Team-BHP > The Indian Car Scene


Closed Thread
  Search this Thread
103,445 views
Old 16th August 2013, 12:25   #31
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 413
Thanked: 496 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

overkill of chrome...why o why???

the current Linea looks so neat and classy without it...but love the front grill..gives it a more muscular feel
amitayu is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 16th August 2013, 13:06   #32
Senior - BHPian
 
parrys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Thane - Mumbai
Posts: 1,567
Thanked: 7,784 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

Bumper aside, the front grille looks very familiar to the old Hyundai Verna.

The Fiat Linea Facelift, bookings open now-377499_10150437323354387_1948827945_n.jpg
parrys is online now   (1) Thanks
Old 16th August 2013, 13:21   #33
Senior - BHPian
 
extreme_torque's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 4,362
Thanked: 5,051 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

The good bit is that they will continue selling the current Linea. Prefer the looks of the current one to this any day.
extreme_torque is offline  
Old 16th August 2013, 14:26   #34
BHPian
 
ZBlue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 97
Thanked: 157 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

This should be called "Linea - Chrome Edition"
ZBlue is offline  
Old 16th August 2013, 14:39   #35
BHPian
 
deadguy25's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 393
Thanked: 221 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

Why would they want to spoil a good looking car? Is it because they simply want to face-lift it?
deadguy25 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 16th August 2013, 14:48   #36
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bhubaneswar
Posts: 1,762
Thanked: 537 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by extreme_torque View Post
The good bit is that they will continue selling the current Linea. Prefer the looks of the current one to this any day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZBlue View Post
This should be called "Linea - Chrome Edition"
Quote:
Originally Posted by deadguy25 View Post
Why would they want to spoil a good looking car? Is it because they simply want to face-lift it?
I think we may have to accept that pretty much any face-lift done to the exteriors would have made the Linea look worse that what it looks like now.

Also, if FIAT had left the exteriors alone, people would have said that FIAT is being lazy and not changing the design. Though I hope they do make one change to the exteriors, ie return to the earlier lower stance and reduce the GC back to the 170mm level, from the present 185/190mm.

At least the interiors are taking a good step forward. Also, despite the not so good changes, I still think this looks far better than anything else available in its segment.

Last edited by julupani : 16th August 2013 at 14:50.
julupani is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 17th August 2013, 15:51   #37
BHPian
 
mohit333's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 45
Thanked: 2 Times
re: The Fiat Linea Facelift, bookings open now

The current car with a 1.6L MJD with improved levels of service is what one needs today. Just too much chrome on this one!! Most people aspire to own a FIAT until the thought of after sales service causes jitters that cannot even be measured on a richter scale!
mohit333 is offline  
Old 17th August 2013, 23:47   #38
Senior - BHPian
 
arjab's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MAA/CCU
Posts: 1,410
Thanked: 5,328 Times
re: The Fiat Linea Facelift, bookings open now

The Linea and Punto are cars which sport classical, timeless styling.
Why did Fiat need to fiddle around with the design is beyond comprehension. .

The refreshed Turkish Linea front end, (which is the same as the one we will get in India), looks confused and contrived - almost as if it has been designed by some amateur design guy rather than an Italian styling house!
Had they left out the odd - V-shaped chrome bit in the front bumper, possibly some sort of aesthetic redemption could have taken place.

The dash looks nice and the music system I am sure will be an upgraded one with SatNav and other device compatibility.

If FIAT INDIA continues the old (i.e. the current Linea), alongside the refreshed Linea, then I am sure the old look will only be available in Active and Dynamic with the lesser gasoline engines with the top variants carrying the refreshed looks and the higher trim levels, including T-Jet.

Will all of this raise sales of the Linea? Possibly yes,with the lower, old look Linea selling more (because its price will definitely be re-aligned) and the new look will continue to hobble along.
arjab is online now  
Old 18th August 2013, 11:11   #39
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Faridabad/Delhi
Posts: 1,701
Thanked: 776 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by julupani View Post
At least the interiors are taking a good step forward.
But will the Indian Linea get them? Fiat's major markets are LHD. The small size of RHD markets may prevent the additional investment required for separate dies for the RHD dash. When Palio Version 3 (called Palio Stile here) was introduced abroad, the dash was changed but not here in India.
directinjection is offline  
Old 18th August 2013, 11:25   #40
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bhubaneswar
Posts: 1,762
Thanked: 537 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by directinjection View Post
But will the Indian Linea get them? Fiat's major markets are LHD. The small size of RHD markets may prevent the additional investment required for separate dies for the RHD dash. When Palio Version 3 (called Palio Stile here) was introduced abroad, the dash was changed but not here in India.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3207268

Check the first picture in the above post and compare it with pictures of the improved interiors of the Turkish made Linea. You can see that the improved interior is actually coming to India.
julupani is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 19th August 2013, 14:55   #41
BHPian
 
Tats07's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Redmond, US
Posts: 356
Thanked: 89 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by directinjection View Post
But will the Indian Linea get them? Fiat's major markets are LHD. The small size of RHD markets may prevent the additional investment required for separate dies for the RHD dash.
I do not know the mechanical or technical changes involved, but if you have noticed, for all European cars, the steering unit is a straight lift from LHD cars into RHD cars. That possibly explains the different placement of indicator stalks. At least in terms of the design, they do not change it like Honda does. So there may not actually be any investment in terms of design.

