2012 Fiat Linea and Punto first drive

Team OD Updated: July 24, 2013, 05:20 PM IST

The current slump in the Indian automotive industry means every manufacturer is figuring out new ways to get the customer to sign on the dotted line. So you have had Honda cutting prices on current models like it's going out of fashion and launching facelifted models at a price that is lower than the older generation, Volkswagen offering discounts, so on and so forth. Not wanting to be left behind, Fiat has joined the party. They are launching a new series of Linea and Punto models with a plethora of attractive features, at the same price as before.

Most of the features are cosmetic. The only change in the technical department is in the ground clearance. The Punto has had an increase in ride height from 173mm to 185mm in the 1.4 Fire and the 1.3 Multijet models. That is an increase of 12mm. The 1.2 Fire model sees a further increase of 22mm in the ground. On the Linea there is an increase of 24mm across models. The change has been achieved by increasing the length of the shock absorbers.

The Linea will also see the inclusion of rain sensors, auto headlamps, programmable speed limit buzzer, programmable follow me home headlamps, improved air conditioning and new colours across all models. All of these will be available as standard equipment. The top-end Linea, Emotion also gets 16-inch alloys as standard. This is part of Fiat's strategy to give more features at the same price.

This approach is seen even more pronounced in the Punto. The audio system for example is now standard across all models. It has refreshed interiors which include seats that now have a brighter shade, better plastics on the dashboard and new carpet colours. All of these features will also be available in the Linea. This availability of more features at the same price only bodes well for the customer. While most are not ready to loosen their purses in the today's scenario, it's actually a good time to p