Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of the Italian auto maker Fiat, launched its much awaited Linea T-Jet in the domestic car market on June 10, 2013. The company has introduced three trim levels in its Linea facelift range, which carry price tags between Rs. 7.60 lakh and Rs. 8.80 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Experts believe that the new Linea could hamper the sales of market leaders Honda City and Hyundai Verna.
The new Fiat Linea T-Jet comes equipped with several thoughtful additions, such as automatic headlights, remote operated music system and intelligent rain sensing wipers, along with disc brakes at both front and rear wheels. All the above mentioned features come as standard accessory in the new Linea T-Jet range. Further, much fawned upon safety attributes like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) are available as standard fitments across the three trims, namely Active, Emotion and Dynamic.
Expressing his views on the launch of new 2013 Linea T-Jet range, Nagesh Basavanhalli, President and Managing Director (MD), Fiat Chrysler Operations India, was quoted as saying, “We are optimistic about our prospect for growth in the Indian car market, which is rapidly becoming one of the major markets in the world. With the launch of 2013 Linea T-Jet, an expanding dealer network and upcoming marketing initiatives, we will be in a strong position to capitalise on this growth. With the differences in the prices of petrol and diesel neutralising, we are witnessing a rise in the consumption of petrol cars once again.”
Basavanhalli further added, “The 2013 Linea T-Jet which is available in three variants Active, Dynamic and Emotion, offers a perfect blend of sophisticated style, guaranteed performance, class leading comfort, outstanding ride and handling with unbeatable toughness. The 2013 Linea T-Jet is sure to capitalise in the C plus segment, which is one of the fastest growing segments in the Indian car market.”
Under its hood, the updated Fiat Linea T-Jet is powered by a 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol power-mill that develops a top power output of 113 bhp and highest torque delivery of 207 Nm. This 1.4 litre engine returns a decent fuel economy of 15.7 kmpl and comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission system. It must be noted that 2013 Linea T-Jet is the only mid-size sedan with a turbocharged petrol power-mill available in the Indian auto market. Bundled with premium looks, powerful engine and top draw features, the Fiat mid-size sedan competes against the likes of Honda City, Hyundai Verna Fluidic, Volkswagen Vento, Ford Fiesta, Maruti Suzuki SX4 and Skoda Rapid models in the country.
