Great comparison almost felt as if I was reading some genuine auto magazine
Both the cars appeal to different segment of buyers. For people like me who self drive would prefer a zippy car with a slight compromise in FE. However people with chauffeurs driven cars (which is a very common sight in India) might not really care about the power and go for the looks and FE of the Linea.
For Fiat its a gamble and wish them luck for the second innings. For Honda it will sell no matter what.