New Fiat Linea Classic Arrives: The Low-Cost Version of Linea
- Thread Starter 350Z
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Re: New Fiat Linea Classic Arrives Tomorrow
Thank You. Considering the length of this car, the new Linea Classic is superb price. But IMO, still it has very minor chances to get succeed. In my opinion, If they really wanted to be more successful, they would have been trimmed the size of this car, provided better interiors, complete safety package etc.
For the price of Diesel Linea Classic Plus segment, people go around and choose the best performing, best mileage giving and not to forget the best interior, best safety available cars. For example, people would get the complete package in Swift Dzire ZDI for that price. So as, Ford Classic, Chevvy Sail, Tata Manza and Etios etc comes more or less for the price of Linea Classic Plus. The Extra benefit is, all those cars almost comes with complete package.
So, IMO, the chances are very minor for the success of these Linea Classic variants. However, Let's cross the fingers and wish the Fiat the best.![[clap]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Clap.gif "Clap [clap]")
I am in total agreement to your point on price cut
Thank You. Considering the length of this car, the new Linea Classic is superb price. But IMO, still it has very minor chances to get succeed. In my opinion, If they really wanted to be more successful, they would have been trimmed the size of this car, provided better interiors, complete safety package etc.
For the price of Diesel Linea Classic Plus segment, people go around and choose the best performing, best mileage giving and not to forget the best interior, best safety available cars. For example, people would get the complete package in Swift Dzire ZDI for that price. So as, Ford Classic, Chevvy Sail, Tata Manza and Etios etc comes more or less for the price of Linea Classic Plus. The Extra benefit is, all those cars almost comes with complete package.
So, IMO, the chances are very minor for the success of these Linea Classic variants. However, Let's cross the fingers and wish the Fiat the best.
Thread Starter
#33
TSIVipul was at ground zero this noon on behalf of The Automotive India. Watch out for our detailed coverage. Meanwhile, enjoy this TVC of New Linea Classic.
Fiat Linea Classic Launch - YouTube
Fiat Linea Classic Launch - YouTube
Drive Safe,
350Z
i dont know why they use small wheels in form of cost saving methode fiat linea classic now gets 14 inche steel wheels ![[frustration]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Frustration.gif "Frustration [frustration]")
there no such difference price between 14 inche n 15 inche wheels hardly few hundred rupees not more![[anger]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Anger.gif "Anger [anger]")
there no such difference price between 14 inche n 15 inche wheels hardly few hundred rupees not more
New Fiat Linea Classic Launch Coverage
Fiat Linea – it’s already more than four years when this car was launchedbut this is one such a piece of art that still grabs some eyeballs from wherever it goes. This car has got looks, features, priced well, has got a ‘diesel’ engine that is fuel efficient too. Yes it compromised on performance and the engines were not actually what this car deserved but then Fiat introduced the brutal T-JET engine too and that also at a very competitive price. Still this car hasn’t sold and that’s the bitter truth about this car. Despite of having all the ingredients for being a decent player (If not a winner) in its segment, Fiat Linea was never able to make a mark. Some blame Tata for that and some blame Fiat, well as said by Mr.Nagesh Basavanhalli (President and M.D. FIAT Chrysler Operations India) today when he was asked on the same “Leave the past and we are interested in today and tomorrow”. Same is my opinion, forget what was past, and let’s see what is today.
They have got two good cars and have the plans for tomorrow, that’s it. New Linea is around the corner and hence instead of phasing off the current version, Fiat also decided to take the same route as various other manufacturers have taken (For example Ford with Classic and Fiesta and Tata with Safari and Storme) and it made the current Linea go under the scissor, cut all the unnecessary things, bring the prices down and make it feel value for money (Ask Indians what’s VFM is and Maruti Suzuki will tell you how important it is to consider this factor in India) and presented us this car. Friends, let’s meet the new player in entry level sedan segment – FIAT LINEA CLASSIC.
As per the plan, we reached the venue sharp at 12:30(I know I was supposed to reach earlier but thanks to NCR roads and traffic) and first time in my life experienced the Fiat Caffe, no doubt it is fantastic, a must visit for any auto enthusiast in NCR at least. Leaving the Fiat Caffe and the tasty sandwiches behind, we simply went on first floor and took a place from where we could sheet the event (Yes, the place was really small and there was no place to even stand-forget to shoot, on the ground floor). The first thing we noticed was “Longest car in the price segment”. This gave us a straight ahead hint that price is the key factor behind this product plan and same was proved with the revelation of prices (which we will talk later).
