At the same time, its rival XUV500 derives its lineage from brand Mahindra&Mahindra which has a lot more experience in making cars fit of Indian consumers.

There are two key things that Force Motors marketed at the time of the launch of Force One. First was the Daimler engine and second was the Lotus enhanced handling. But do these claims hold any water? Let’s find out:

What powers the Force One?

The Force One is powered by a Mercedes-Benz’s 2.2-litre OM611 common-rail engine which produces 141PS and 321NM of torque. Twist the key, and the Force One shakes to life in a typical diesel engine fashion. The engine settles down very quickly. While idling, very few vibrations are transferred to the cabin.

But if you are standing outside and someone starts the car, you will realize that there is nothing remotely Mercedes-ish about it. It is quite a noisy engine.

Let me start off with some good points of the engine. The Force One’s engine is very torquey. Though it is turbocharged, the meat of the output starts right from 1,600 rpm and it keeps pulling all the way to 4,500 rpm. There is no outright turbo kick but there is certainly a smooth flow of torque. The constant flow of torque makes it very easy to overtake on the highway. Unlike Premier Auto’s Rio, the Force One comes with a BSIV complaint engine which means it can be sold in metros.

Now for the bad stuff. The engine is very noisy and is not free revving. It takes effort to push this engine into the useful rev band and keep it there. Moreover, the overall feel of the engine is very crude.

But by far the most disappointing part of the Force One is the G32 five-speed manual gearbox which is appalling. The throw is long and the gear changes are not very smooth or precise. The gates are wide which results in a lot of gear grinding. The gears have a tendency to pop out if they are not slotted correctly. It ruins the whole experience of driving this beast. The clutch is also very heavy to operate.

How does the Force One handle?

The Force One is based on a ladder frame set up unlike the XUV500 which is a monocoque. Structurally, a monocoque is more rigid than ladder frame which means it also enhances the handling. The Force One’s ladder frame set up brings certain limitations to the handling. But Force Motors claims that the Force One was sent to Lotus’ headquarters to fine tune the handling. If you have driven the Tata Aria, you must be aware that brand Lotus brings certain expectations. Sadly, the Force One meets none.

The ride is softly sprung which means that unless there are at least 5-6 sitting inside weighing the car down, you are going to bounce around as the road undulates. The ride is not compliant and is slightly on the rough side. The ample body roll is something Force Motors needs to fix. The huge ground clearance however is a blessing on Indian roads.

The steering is a hydraulic unit and is not as razor sharp. But then again, it’s a two tonne car were are talking about. The Apollo Hawks all-terrain tyres are kind of a trade of between off-road tyres and on-road tyres. The result is there is an evident rustling sound when you are on smooth tarmac. However, don’t expect the Force One to easily make any sudden lane changes.

The brakes lack feel. Adding to that the omission of ABS on such a heavy car makes hard braking a bit nerve wrecking.

One good thing about the Force One is its good seating position which gives a commanding view and all round visibility when driving. Very few blind spots to take care off.

What about fuel economy?

You will love this. After a hard day of bashing the Force One, it still managed to give us 13 kmpl. That’s nearly a petrol hatchback mileage figures from what is essentially an enormous  SUV. Frugal indeed!

What about Safety?

Unfortunately, the Force One does not even come with ABS or Airbags, forgets TCS or ESP. But the company is working on ABS and Airbags and they should be out by the end of this year.

What did I not like about the drive?

• The clutch pulsates every time it is fully depressed.
• If you stall the Force One, you have to wait for 7 seconds to key it again. Very annoying in bumper to bumper traffic.
• Our test car had been driver just a 4,000 km and the electronics started to act up.
• It is overall a very exhausting car to drive.

The Force One is a decent first attempt by Force Motors. It is VERY difficult to get the car right in the first try. The first generation M&M Scorpio was similarly (if not more) crude and unrefined. But now the current generation Scorpio feels much better to drive than the older ones.

