Fiat Linea

[Ferrer]

31/10/2006

Bursa-born Fiat Linea premieres at the AutoShow


The most prominent area of the Fiat stand has been reserved for a prototype of the Fiat Linea, which will hit the streets in mid 2007. Manufactured at the Tofa_ Factory in Bursa for export to European and Extraeuropean markets, Fiat Linea will be making its first appearance before Turkish and international media members at the Istanbul AutoShow. With a 170 million Euro investment planned for the car, Linea’s world premiere will be held on Thursday, November 2 with the participation of Fiat Brand Director Luca De Meo, and Tofa_ CEO Alfredo Altavilla.

The Fiat Linea is the new segment C three-box saloon designed by Fiat Style Center, which presents an elegant , dynamic external line . The same style stylistic attention has been payed to the interior , the lines of which are armonious and well balanced with interior to create a bright and friendly environment capable of guaranteeing extraordinary interior roominess and superior comfort in terms of ergonomics and space available to the driver and passenger.

This impression is confirmed by the generous dimension which set it at very top of its segment = 4,56 m. long ; 1,73 m. wide ; 1,5m tall with a wheelbase of 2,6m in addition to have a luggage compartment boasting an impressive 500 litres.

An elegant functional car, with a strong Italian imprint, the Fiat Linea will be market in different equipment levels and equipped with features more usually found in higher segment vehicles.

The Fiat Linea’s generous equipment is dedicated to the protection of driver and passengers and the customer can choose from a wide range of gasoline and diesel engines that combine excellent performance, low fuel consumption and absolute respect for the environment, coupled to both manual and automatic transmissions.

[Ferrer]

Fiat Linea #2

[digitalcraft]

That's not bad looking. I'll probably get boiled in oil for this, but I think most fiats look like cheap crap.

[drakkie]

Originally Posted by digitalcraft

That's not bad looking. I'll probably get boiled in oil for this, but I think most fiats look like cheap crap.

Bring out the oil folks !

[Clivey]

It's disappointing to see that the once great and individual Fiat have been reduced to producing a car that's as obviously flawed as this.

It's not a proper Italian C-segment car. It's too big and too bloated with an ugly "cab forward" shape and therefore - with its front quarterlight windows, a high probability of abysmal visibility. The windows / glasshouse are too small, the sides like slabs and it's definitely going to try to compensate with humungous wheels. It's too focussed on passive safety rather than being light and agile enough to avoid accidents in the first place, and the driver will, thanks to the EU, sit a million miles from the front of the car, leading to not being able to pull out of junctions without blocking them up. A result of all of this is massive size and weight, with the driving experience and performance being shot to shit and possibility of much better efficiency going, ahem, up in smoke.

Sorry about the rant, but this is getting too much from the car industry now - these are some of my initial thoughts but I may well be back, suprisingly, with some positive thoughts as well as a better clarification and expansion of what I've already said....

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Clivey

It's disappointing to see that the once great and individual Fiat have been reduced to producing a car that's as obviously flawed as this.

It's not a proper Italian C-segment car. It's too big and too bloated with an ugly "cab forward" shape and therefore - with its front quarterlight windows, a high probability of abysmal visibility. The windows / glasshouse are too small, the sides like slabs and it's definitely going to try to compensate with humungous wheels. It's too focussed on passive safety rather than being light and agile enough to avoid accidents in the first place, and the driver will, thanks to the EU, sit a million miles from the front of the car, leading to not being able to pull out of junctions without blocking them up. A result of all of this is massive size and weight, with the driving experience and performance being shot to shit and possibility of much better efficiency going, ahem, up in smoke.

Sorry about the rant, but this is getting too much from the car industry now - these are some of my initial thoughts but I may well be back, suprisingly, with some positive thoughts as well as a better clarification and expansion of what I've already said....

Erm... if you actually can see further than the press release you'll see that this is nothing more than Punto saloon, hence based in a B-segment car. It's therefore a bit of a compromise. Furthermore the Punto is one of the lightest cars in its class, and despite having no official figures or range of engines you still label it is as fat and slow. That aside it's not a car specifically designed for the western european market, despite eventually coming to some of them perhaps, so the priorities when designing it weren't the same. I'm sure that if it was a german car (or a Vauxhall ) the criticism wouldn't be as harsh and unfounded.

That's not to say that I don't agree with you as a general complain to the automotive industry, but there's no need to make this Fiat be all end all of the car problems. There are much better reasons for criticising Fiats than this...

[Clivey]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

Erm... if you actually can see further than the press release you'll see that this is nothing more than Punto saloon, hence based in a B-segment car.

O RLY? It must be bigger to count as being from a group above.

Originally Posted by Ferrer

The Fiat Linea is the new segment C three-box saloon

Originally Posted by Ferrer

It's therefore a bit of a compromise. Furthermore the Punto is one of the lightest cars in its class, and despite having no official figures or range of engines you still label it is as fat and slow. That aside it's not a car specifically designed for the western european market, despite eventually coming to some of them perhaps, so the priorities when designing it weren't the same.