So came a beautiful girl with a beautiful voice and started some chirping (which I haven’t listened at least) and then she called for the first name – Mr. Marius D Lima (Head – Corporate Communication) he came up, introduced us with the brand and explained the basic idea of what we people were going to see within a couple of minutes and gave a word or two on the way Fiat is improving its service and customer support. Soon came Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli and mentioned some facts like:
Fiat has already opened 79 exclusive dealerships across the country.
21 more dealerships getting readied and will be open in this fiscal itself, hence making the number of dealerships 100 which was the target set and of course achieved.
He also mentioned various programs for improving A.S.S. and customer experience. No doubt hearing him was quite assuring that Fiat brand is going to have a future in India. Soon after him, the stage was taken by Mr. Tarun Khanna (Head – Product Strategy and Planning) and he mentioned the various USPs of the car (which we will talk later) and gave us an insight of what features, specs etc we can expect in the car. Adding to it was the line “This car is not a hatch tucked with a boot but is a proper sedan”. And yes, he also announced that 1.4l petrol engine has been discontinued in Linea(Only T-Jet and Multijet remains) but will be available in Linea Classic only.
Very quickly we were again looking at the beautiful girl on the stage again speaking something which again I ignored and the only words I understood were ‘Vilas Nayak’. Okay, so it was painter Vilas Nayak who made a fantastic painting of Linea on black canvas, in fact he gave the same message of “this is a sedan not a hatch tucked with a boot” in a very artistic way by first of all making a hatchback, then adding a boot to it, after which he simply had some bad expressions and actions and then converted it into a Linea as a proper sedan with proper shape and proportions like a sedan(Yes I have the complete 7 minutes long video and will upload it for you people to see and enjoy by tomorrow). Soon after this fantastic display of art,it was Vilas Nayak who got the red curtain off the car we got the first glimpse of this white beauty(yes, the one we have been seeing since four years) with her new name(you can say with a ‘surname’).
They have got two good cars and have the plans for tomorrow, that’s it. New Linea is around the corner and hence instead of phasing off the current version, Fiat also decided to take the same route as various other manufacturers have taken (For example Ford with Classic and Fiesta and Tata with Safari and Storme) and it made the current Linea go under the scissor, cut all the unnecessary things, bring the prices down and make it feel value for money (Ask Indians what’s VFM is and Maruti Suzuki will tell you how important it is to consider this factor in India) and presented us this car. Friends, let’s meet the new player in entry level sedan segment – FIAT LINEA CLASSIC.
As per the plan, we reached the venue sharp at 12:30(I know I was supposed to reach earlier but thanks to NCR roads and traffic) and first time in my life experienced the Fiat Caffe, no doubt it is fantastic, a must visit for any auto enthusiast in NCR at least. Leaving the Fiat Caffe and the tasty sandwiches behind, we simply went on first floor and took a place from where we could sheet the event (Yes, the place was really small and there was no place to even stand-forget to shoot, on the ground floor). The first thing we noticed was “Longest car in the price segment”. This gave us a straight ahead hint that price is the key factor behind this product plan and same was proved with the revelation of prices (which we will talk later).
So came a beautiful girl with a beautiful voice and started some chirping (which I haven’t listened at least) and then she called for the first name – Mr. Marius D Lima (Head – Corporate Communication) he came up, introduced us with the brand and explained the basic idea of what we people were going to see within a couple of minutes and gave a word or two on the way Fiat is improving its service and customer support. Soon came Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli and mentioned some facts like:
Fiat has already opened 79 exclusive dealerships across the country.
21 more dealerships getting readied and will be open in this fiscal itself, hence making the number of dealerships 100 which was the target set and of course achieved.
He also mentioned various programs for improving A.S.S. and customer experience. No doubt hearing him was quite assuring that Fiat brand is going to have a future in India. Soon after him, the stage was taken by Mr. Tarun Khanna (Head – Product Strategy and Planning) and he mentioned the various USPs of the car (which we will talk later) and gave us an insight of what features, specs etc we can expect in the car. Adding to it was the line “This car is not a hatch tucked with a boot but is a proper sedan”. And yes, he also announced that 1.4l petrol engine has been discontinued in Linea(Only T-Jet and Multijet remains) but will be available in Linea Classic only.
Very quickly we were again looking at the beautiful girl on the stage again speaking something which again I ignored and the only words I understood were ‘Vilas Nayak’. Okay, so it was painter Vilas Nayak who made a fantastic painting of Linea on black canvas, in fact he gave the same message of “this is a sedan not a hatch tucked with a boot” in a very artistic way by first of all making a hatchback, then adding a boot to it, after which he simply had some bad expressions and actions and then converted it into a Linea as a proper sedan with proper shape and proportions like a sedan(Yes I have the complete 7 minutes long video and will upload it for you people to see and enjoy by tomorrow). Soon after this fantastic display of art,it was Vilas Nayak who got the red curtain off the car we got the first glimpse of this white beauty(yes, the one we have been seeing since four years) with her new name(you can say with a ‘surname’).