I have seen the same thing in Opel Astras as well.
Tats07 is offline  
Old 19th August 2013, 15:12   #42
Senior - BHPian
 
gemithomas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Trivandrum
Posts: 2,366
Thanked: 143 Times
re: The Fiat Linea Facelift, bookings open now

Hope they find a good vendor to produce good looking mudflaps atleast this time! Its sad to see all these beautiful cars running around with oversized and awkward looking after market flaps.
gemithomas is offline  
Old 19th August 2013, 15:15   #43
Senior - BHPian
 
akshay4587's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chandigarh/Mohali/Ambala Cantt
Posts: 4,151
Thanked: 4,525 Times
re: The Fiat Linea Facelift, bookings open now

Quote:
Originally Posted by gemithomas View Post
Hope they find a good vendor to produce good looking mudflaps atleast this time! Its sad to see all these beautiful cars running around with oversized and awkward looking after market flaps.
Errr,this has already been fixed in the Absolute editions.
Those oversized flaps are long gone.I dont use Mudflaps in mine
akshay4587 is offline  
Old 19th August 2013, 16:14   #44
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Faridabad/Delhi
Posts: 1,701
Thanked: 776 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tats07 View Post
I do not know the mechanical or technical changes involved,
You need separate dies for RHD and LHD orientation dashboards. The expenditure involved is said to be quite substantial. You can have a modular design also (used by Tata in Tatamobile/Estate/Sierra/207) wherein the dashboard is made up of separate interchangeable parts that allows both RHD & LHD versions using the same pieces. However, the joints affect the aesthetics.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tats07 View Post
but if you have noticed, for all European cars, the steering unit is a straight lift from LHD cars into RHD cars. That possibly explains the different placement of indicator stalks. At least in terms of the design, they do not change it like Honda does. So there may not actually be any investment in terms of design. I have seen the same thing in Opel Astras as well.
That a cost saving technique not yet prohibited by Motor Vehicles Rules. It results in avoidable confusion for the driver.
directinjection is offline  
Old 19th August 2013, 18:44   #45
Senior - BHPian
 
khoj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dilli
Posts: 2,718
Thanked: 1,287 Times
Re: Fiat Linea facelift caught testing in India

The excise department has clarified that mere ground clearance is not the sole criteria for classification of a vehicle as SUV. Body & chassis style/type considered along with the various measurements will classify a given vehicle as SUV. Sedans were specifically mentioned as "not being SUVs" in the note.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sommos View Post
This would be interesting now.

The 1.6 MJD with the present 190mm GC would be classified as SUV for the tax purpose. Will wait and see how Fiat tackles this issue; I hope the GC will be brought back to the earlier 175mm.

Most importantly the pricing of the product has to be spot on and aggressive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rohanjf View Post
From the photos, it looks like the test car has more than 170 mm of ground clearance. I hope these test cars are only reusing the components from current Linea, and production models will have lower ground clearance that make it a car and not an SUV (for excise duty reasons)!


When I had a chance to speak to Mr. Basavanhalli (MD of the new Fiat India company) a few weeks ago, he mentioned clearly that they are not even evaluating launching an automatic transmission in Fiat models in near future.


The two 'failed' models are powered by FIAT's golden mule the 1.3 MJD, why would they want to change it. Their own new models will be getting the 1.6 MJD mill soon enough.

As for them having ruined an opportunity and being sidelined etc. Well, since they are now stuck to their chairs thanks to your strong adhesive, let us give FIAT some credit for having come this far and see whether their efforts bring in better results.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fiestarry View Post
FIAT seems to be in a daze most of the time. It has a punch drunk approach to India. What on earth are they doing with more and more iterations of the same two failed models with no changes to the design / engines.
The top brass at FIAT INDIA need mention here. If they can hold onto their jobs with such abysmal sales then they need to be commended for the quality of adhesive they use on their chairs.
They have ruined an absolutely good opportunity by the half hearted approach. Now FIAT is consigned to side lines and will have to struggle to eke out even as late entrants with lesser abilities have made it in India



Your take on their A.S.S. Is it based on personal experience or hearsay?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mohit333 View Post
The current car with a 1.6L MJD with improved levels of service is what one needs today. Just too much chrome on this one!! Most people aspire to own a FIAT until the thought of after sales service causes jitters that cannot even be measured on a richter scale!


One of the biggest markets for FIAT is South Africa and they like us are a RHD country, so no need to worry on the switch between left and right.

Quote:
Originally Posted by directinjection View Post
But will the Indian Linea get them? Fiat's major markets are LHD. The small size of RHD markets may prevent the additional investment required for separate dies for the RHD dash. When Palio Version 3 (called Palio Stile here) was introduced abroad, the dash was changed but not here in India.

Japan, is again a RHD country, so Honda along with other JAP companies are not doing anything special. I wonder if the JAPs switch the configurations in the vehicles that they sell in the Western World on account of stringent regulations etc.

Here of course the manufacturers from the LHD markets never bothered to make the necessary changes. Having said that, this might be set precedent already prevalent in other older RHD markets such as Australia, Japan, SA etc. Maybe a member who has observed the configuration in a European/U.S. made vehicle in any of these countries can clarify.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tats07 View Post
I do not know the mechanical or technical changes involved, but if you have noticed, for all European cars, the steering unit is a straight lift from LHD cars into RHD cars. That possibly explains the different placement of indicator stalks. At least in terms of the design, they do not change it like Honda does. So there may not actually be any investment in terms of design.

I have seen the same thing in Opel Astras as well.
khoj is offline  
Closed Thread

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks