Cartrade Comparison Test
The Italians are renowned for their beauty and tastes while the Japanese are known for their aggression. The Fiat Linea like any other Italian car looks beautiful. Long lines, relaxed stance and subtle profile on the body make it look very calm. The Honda City has the looks of an aggressive car with razor sharp lines. Honda City has set a benchmark for other sedans in its class. Honda City is available at a price range of Rs. 6.99 - Rs. 11.03 lakhs (Ex-Showroom Mumbai) while the Linea is available at Rs. 7.01 - Rs. 9.6 lakhs (Ex-Showroom Mumbai).
Both the sedans endorse premium interiors and quality finish. The Honda City is powered by an i-VTEC engine which is a very athletic motor while the Linea is more of a comfort sedan. Comparing these two sedans is like comparing wine with a samurai sword. The sword with its edges can slash the competition while the wine can lure the competition in its favor. Read to know more about them.
Fiat Linea Vs Honda City Exteriors
The Linea has always been a beautiful car. The lines and the curves on the car have always created an impression that not engineers but artists have designed it. In the C+ segment, it is a bigger luxurious sedan compared to its rivals like the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna.
The curvy bulging front profile is balanced by a big protruding rear. It is big indeed but does not look out of place. The rear profile has more of smart lines running across it. Something that I appreciate about the entire design is the use of chrome. One can see chrome on all the profiles of the car, but still it’s not on the face. It has been kept very subtle and uniformly balanced throughout.
Sleek tail lamps along with the long stretched radiator grille make the front design of the Honda City very sporty. The radiator grille has been generously treated with chrome but very tastefully and does not look tacky at all. The front bonnet flows towards the nose of the front fascia. On the front bumpers is the contrast black air intake vent which gels well with the overall design.
The City is based on the Arrow shot form design which is seen on the raised shoulder line from the headlights to the rear profile. In the mid life facelift the ground clearance of the City has been improved and is now at 165mm which is a welcome change over the earlier offering as the lower section used to get scraped while crossing speed breakers especially when the car was filled with occupants.
Fiat Linea Vs Honda City Interiors
Inside the Honda City, the instrumental panel is soft blue lit display with three rings in an aluminum finish which show the speedometer, tachometer and the fuel left. It is a very clean arrangement. There 3 spoke steering wheel offers a very precise grip, it also has steering mounted controls for audio as well as cruise control settings.
The central panel has been done very neatly with the correct colour combinations of light beige teamed with dark plastics. The plastic quality is fantastic and so it the materials used in the door trims.
Seating inside the Honda City is very comfortable as it has been cushioned really well. Even for taller passengers there is no discomfort of any sort. The legroom and the headroom offered for the front row of passengers is superb while for the rear row of passengers the same is decent.
While in the Fiat Linea Dynamic variant, the front row seating is comfortable. The beige colored seats are very nicely tailored, though it can be an issue with the kids spilling things on it. The front legroom is good. Everything remains similar as compared to the earlier version except the rear seats, which don’t drop down any longer.
Coming to the rear section of the car, the headroom and the legroom are not strong points of it. Taller passengers will have an issue adjusting themselves in the rear seats.
The steering wheel on the dynamic is tilt adjustable and also features media and other controls to access the Bluetooth integrated phone feature, which pairs with the phone effortlessly. The instrumental panel is very neat and has the speedometer and the odometer inside chrome rings.
Fiat Linea Vs Honda City Performance
In the new Fiat Linea specifications have been retained without any changes. It has a 1368cc, F.I.R.E engine. It produces 90 PS at 6000 rpm and a torque of 115 Nm at 4500 rpm. The engine is meted with a 5-spped manual transmission. The Linea indeed is a car for those who relish driving. Twist the keys and like an obedient follower of your commands, she is ready for the drive. The gear shits are smooth and are a pleasure on highways as well as in city conditions. The noise buffering inside the cabin cancels out any excess noise, which is again a relief in the chaotic city traffic.
With the Fiat Linea, One has to be behaving maturely and patiently. This is not a car, which you can just squeeze in anywhere or drive around abruptly. It is more of the joy of driving.
While in the Honda City, no one can oppose the finesse and performance rating of the i-VTEC engine. It is a treat of every sort. This engine behaves in the exact way we want it to. While commuting, it becomes very subtle. With extremely low NVH levels, this engine is not audible at all. This unit which is matured on commuting also behaves in an enthusiastic way when teased. The way the i-VTEC growls at peak rpms is simply addictive and makes one push the engine really hard. The Honda City is powered by a 1.5 L, 4 cylinder i-VTEC engine which produces a maximum power of 118 PS at 6600 rpm and a torque of 146 Nm at 4800 rpm. This engine is offered in a 5 speed manual as well as in 5 speed automatic options which comes with paddle shift.
Fiat Linea Vs Honda City Conclusion
With gorgeous looks and a smooth heart, the Fiat Linea indeed is an impressive choice. Now I understand why Fiat enjoys so many fan clubs around.
Fiat has been in news for some time now; the international version of the Linea got a face lift, which has a redesigned front chin as well as change in the rear license plate position, which has been shifted to the boot lid. I liked the rear profile change but the newly designed chin doesn’t find an admirer in me.
As for the Honda City, it still remains a favorite with petrol heads. The all new Amaze has a 1.5L diesel engine so it is highly anticipated that City might borrow the diesel unit from this entry level sedan. The possibility of this happening is not soon so till then it’s the petrol unit only which quenches the performance needs.
