Fiat Linea 1.3 Multijet

The Linea looks and feels so much more expensive than it actually is

Published on Dec 08, 2009 08:00:00 AM

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The motor under the hood is a very familiar one. Fiat’s 1.3 Multi-jet powers everything from the Palio, to the Swift to the Indica Vista and that’s because it truly is an outstanding motor. But isn’t a 1.3 litre too puny for something as large as this car? Ordinarily it would be. Fiat however has made alterations to the motor that has increased its volumetric efficiency. A larger capacity variable vane turbo replaces the smaller fixed turbo and that in effect means that this motor now behaves like a larger capacity motor. Power is up to 90bhp from the normal 75 and there is an increase in torque too. The variable geometry turbo acts like a small capacity turbo at low engine speeds, responding quickly, and then, when more power is required at higher engine speeds, the vanes change position offering a greater surface area and increased turbo boost for additional power. The car in India also has a larger capacity radiator, underbody protection and a more powerful air con system.

We expected the larger body of the Linea to mask the diesel clatter of the 1.3 Multi-jet better than the small cars this motor otherwise powers. However, this is not the case. Though idle is smooth and vibration-free, the motor turns slightly gruff and boomy in the midrange. It’s not intolerable and is actually much quieter than the diesels in the Skodas but we feel the Linea could have been less noisy.
The Linea’s motor displays the same non-linear or peaky power delivery that that is characteristic of this Multi-jet engine. You get the same rush of torque but with the VGT, the turbo kicks in much earlier. Though there is a noticeable turbo lag initially, the motor gets progressively more responsive from 1400rpm and you are well and truly on boost once you cross 1800rpm. The midrange is nice and punchy and the bigger turbo also means the motor has more pulling power and goes on hard till 4500rpm. The Linea’s short gearing is great for city driving and the big Fiat always feels like it has a spring in its step. Floor it, wait a bit and then whoosh, the Linea takes off in a way that makes you think it has more than 90bhp under its hood. The in-gear acceleration times which are actually faster than more powerful rivals like the Verna diesel confirm Linea’s mid-range potency.

The strong mid-range is great for overtaking on the highway too but flat out acceleration, the kind you need when overtaking a fast-moving car, isn’t that impressive. It takes 15 seconds to reach 100 and 30.8 to reach 140kph. This is good going if you place the Linea next to the Fiesta, but cars like the Verna will still eat it for lunch.
The gearbox has a long throw but the shift action is delightfully positive and relatively light too.

For its size and weight, the Linea returned some impressive figures. The short gearing, which allows the car to run in the higher gears at city speeds, paid dividends in our urban cycle and the car posted an average of 12.9kpl, with only the lighter saloons doing better. On the highway, a figure of 17.5kpl was not as impressive, the short gearing not ideal for highway economy.