Considering above, seeing as I didn't say anything about the Grande Punto (which I actually like, along with the new Panda), I'll let most of it off; however, it's a good job Fiat added the "Grande" tag to the Punto's name - it's MUCH bigger than before. I'd be willing to bet that had there been a previous Linea for us to go by, we'd be looking at a fatter and slower car than the predecessor (when using comparable powerplants with comparable figures), as is true with many, if not most of the new car designs I see today.

Originally Posted by Ferrer

I'm sure that if it was a german car (or a Vauxhall ) the criticism wouldn't be as harsh and unfounded.

You seem to be implying that I have a specific love for German cars...please don't confuse me with your average BMW driving fanboy (although granted, most of the British [or not-so British as is now the case] population seem to fit that bill these days), if that's what you're about to do.

Actually I do happen to think that the likes of BMW and Audi are starting to rub shoulders with Alfa in terms of their latest cars! ...however much our inner soul forbids it to happen. I still won't admit that in front of the average BMW driver over here though! - It's cause even more arrogance etc...

...this is one for us all to think about.

Furthermore, maybe suprisingly to you, I do disapprove equally of these sorts of things whether they're implemented by my "favourite" (percieved or otherwise) car brands or not. I made a similar rant to the salesman in the local V'hall showroom after seeing that the new Corsa SXi (2006) is both massively obese and massively heavier (over 100KGs in a small car) as well as slower compared to my equivalent 2004 model. The Astra was largely the same prior to the new VVT engines (this is however still the case with certain units); but the car as a whole is IMO a great hatch.

Originally Posted by Ferrer

That's not to say that I don't agree with you as a general complain to the automotive industry, but there's no need to make this Fiat be all end all of the car problems. There are much better reasons for criticising Fiats than this...

Don't worry, it's not Fiat specifically that's in my sights. The worst offenders at this time IMO are Peugeot (207, 307, 407), but as I said:

Originally Posted by Clivey

...this is getting too much from the car industry now...

...meaning the industry as a whole.

I'm able to grin at the last remark you make - last week a friend was driving his 2004 "53-reg" Punto 1.2 when he lost the PAS whilst trying to exit a roundabout, he hit the kerb and lost a chunk of tyre. This is the second time it's happened. I hope Fiat's managed greater reliability with it's latest cars; the Panda especially deserves to succeed.

Lastly, I don't intend to turn this into a personal argument or attack on you or indeed anyone else. You're one of the many well-respected members here and I'm part of the crowd that backs that up. You do have taste in GOOD new designs and interpretations of older cars, hence the Mini; which may I add, doesn't suffer from much more than unavoidably being bigger and heavier (but not grotesque). It's a modern drivers' small car.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Clivey

You seem to be implying that I have a specific love for German cars...please don't confuse me with your average BMW driving fanboy (although granted, most of the British [or not-so British as is now the case] population seem to fit that bill these days), if that's what you're about to do.

Actually I do happen to think that the likes of BMW and Audi are starting to rub shoulders with Alfa in terms of their latest cars! ...however much our inner soul forbids it to happen. I still won't admit that in front of the average BMW driver over here though! - It's cause even more arrogance etc...

Furthermore, maybe suprisingly to you, I do disapprove equally of these sorts of things whether they're implemented by my "favourite" (percieved or otherwise) car brands or not. I made a similar rant to the salesman in the local V'hall showroom after seeing that the new Corsa SXi (2006) is both massively obese and massively heavier (over 100KGs in a small car) as well as slower compared to my equivalent 2004 model. The Astra was largely the same prior to the new VVT engines (this is however still the case with certain units); but the car as a whole is IMO a great hatch.

I mentioned german cars because they are usually regarded as the best, when the best is a very subjective term. It wasn't directly aimed at you, and I'm sorry I didn't made that clear enough. I have driven the latest E90 3-series I think that as machine it's brilliant, however best includes other things than performance (i.e. looks) and what could be best for me could be not enough for you (or anyone) and viceversa.

Regarding Vauxhalls I mentioned them I because know you like them and drive one, it was just a little tiny bit of humour, notice the similey. No offence taken, I hope.

[Clivey]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

I mentioned german cars because they are usually regarded as the best, when the best is a very subjective term. It wasn't directly aimed at you, and I'm sorry I didn't made that clear enough. I have driven the latest E90 3-series I think that as machine it's brilliant, however best includes other things than performance (i.e. looks) and what could be best for me could be not enough for you (or anyone) and viceversa.

As I like to say: "If everybody was the same, the world would be a very boring place."

Originally Posted by Ferrer

Regarding Vauxhalls I mentioned them I because know you like them and drive one, it was just a little tiny bit of humour, notice the similey. No offence taken, I hope.

Don't worry, I take a lot of crap before I get upset... I just don't want to be associated with fanboyism - I realise that I've done a lot of sticking-up for Vauxhall recently (justified in my opinion), but I will give them shit also, when needed.

[Ferrer]

Fiat Linea #3

[Ferrer]

Fiat Linea #4

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[Ferrer]

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