, they’re very different. The City, though it may look like a mere facelift, is all-new. Honda has kept the look of the previous car for reasons of familiarity. And it has put some serious work into this car – it is, after all, the company’s golden child in India. The Linea, on the other hand, is a facelift, but a significant one – Fiat has done away with the old car’s simple lines and has gone for a more premium look, both inside and out. And as far as prices are concerned, they are quite similarly positioned. The City petrol starts from Rs 7.19 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.80 lakh for the top-spec Automatic variant, while the Linea starts from Rs 7.44 lakh for the base T-jet trim and goes up to Rs 9.01 lakh (there’s no automatic Linea). So, does the much-improved Linea stand a fighting chance against the City?

What are they like inside?

Step into the Linea and you’ll be impressed by its stylish Italian cabin. The Linea’s cabin is easily one of the most elegantly designed we’ve seen recently. The cream-coloured section on the dash is finished in soft-touch plastic, and the new two-tone theme and the updated controls on the new central column elevate the cabin to another level. The layout of the dash is much neater, there’s less clutter and the audio system and air-con vents are well integrated.

There are other delights as well. Fiat has used a warm ambient lighting theme that looks positively plush in the night. Fiat’s ‘My Car’ settings allow you to customise a few aspects of the car, like the intensity of the lighting. The Fiat’s seats are good too. The big leather seats are beautifully contoured and the perforated leather feels nice; there really is a real luxury air about the car. The seats, however, are not as comfortable, per se, as the Honda. Support for the back is not as good and there isn’t as much legroom in the rear either.

There are also still some gremlins – we would have liked a touchscreen system, some of the plastics do feel a bit hard-edged and headroom at the back is a bit tight. Fiat, however, has been generous with the amount of storage spaces – we particularly found the small bin at the top of the dash to store your toll tickets and odds and ends quite useful. The Linea also does feel a lot more solidly put-together than the City. You can expect to have fewer squeaks and rattles over the years and the more robust build also gives a greater sense of security.

Step into the City’s cabin and what you’ll immediately notice is how comfortable the seats are. The soft seatback of the driver’s seat holds you snugly in place, and Honda has used generous amounts of cushioning to make it feel almost sofa-like. The new T-shaped dashboard, with its piano-black theme, is quite appealing, and the feather-touch air-con controls function with a slickness that is simply delightful. The piano-black surface, however, is susceptible to scratches, and a reach-adjustable steering would have been ideal. The only part that looks out of place in the cabin is the gearlever, which though extremely easy to operate, looks very basic.

Honda has also made sure the rear seats are supremely comfortable and spacious. The Japanese company has made a name for itself as far space efficiency, or the best use of space, is concerned, and the City is no different. There’s more legroom here than on the old car, and since this car is wider than the car it replaces, three people can sit comfortably in the rear. The rear AC vents work well and there are three 12v power outlets, so your phone never has to run out of charge. Headroom, however, is slightly limited. Honda has also raised the rear parcel shelf, to help it align with the boot, and this hampers rear visibility.

In true Honda fashion, the cabin is littered with cubbyholes to store your various knick-knacks. Also, the City’s 510-litre boot is the largest in this segment, but here’s where you notice a bit of cost cutting, there is no cladding on the inside of the bootlid and Honda has left the metal and wiring exposed.