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Re: Fiat Linea Classic launch..
Here are some words from the press release:
“FIAT has come out with this celebratory offer keeping the consumers’ sentiments and their needs in mind where they can avail maximum benefits at an unbeatable price. The beautiful Linea Classic is available in five colors namely Oceanic Blue, Tucsan Wine, Minimal Grey, Hip Hop Black and Pearl White in 1.4L petrol engine – Classic variant and 1.3L Multijet diesel engine – Classic and Classic+ variant. The new(What is new I am yet to find BTW :P) Fiat Linea Clasic has best in class features and class leading equipments such as Hydraulic Power Steering, Programmable speed limit buzzer, Dual Parabola Headlamps, Fire Prevention System and many others that are going to delight its owners.”
Now knowing it all, let’s move to the prices, well the prices are really on the competitive side:
*Prices are ex-showroom Delhi:
What we get for our money now?
Omissions are:
IMHO:
What Fiat has basically done? They have simply cut the cost in the car at every possible place and then are trying to sell it in the market. Lets take all the points one after another:
Engine: This car which already needed a bigger engine is given something that is synonym to just opposite of that. They have downsized the power by adding a FGT. Now this engine produces just 76 BHP of power and 197 nm of torque. Now the question arises that for a vehicle weighing 1230 kg and competition having cars like Swift which has got a fantastic acceleration, Amaze which has got a fantastic driveability, Manza which has got the same engine in 90 bhp tune and is definitely a quick car, Ford Classic which has got fantastic driveability and very responsive powertrain. I am doubtful how much this car will be able to hold its ground.
Features: If this was one of the strongest point of Linea then it ‘IS’ one of the weakest point of Linea Classic if compared to the competition this car is going to face. This car has omitted a lot of features and where the price of classic+ is near to the price of Swift ZDi, I need not to say anything a comparison of the features list will do.
Weird Omissions: Omitting the electronic ORVM adjustment and putting that manual adjuster even in the Classic+ variant and above it “only front power windows control in driver’s reach”. What sort of omission these are? Especially the latter one.
Let’s see how market reacts to this low cost Linea and it will be even more interesting once the new Linea is launched in our market.
Some questions I asked directly to the officials from Fiat:
Q: You people have brought the power down, this is already a heavy car. Won’t it effect the ease of driving?
Ans(By Mr. Tarun Khanna): We have already undergone many tests and we have found that the city driveability and low speed manners are really good and as a relaxed car it is great.
Q: Adding an FGT means a higher turbo lag. Right? Won’t it be a negative?
Ans(By Mr. Tarun Khanna): Definitely it will be, but it matters if you are asking the question as an enthusiast or as a regular driver.
Q: Self driven or chauffeur driven. Who is actual target customer?
Ans(By Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli): Both, the car is equally good for both.
Q: Why so late(About Tata-Fiat JV end)?
Ans(By Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli): We have very good relation with Tata motors and they are producing our cars. Rest we are now interested in future.
Q: Can we expect some bigger engines in future?
Ans: We are analyzing market for that and if we feel the need then definitely we can have bigger engines too.
Q: Why you removed that rear A/C vent? It was one of the USP of Linea, I have seen many people saying “iss gaadi mein peeche bhi A/C hai”.
Ans(By Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli): We will reconsider it looking at the customer feedback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hppiUcOgHaM
“FIAT has come out with this celebratory offer keeping the consumers’ sentiments and their needs in mind where they can avail maximum benefits at an unbeatable price. The beautiful Linea Classic is available in five colors namely Oceanic Blue, Tucsan Wine, Minimal Grey, Hip Hop Black and Pearl White in 1.4L petrol engine – Classic variant and 1.3L Multijet diesel engine – Classic and Classic+ variant. The new(What is new I am yet to find BTW :P) Fiat Linea Clasic has best in class features and class leading equipments such as Hydraulic Power Steering, Programmable speed limit buzzer, Dual Parabola Headlamps, Fire Prevention System and many others that are going to delight its owners.”
Now knowing it all, let’s move to the prices, well the prices are really on the competitive side:
*Prices are ex-showroom Delhi:
- 1.4L Petrol Classic: Rs 5,99,000
- 1.3L Multijet Classic: Rs 6,95,976
- 1.3L Multijet Classic+: Rs 7,50,976
What we get for our money now?
- A car with an engine
- A/C
- Power steering
- Power windows
- Rear center armrest
- Center locking(Remote too)
- Rear Defogger
- Err…I simply can’t make the list, let me make the list of omissions.
