The Linea has always been more of a Honda City or Hyundai Verna competitor, but Fiat recently reworked its model range, chopping some equipment, re-pricing and re-branding the base models as Linea ‘Classics’. This has allowed its price to creep into the popular budget saloon segment. But by skimping on equipment, has the Linea Classic become a bit too stripped down, or will the big-car, small-price advantage win Fiat more customers?
The other hurdle Fiat has to overcome is the entry saloon segment rivals - the Honda Amaze and Maruti Dzire - both proven winners, and their combination of value for money and all-round performance make them hard to beat. Like the Linea Classic, the Sail is bigger than the Dzire and the Amaze, but Chevrolet has still managed to price it less than them. Which one of these accomplished entry-level saloons will come out on top?
The Linea, Sail and Dzire share the same basic 1.3-litre turbo-diesel engine, though different tuning means the way they behave on the road is very different. The Sail has a power rating of 77bhp, while the Swift and Linea engines are good for 74 and 75bhp, respectively (the Fiat has been detuned from the standard Linea, which produces 89bhp).
While none of these three cars feels particularly peppy at low speeds, the Linea, with its shorter gear ratios, has adequate power and feels quite eager in the city. But, the shorter gearing also makes the engine work harder at higher speeds. However, so often, the Linea feels strained and the diesel lacks sufficient grunt for outright speed. In fact, the motor feels strained when you try and drive fast. It’ll hit 100kph in 18.92sec, a full second slower than the regular 89bhp Linea diesel. Continued..
Saptarshi Mondal
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Saumil Shah