The difference with Mahindra kept improving the Scorpio piece by piece over the last ten years. The Force One is not finished yet. It has a long way of development to walk. We hope Force Motors keeps updating the Force One depending on the customer feedback and market expectations.

Step into the Force One, and it’s a mixed feeling. On one side you have modern amenities such as steering mounted controls and on the other side you have the AC vents seen on movies featuring a young Jackie Chan. The Force One interiors is a mash up of beige and two shades of brown. As you open the massive doors, you realize that the ingress and the egress is very easy.

Once inside, you notice the big, leather wrapped, three spoke steering with steering mounted controls. These steering mounted controls seem to be inspired by the Range Rover and have a silver aerosol  finish to it. You can pick up calls, tune the radio and engage/disengage cruise control using the buttons.

The indicator and wiper stalks are on the correct side of the steering wheel. The steering is adjustable for tilt but not for range. The dial console is literally an overload of information with its 25 lights shining away.

Moving to the center console which is just a sea of fake wood finish, the AC vents look archaic. The gear stick lacks a substantial feel to it.

For entertainment needs, Force has fitted it with a aftermarket JVC unit specially built for the Force One. Although the music quality is nothing to write home about, it does have all the necessities such as USB, AUX and Bluetooth compatibility.

Check below the music unit, we are back to the past with the AC controls knobs. A little storage space below than helps to keep pocket change and toll tickets. Left to the center console is a huge center slab of plastic to accommodate the glove box which is huge.

The leather seats are very comfortable and the look very aesthetic too. The button to operate the electric mirrors is weirdly below the center armrest. The center arm rest can accommodate nicknacks. The driver and the front passenger also get a sunglass holder on the roof. Small details like the dead pedal are also present.

You CANNOT complain about space (headroom, legroom, whatever) in the Force One. There is miles of it thanks to the SUV’s wide body. The second row seats are very spacious and they get their own charging outlet and ashtray.

Folding the second seats is very easy and the access to the rear seats is even easier. These are proper third row seats in which an average adult can sit for a extended period of time. The Force One is built grounds up to be a 7 seater SUV. It is not a 5 seater converted to a 7 seater model.

Each passenger gets his own dedicated set of air vents. Each door gets a puddle lamp too.

Coming to the rear, you find that despite of the 7 seat arrangement, the Force One has a very good boot space. The rear seats can also be folded to give way the additional boot space.

The toolkit is neatly tucked in the walls of the Force One. However, the knob that opens the compartment gives away the Force One’s Chinese roots.

This little beeper is what I would disconnect the moment I get the delivery of Force One. It beeps for a lot of things but no reason is provided as to why its beeping. Very annoying at times.

A really commendable fact is the all around visibility of the Force One. There are hardly any blind spots that you should worry about. Thanks to the parking sensors, it very easy to park this massive beast.

Things that I don’t like about the interiors:

• Although the Force One has all the modern amenities inside, they don’t come together to give you an enriched experience.
• The interiors feel dated and archaic.
• The AC takes a lot of time to bring down the temperature. No Climate control either.
• The steering mounted controls do not have buttons to change the tracks.
• The feel of the plastic is a bit tacky.
• If the door is closed, it’s almost impossible to operate the seat height adjusters.
• The door pads cannot hold water bottles. That’s not good for long journeys.

Stay tuned for the driving review. You don’t want to miss this one!

Companies like Premier Auto and Force Motors decided that they wanted a piece of the action. However, developing a car grounds up is a tedious affair that requires massive investment and years of expertise. What is the next best solution?

Re-engineer existing ones.

Force Motors, famous for their Trax and Traveller utility vehicles, decided that a passenger SUV is the logical extension to the brand. They decided to borrow a Guangdong Foday Explorer and re-engineer it for the Indian market. In its testing phase, the Force One was spy photographer’s delight. A total of 15 prototypes travelled more than 7,00,000 kilometers from the length and breadth of the country. So what does the Force One offer?

