Abarth Linea will become the quickest sedan in class
The problem with India is – we want fast machines but when they get launched we often do not buy them, even if they are priced sensibly. Though we do not have individual sale figures of the Abarth Punto and Avventura launched recently, the overall sales tally of Fiat doesn’t share a very rosy picture.
It was speculated time and again that the only sedan in the lineup Linea will also be Abarthified and here we have the first spyshot reportedly from Rajnandgaon factory thanks to a TeamBHP member which almost confirms the existence of the car. Gooing by the spyshot, Linea will not be a direct offering under the Abarth brand but like the Avventura, it will be a tuned up by Abarth.
Expect a tweaked suspension, Abarth decals and other bits to percolate. The 1.4 litre T-Jet petrol engine is offered in two tunes – In the Abarth Punto it produces 145 bhp of maximum power at 5,500 rpm and 212 Nm of peak torque in the range of 2,000 to 4,000 rpm. In the Avventura the output has been slightly reduced to 140 bhp and 210 Nm. Transferring all this power to the front wheel is a 5 speed manual gearbox. We expect a near-Avventura spec for Abarth Linea.
Also Read: Fiat Confirms Sub-Punto Car to us & its Coming Soon!
And if the aggressive pricing of the Abarth Punto and Avventura is anything to go by, even the Abarth Linea should be competitively priced. Fiat will discontinue the current Linea T-jet after they launch the Abarth Linea sometime in the first half of 2016, with a possible showcase at the Auto Expo next month.
