[amit]

Originally Posted by freddie

Firstly, they delay the launch of the Linea by almost over nine months from the original intended date of release.

When did this happen? Fiat has always said that the Linea will be out in September 2008. Where did you get this information from?

That aside FIAT has always been touting the Linea as a Civic sized car at City prices. Right from day one that has been their main USP. I am sure that since almost all frontline Indian Auto magazines have been harping on this, the initial indication for the same must have originated from FIAT itself.

You mean the same magazines that told us that the Jetta would be priced at SX4 and NHC levels?

Sadly, I feel this is going to be farthest from the truth and all us Linea enthusiasts are going to be in for a rude shock. Linea at Rs.7 lacs – Ha! – I say this is virtually impossible. Yeah! eventually they will (maybe) offer us the 1.4 Fire 77bHp Active Petrol version, (stripped down and barebones at that) for around Rs.7 lacs and pull the price to above Rs.11.50 lacs for the fully loaded 1.4 16 V T-Jet 120bHp Emotion Linea (that too, one wonders if they would offer all the options that are internationally available even at that price)

Anyone expecting the Linea to be priced at 5-7 lakhs is heading for major disappointment. Maybe it's some magazines that have upped our excitement but, I, honestly, feel that the base petrol variant would start from a shade under 7 lakhs. As for the car not having options avaliable internationally, the CEO did say that the top end variant would get Blue&Me. Let's see if they deliver on what they said. And yea, there is going to be no T-Jet variant. Don't expect it and you wouldn't be disappointed .

It would be nothing short of a miracle if a fully loaded Linea were to retail for around Rs.9 lacs making it an approximately Rs.10 lac car on-road. Even at Rs.10 lacs it would be way over the estimated price indication given.

Rs.10 lacs OTR for top end 90hp MJD Linea with Blue&Me would be a really good price. If they can give us dual zone ACC and sunroof it would be even better.

[Crazy_Eddy]

Originally Posted by amit

Rs.10 lacs OTR for top end 90hp MJD Linea with Blue&Me would be a really good price. If they can give us dual zone ACC and sunroof it would be even better.

Whats the point behind a sunroof?

As for dual-zone ACC - Don't expect it and you won't be disappointed
Seriously, if they want to keep costs low, frills such as these will obviously be left out.

[autoenthusiast]

With the City launching before the Linea, I guess this car is off my list. Lost faith in the Fiat management.

[ajnagpur]

Me & fellow BHPian ThrottleKing spotted this camouflaged beauty yesterday afternoon in Vadgaon Sheri. It was raining, so couldn’t take as many pics. Please excuse for the mobile picture quality.

The car is long & huge with an awesome road presence.

[Ricky_63]

Certainly looks promising - were you able to tell what engine it was running ? Any deisel clatter ? How did it accelerate wrt to the car you were in (may give some idea of performance)

nice catch




Cheers

[Fountainheader]

Nice catch there! Now that the whole world knows that the Linea is going to be launched between "Sep and Dec", why are they still running around camouflaged cars ?

[dude131]

Originally Posted by Fountainheader

Nice catch there! Now that the whole world knows that the Linea is going to be launched between "Sep and Dec", why are they still running around camouflaged cars ?

The whole world except for the Fiat Management team. Most of them still think it is the 1990's.
Or another reason could be that the people at their Service station are to lazy / incompetent to remove the tape.

[sridharp77]

Yesterday, Saturday (20th September) i gave a call to Babu the main mechanic of Green Tracks to fix an appointment for the servicing of my palio. He told me that he is on one week training and will return only on Friday. Not sure for what training as i did not ask him about it. Hoping that Linea is launched soon as i too am waiting for the car for sometime now. Then it will be third fiat car in my garage. Already own a palio petrol and disel variant.

[GeekSrik]

ajnagpur, that sure is a beauty you have there. the second snap is just amazing. the cars road presence is commanding surely and I just hope they price it right. Awesome length really. this is sure gonna be one non claustrophobic car. (to know what claustrophobic is and the feeling of getting asphyxiated is, sit in a swift )

great pics man. it truly shows the essence of a fiat beauty!

[finneyp]

Wow, Linea looks awesome!

Hope they price it well and also offer a good exchange price for existing Fiat owners!

[HKP]

PLEASE WATERMARK ASAP

\\hkp

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by HKP

PLEASE WATERMARK ASAP

\\hkp

why? You can get a dozen good professionally taken pics of the Linea from the Fiat Linea website!!!

[TheARUN]

Just my thoughts; manufacturers take so much trouble to camouflage their cars and that make them stand out. If the Linea was without camouflage, then nobody would have given it a second glance thinking it was just another foreign car!

[MuraliR]

wow! wow! that's a very good catch.
The Linea definitely looks promising.

[dude131]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

Just my thoughts; manufacturers take so much trouble to camouflage their cars and that make them stand out. If the Linea was without camouflage, then nobody would have given it a second glance thinking it was just another foreign car!

it helps them to create buzz and discussion about their cars from car enthusiast like us free of cost.