While we are going gaga over the compact SUV that’s changing the face of the Indian market, ‘Compact’ is not the word that comes to your mind when you see the Force One; ENORMOUS works just fine.

If it’s all about dimensions, Force One is easily the biggest SUV in its class. In fact, it is just slightly smaller than the Ford Endeavour that too without a spare wheel hanging on to its back. In fact, the Foday Explorer was a Chinese imitation of the Ford Endeavour and hence the connection is logical and valid.

Dimension wise, the Force One is 4,860mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,885mm high. With its massive spread, the Force One is an imposing SUV on the roads with oodles of street presence. Park it next to a family hatchback and it feels as if a father is taking his little kiddo for a walk.

Up front, Force Motors has tried to reduce its resemblance with the Foday by providing dual projector headlamps and daytime running lamps along with a chrome grill. Unfortunately, the headlamp assembly has no aesthetic design and just looks like an aftermarket job.

The chrome grill looks good and the huge Force logo in red is like a cherry on the cake. Our test car came with a lot of accessories like a bull guard and a bonnet mirror which are not part of the standard car. The foglamps embedded in chicken wire along with chrome surrounds add to the aesthetic appeal of the Force One.

Moving to the side profile, you notice that the Force One is like a mini bus.

The massive 16 inch, 5 spoke alloy wheels are wrapped with All terrain Apollo hawks tyres. The flared wheel arches and the simple side profile is very ‘old school’ SUV design. The gap between the tyres and arches is humongous making the Force One look slightly jacked up.

Another touch to make the Force One look a bit premium are the side indicator integrated OVRMs. They provide an excellent visibility around the car.

The Force One is quite a tall SUV with 205 mm of ground clearance thus old people with leg problems may find it difficult to get in and out of the car. So Force Motors has equipped it with side steps for convenient ingress and egress. Roof rails give the Force One the typical outdoorsy look of an SUV. Our test car also came with vent visors which are a dealer accessory.

Strangely, the fuel cap did not shut properly and our car was just driven 4,000 km.

The rear is where the Force One drops the ball. Toyota Qualis like lamps at the rear look very dated.

Though there are some nice touches such as dual barrel exhaust pipes, chrome doorstep and stop light integrated rear spoiler, the rear is not best looking part of the car. The spare tyre finds its place below the body.

Overall, some bits and pieces of the Force One’s design manage to impress you and others just disappoint out rightly. The Force One is a very SUV 101 design that is not up to mark with current SUV designs. Designs like the Ford EcoSport, Renault Koleos, Mahindra XUV500 have brought curves to the table and the boxy SUVs are becoming a thing of the past. The Force One comes across as a simpleton in a rather fashion conscious world.

Stay tuned for the Interior and the Driving Review, we may have some surprises in store!

You get a 1.2L petrol, 1.4L petrol, 1.3 Diesel with 75 hp and another 1.3L diesel with 90 Hp. However, we got the 1.4L petrol engine which means that we were expecting some good performance from our test car. After all you would be paying considerable extra than the regular 1.2L, hence you would be expecting some extra oomph.

So does the Punto 1.4L make the cut as a hot hatch? Let’s find out:

What powers the Punto?

The Punto we tested was powered by a 1.4L FIRE engine which is lifted from the Linea. It generates 90 bhp of peak power at 6,000 rpm with 115 Nm at 4,500 rpm. Although it is an old technology, it has been refined over the years to provide you healthy performance on your daily drive. We were all praise for this engine in the Linea.

However, in the Linea the duty of this 1.4L was to provide regular performance for your daily drives. But when you put the same engine in the Punto, you expect some spirited performance. Unfortunately, the Fiat Punto does not provide the zippy feeling that a hot hatch should.

Don’t get me wrong, it revs freely all the way to the red line. The bottom end torque is also good and so is the mid range. But the main obstacle is the weight of the Punto which deprives the driver of true driving pleasure.

