The overall difference in OD is actually 12mm i.e. 2% and that is well within tolerance limits. And difference can be almost none or major depending on the choice of tyres.

thanks guys for the info and all the ideas back and forth set me thinking in us/canada , and it all came back to me when we upsize by 10 then the profile remains same and the call it plus size 0 ,and if you go wide by 20 then profile goes low by 5 they call it plus size 1 and as long as the overall dynamics remain with 2-4 % the warranties and authorities are happy (legal limits as per transport canada) ,more than that then you are on the other side of law.
Now for breif period the dealer had me with the mumbo jumbo of tire wall being too low so that was the reason i was thinking on the lines of 205 65 R15 now for plus zero option will be 205 60 r15 and plus one will be 215 55 r15.
Now i invite the comments on these two sizes ...how these two will for comfort (keeping in mind the pot holes as this will be family sedan and kids will be along for most part), and overall dynamics i did not get the way you were calculating (maybe it is late in the night or i had too much fun at my cousin's wedding today). Intersted in sidewall calc. too .
I have upgraded my Vista stock rubber from 175/65/R14 to 195/60/R14 and could not be happier the ride is plush it is glide over some serious potholes and village routes which would challange some major SUV'S/MUV'S.
Now as for the car being under powered i do not buy that ....this car gave me enough thrills for my money and i could easily pull away from the big ugly red trucks in a jiffy ........yes bigger MJD engines would be nice but this diesel with 86ps does the job easy.. Indian car scene has changed a lot and it is good that people are demanding more but compared to international market you/we are not being shortchanged here and certainly not by fiat in this case ... most family sedans are in the range of 100-150 bhp and gas (read petrol)bhp is not the same as diesel bhp, now the clincher consider this the gas guzzlers (SUV'S) from chvy and likes have 250-350 bhp and the big rigs thundering down us freeways have 350-500 bhp.
It is a big leap from 50 bhp diesel units and i think it is decent performer in comprasion to other 60-100 bhp diesel powered sedans.Signing off....thanks.

Ishan, what options exist in 205/50/15 these days? I remember having a tough time getting something in that size for my Lancer a while back (1.5 yrs or so?). GY Eagle Ventura was one that was readily available... nothing else of note really. What's the scene now?

205/60R15 is perfect. But 215/55R15 is not good if you are going to use the same rims. Linea comes with 6" width rims (check the spare steel one. Size is written on ouside of the rim). Suggested rim size for 215/55 is 6" to 7.5" and you are on the lower side. This will lead to excessive distortion to the tyre walls and affect fast cornering.

My suggestion would be 195/65 R15 which all others in D segment, Octavia, Civic, Altis are all having. 205/60 R15 is also perfect but you wouldn't get any better GC compared to stock. Or 205/65 R15, which Innova is using should can be another option. It will also make the speedo 100% correct. Original stock tyres make speedo overread about 5-6% higher than actual speed.

But never go for 205/55, by any chance. That would make the diameter too small to an already overreding speedo.

These are my opinions. My next tyre would be 195/65 R15.

i don't think getting a wider foot print is really needed . the stock 195 is good enough but better rubber would surely help . however you could look at something that improves GC as that's the concern with the Linea. Instead of 195/60 look at 195/65 or so.

Any references to this info? Are you sure Fiat haven't compensated for the different stock tyres?

If you are asking about the speedo overreading, that is common practice that manufacturers follow across the globe. About the percentage, yes, both AutoCar India and Overdrive had reported that at 100kmph on speedo, it will be doing about 95Kmph (not sure the exact fractions).

We can do our own verification. Speed in Kmph of Linea at 1000 rpm in fifth gear should be:

rpm x 60 x circumference of wheel in Km / gear ratio / final drive ratio

= 1000 x 60 x {(195 x 60/100 x 2 + 15 x 25.4)/1000/1000 x PI} / 0.767 / 3.929
= 38.468 Kmph

But Linea reads about 40Kmph at 1000 rpm or 100Kmph at about 2500 rpm. Actual speed at 2500rpm should be 38.468*2.5 = 96.17Kmph

Hope that helps.

[Edit:] If you are asking about the rim size, refer Car Bibles : The Wheel and Tyre Bible Page 2 of 2

A few actually, apart from the PP2, you also get S-Drives and Advan Neova's now.

I kind of agree,
I see that the speed shown by my GPS is alwasy 4-8 KMPH less than shown by odo while driving at around 80-100KMPH.

Has any linea owners upsized to 17 inch alloywheels fom the stock 15 inch ?? If yes, has the ground clearance improved ??? And, is it available in market for FIAT showrooms.

I'm eager to know as we are interested in booking a linea and only thing that is stopping us is the low GC which is similar to that of civic's (160 mm).

Vancity,
So did you finally upgrade the tyres for Linea. What size did you chose & which brand? Hows the ride quality, comfort & road noise with the new set?

During my visit to the TASS, the Service Advisor noticed that my Linea's tyres are making more noise than expected. He immediately summoned the Goodyear guy for an inspection.

Goodyear guy found that both the front tyres have a very very slight bulge on the sidewalls (I don’t know where the bulges are. I couldn't see any! )

They offered to take back the tyres on a pro-rata basis (based on my usage) and offer me new ones.

I bluntly refused and finally with the intervention of the service advisor, they offered for a free replacement under warranty.

I told them I would like to go in for another brand of tyres and would like to get a full refund (or) letter to any dealer in Chennai for an exchange for any other brand. They agreed for the latter option (after much push and pull)

I am now in a dilemma. Need your advise in choosing.

I am looking at a set of tyres which would give me
Good ride quality
Low noise
FE
performance & looks

I am confused after reading the various forums.

My Linea's current tyre profile is 195 /60 /R15 88 but i have an itch towards 195/65/15 and 205/55/15 provided this doesnt affect the above parameters.

1. Should I change all the 4 tyres.
(or) can I change only the front ones (with above offer) and save money. Will the latter option arrest tyre noise ?

2. Which of the below ones are good.
(a) Bridgestone Turanza ER 60 - Rs. 4100
(b) Bridgestone Potenza RE 88 - Rs. 4100
(c) Michellin Primary LC - Rs. 4975
(d) Yoko A drive - Rs. 4100
(e) Conti
(f) Goodyear Assurance

The above quotes are obtained through phonecall from LAL, Royapettah, Chennai and I know they are on the higher side.

Your help required in choosing the right set of shoes as well as the Best price for the same (including the existing tyres which has run 13000 kms)

Thanks in advance.

Stick to 195/60 R15.

Ge t the Michelin Primacy LC. Suits your requirements perfectly. The price you got for it is correct.

Dont even think of the ER60 or the RE88 or the A drive.

The Conti is the only one closest to the Michelin but seeing how highly you rate Ride quality and low noise, go for the Primacy LC with eyes closed.

However, do remember that these arent MRFs. You need to drive slowly on bad roads and take care when you see a pothole.

The MPLCs are a good 800 bucks more than competition!

The A-Drives can take the abuse of Indian roads well rite and also less noisy with good ride quality!

I have them on my Tavera and its been doing really well.

How about the CPC2 for Linea!?

A-drives cannot be compared to the Michelin Primacy LC, IMO.