Omissions are:
- Blue and me is gone.
- Automatic climate control is gone.
- Front fog lamps have gone.
- Airbags have gone.
- Steering mounted audio controls have gone.
- Even the rear A/C vent has also gone!!
- Now the driver can control only front power windows, rear windows can be opened or closed from rear only(Weird omission).
- Rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps gone.
- In other words, a lot has gone!!
- FGT on the engine!! Hence only 76 BHP to pull this heavy car!
IMHO:
What Fiat has basically done? They have simply cut the cost in the car at every possible place and then are trying to sell it in the market. Lets take all the points one after another:
Engine: This car which already needed a bigger engine is given something that is synonym to just opposite of that. They have downsized the power by adding a FGT. Now this engine produces just 76 BHP of power and 197 nm of torque. Now the question arises that for a vehicle weighing 1230 kg and competition having cars like Swift which has got a fantastic acceleration, Amaze which has got a fantastic driveability, Manza which has got the same engine in 90 bhp tune and is definitely a quick car, Ford Classic which has got fantastic driveability and very responsive powertrain. I am doubtful how much this car will be able to hold its ground.
Features: If this was one of the strongest point of Linea then it ‘IS’ one of the weakest point of Linea Classic if compared to the competition this car is going to face. This car has omitted a lot of features and where the price of classic+ is near to the price of Swift ZDi, I need not to say anything a comparison of the features list will do.
Weird Omissions: Omitting the electronic ORVM adjustment and putting that manual adjuster even in the Classic+ variant and above it “only front power windows control in driver’s reach”. What sort of omission these are? Especially the latter one.
Let’s see how market reacts to this low cost Linea and it will be even more interesting once the new Linea is launched in our market.
Some questions I asked directly to the officials from Fiat:
Q: You people have brought the power down, this is already a heavy car. Won’t it effect the ease of driving?
Ans(By Mr. Tarun Khanna): We have already undergone many tests and we have found that the city driveability and low speed manners are really good and as a relaxed car it is great.
Q: Adding an FGT means a higher turbo lag. Right? Won’t it be a negative?
Ans(By Mr. Tarun Khanna): Definitely it will be, but it matters if you are asking the question as an enthusiast or as a regular driver.
Q: Self driven or chauffeur driven. Who is actual target customer?
Ans(By Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli): Both, the car is equally good for both.
Q: Why so late(About Tata-Fiat JV end)?
Ans(By Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli): We have very good relation with Tata motors and they are producing our cars. Rest we are now interested in future.
Q: Can we expect some bigger engines in future?
Ans: We are analyzing market for that and if we feel the need then definitely we can have bigger engines too.
Q: Why you removed that rear A/C vent? It was one of the USP of Linea, I have seen many people saying “iss gaadi mein peeche bhi A/C hai”.
Ans(By Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli): We will reconsider it looking at the customer feedback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hppiUcOgHaM
Re: Fiat Linea Classic launch..
Re: Fiat Linea Classic launch..
i think the current Linea multijet90 emotion and linea t-jet are in sales untill the facelifted Linea arives 
:
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Someone ,please provide link for fgt vs vgt, and how is the driving pleasure affected?
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Thread Starter
#43
Sad to see that Indian buyers always preferred to buy a hatch attached with a boot And boast about it as if they own a most VFM sedan.
Also they never valued the feature's number and utilities of the features available in base variants which were comparable and better than mid variants of best sellers.
Yes , Fiat official was correct when he answered TSIVipul , which indicated that the classic is not for enthus.
In conclusion , Classic is brought in the market , just to fight on sales figure front purely for financial reasons(firstly for fiat and then for budget buyers)
Majority Indian buyers are still to understand difference between a budget car and VFM car, And fiat finally surrendered to them.
.Seriously we need a thread which can enlighten the readers on VFM car vs Budget car
Also they never valued the feature's number and utilities of the features available in base variants which were comparable and better than mid variants of best sellers.
Yes , Fiat official was correct when he answered TSIVipul , which indicated that the classic is not for enthus.
In conclusion , Classic is brought in the market , just to fight on sales figure front purely for financial reasons(firstly for fiat and then for budget buyers)
Majority Indian buyers are still to understand difference between a budget car and VFM car, And fiat finally surrendered to them.
.Seriously we need a thread which can enlighten the readers on VFM car vs Budget car
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Let me try to explain it in one line by not going technical at all:
"Variable Geometry Turbo or VGT has more linear power delivery and lesser turbo lag as compared to the FGT" and this way it effects the driving pleasure.
"Variable Geometry Turbo or VGT has more linear power delivery and lesser turbo lag as compared to the FGT" and this way it effects the driving pleasure.