The 1.4L Punto cannot be considered as a hot hatch. It more of a comfortable highway cruiser and does its job brilliantly. We drove more that 500 kms in a single day and we were fresh as daisies.

We have no complaints about the 5-speed gearbox or the suspension setup or the brakes. They all do their job with no hiccups. The ride is very absorbent, change of direction is very easy, high speed stability is exceptional. A special mention to the hydraulic power steering which weighs perfectly at any speeds.

The increase of GC has not disturbed any settings of the Punto’s driving dynamics. There is minimal body roll in the corners and ride is very compliant even on extremely pot-holed surfaces. If anything, you feel more confident now because at the back of your mind you know that the underbelly will not scratch with the raised GC.

What about fuel economy?

Don’t expect impressive fuel economy from the 1.4L mill. We got an average of 9.1 km/l on our trip which had all sections – highways, city traffic, bendy roads, the lot. The 1.2L is a better bet if you want fuel economy.

What about safety?

The Punto comes loaded with ABS with EBD and twin airbags. Also, it has been tested at Euro NCAP returning with a five star rating. Now that says a lot!

What did I not like about the drive?

• No spirited performance from the engine. More of a consistent power mill
• The turning radius is a bit wide
• A bit nose heavy when braking hard
• Not very nimble and at low speeds
• More of a jack of all trades and the master of none when compared to the competition.

Sadly, we were expecting hot hatch performance from the Punto 1.4L and our expectations were not met. We would like to re-iterate that the 1.4L Punto is more of a highway cruiser than a hot hatch.

If you are in the market for a fast hatchback your options are limited. Because most powerful hot hatches in India are in their petrol avatar which could take a toll on your wallet.

I have driven the 90 HP Multi-jet version for a relatively shorter span. This Punto variant make a LOT more sense than the 1.4L petrol from driving performance and fuel economy stand points.

Now, Punto is placed in a segment where most manufacturers are looking for volumes and the Punto is getting anything but volumes. Earlier version of Punto was a rockstar for the company when it was launched  but with the passing days, demand dipped and it dipped drastically!

But Fiat is sticking to its motto of ‘try till you succeed’. So have these new changes made any difference to the Punto?

The Grande Punto that we see on the Indian streets is actually a third generation of the Punto that was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2005. It was officially launched in India in 2009 after the Linea. When the Punto was launched internationally, Fiat was going through its toughest phase and needed a ‘revival car’ to spear head the company out of the red.

So General Motors’ Gamma platform was chosen as a base for the Punto and Fiat’s Centro Stile design center and Italdesign-Giugiaro sharpened their pencils. And the results were remarkable!

The Punto’s strongest USP is its styling which makes it stand apart in the crowd; Not in a LOOK-AT-ME way by a rather subtle and a beautiful stance. It’s an honest attempt to merge form with function.

The large ovular headlamps sweep back to the fenders to resemble a droplet of water. The majority of the Punto stance and elegance comes from its chrome-plated front grille and silver fog lamp surrounds.

This is a perfect example of how to use chrome to enhance the beauty of the car. Trust me, very few manufacturers know how much chrome is too much chrome.

Coming to the side profile, Fiat has tried to keep it as simple as possible. The side profile is also an area where we get the glimpse of the one of the updates for the Punto. Fiat has raised the ground clearance of Punto to avoid the underbody scraping on the lunar roads of India.

The Punto 1.4 which we drove had a 185 mm of ground clearance (GC) but if you buy a Punto 1.2, you get an incomprehensible 195 mm of GC. To put it into perspective, the Premier Rio ( a compact SUV from Premier Auto) has a GC of 200 mm.

The side profile is dominated by subtle design specifics such as flared wheel arches with tight crease running between them, thick wing mirrors and a steep raking roofline expressing the boldness of the design. The mirrors of the Punto are mounted on the door below the beltline rather than above the beltline as seen on most present day cars.

The long sloping nose and the exquisite 15-inch, 12 spoke alloys are the real heroes that bring so much character to the design. The increased gap between the arches does look a bit off but the benefits outweigh the flaws.

The rear profile of the Grande Punto features vertical tail lamp assembly like the Ford Figo and Indica Vista. The rear windshield area is small and the tail lamps assembly invades the side profile. As a result, it makes for a wide tailgate opening which helps to dump the luggage in the back.

Two reflectors at the bottom, a rear spoiler with integrated braking light and rear wind shield wiper complete the side profile. We wish the exhaust was also given slight design flair as it looks rather dull and boring.

Fiat was always known to adopt function over fashion. The Fiat Panda, Doblo are really very practical cars but rather odd balls to look at. With the Punto, Linea and the 500, Fiat has successfully managed to distinguished its cars from rest of the manufacturers. Be it the chrome grill, 12 spoke alloys, steep windshield or the long sloping nose, the Punto manages to charm the on lookers which its very strong and bold design.

Stay tuned for the Interior review and the Driving impressions.

Thus the Brio has a daunting task of keeping up with the family. At the same time, the competition is fierce. The Swift, i10 and the A Star offer very good drivability.

So does the Brio have what it takes to be a sporty hatchback? Let’s find out:

What powers the Honda Brio?

The Brio inherits the 1.2L engine from its elder cousin Jazz. However, Honda has reduced the power and torque figures to make sure that it does not compete with Jazz. In the Brio, the 1.2L Petrol i-VTEC produces 87 BHP (@ 6000 rpm) and 109 Nm of torque (@ 4,600 rpm). This healthy dose of power combined with just 930 kg of weight means the Brio’s acceleration is quick. In fact, it is the only car in its segment to cross 100 kph within 13 seconds

Crank the engine and its quickly settles in the idle state. The 5 speed manual is very smooth with precise gear gates and a short throw to give you a sporty drive. The light clutch and a generous low end torque are a boon for city traffic. But that’s not the USP. The USP of the Brio is its high revving i-Vtec which just loves to be throttled.

The Brio loves to be in the high rev band all the time. The peppy engine coupled with a wide base means you are bound to have a lot of fun behind the steering.

Despite the light weight, the Brio’s high speed stability is definitely admirable

How does the Brio handle?

The Brio’s steering is an electronic unit which awesomely light to operate at low speeds. At high speeds, it weighs in fantastically to give you adequate feedback. Changing lanes while tackling traffic is such an easy job in the Brio. It is indeed an extremely easy car to drive.

The Brio’s suspension set up is a bit on the softer side which makes for a bouncy ride. Slight undulations on the road do unsettle the Brio and driving it on concrete roads is very choppy. The 175/65 R14 MRF tyres do a fairly decent job of gripping the tarmac. But when pushed to its limits, there is a good amount of tyre squeals thanks to the generous amount power the engine is putting on the infrastructure. We recommend wider profile tyres to get maximum out of your Brio. The brakes are crisps and fantastic.

One really interesting test we did was to check the ground clearance. Honda cars are notoriously famous for underbody contact on the Indian roads. We put the Brio through some really bad roads and we are glad to tell you that the 165 mm of ground clearance of the body did not touch the ground at all.

What about Fuel economy?

The best fuel economy that we got was 14.03 kmpl. The Brio has an ‘ECO’ meter which is very addictive to drive. Essentially, it analyzes a lot of factors such as throttle position, engine revs, gear selected to calculate the fuel economy. If you are getting maximum miles per drop of fuel, then it lights green. It’s a hugely helpful display for amateur drivers to get the best mileage out of their Brio.

What about safety?

The Brio comes equipped with acceptable amount of safety equipments:

• i-SRS Airbags which Honda claims is better than conventional ones.
• ABS with EBD

Things that I did not like about the drive:

• The choppy ride works against the Brio. It should have been more compliant like the other Hondas
• There is a fair bit of wind noise at high speeds.
• Sharp turns unsettle the Brio which is fun if you are a driving enthusiast but not so much for a lay man.
• Lack of diesel means it caters to a increasingly niche market

The Brio is a super-fun car to drive and probably the easiest to drive in its segment. The awesome visibility coupled with sharp reflexes make it a perfect city car. The size works against the Brio because people may think it’s a cramped car. But when you get on the inside, things are pretty clear.  If Honda can ramp up the production and sales outlets, the i10 and Wagon R have a worthy competitor.

But there is a chink in the Liva’s armor and that is that the Liva is not a boring car to be in. There is plenty of evidence of cost cutting in Liva’s interior which spoils the party.

So in this horde to shed its premium brand image, has Honda compromised on the build quality?

Let’s find out:

Honda Brio Review – Interiors

Honda claims that their engineers have made the maximum utilization of the 2,345mm wheelbase. There is enough evidence suggesting that their claims do hold some water. If you notice the wheelbase, you will see that the wheels are extended outside to increase more cabin space.

Step inside the Brio and you are in for surprise! The Brio offers plenty of space and at first glance, it doesn’t seem like Honda has compromised on the build quality either. The interior is a pleasant combination of light beige, dark brown and aerosol silver. There are no soft touch plastics like you get in most hatchbacks but somehow the interiors feel like a better place to be in. I think the chief reason for the pleasant interiors is the light beige color which gives it a very roomy feeling. The ingress is very easy thanks to the wide opening doors.

Once inside, the Civic-inspired three spoke steering wheel welcomes you. The steering features mounted controls and is tilt adjustable.

It provides perfect grip for the driver and a blessing-in-disguise is the correct positioning of the indicator and wiper stalk. The steering cannot be adjusted for reach but the Brio’s seats offer such a near-perfect driving position that you don’t have to make many adjustments.

The dials have a red glow which looks quite sporty at night. A small multi information display (MID) between the dials gives you various information such as trip meter, odometer and fuel efficiency. However, to choose the information, you don’t get a button on the indicator stalk. You get a traditional long stick that comes out of the dial console.

Unfortunately, the Honda Brio’s MID does not show km-to-empty which the most important information you need. However a small ‘ECO’ notification lights up when you drive economically. This function is quite useful as we will find out in the driving review.

Unlike performance manufacturers who tilt the center console towards the driver, the Brio’s center console moves away from the driver. Honda claims this is done for safety reason so that the driver is not distracted. Unfortunately, this also makes it less ergonomic to use the AC controls on the center console.

The Brio features an integrated music system which has only USB and AUX ports. The music system does not have a CD player and is a clear indication of the Brio’s target audience. It’s a very smart move because CD ROMs are a bit passé and most youngsters prefer iPods and USB drives for in-car entertainment now. The AUX port is on the head unit whereas the USB port is near the power outlet at the bottom of the center console. Sound quality is pretty descent.

The typical Honda golf-ball gear lever is very small and does not feel chunky to operate. There are some decent storage solutions as well. The door pockets can hold bottles and two cup holders for the front can hold your average coffee cup. The glove box has decent space as well but it is not a chilled one like the one you get in a Toyota Liva.

All is not well in the front. Some exposed metal parts and integrated headrest are clear signs of cost cutting. The pedals are placed perfectly but the dead pedal is absent.

Coming to rear, you can easily see that Honda has tried to liberate as much as leg space as it is possible. The seats have a curved back to increase the volume of space at the rear. 2 fully grown adults can comfortably sit behind. Headroom may be a problem for tall people as the Brio is quite a short car. The 5th person at the back will be very uncomfortable and will make others uncomfortable as well.

To increase the space inside, Honda has compromised the boot space of the Brio which is a paltry 175 liters. However, Honda has added a rear parcel tray to spec list as the glass hatch might invite peepers around.

Things that I did not like the interior:

• The boot space is the biggest Achilles heel for the Brio making it unsuitable for long drives.
• I wish the driver window could have an auto-up function as well.
• Exposed metal parts are a complete NO-NO
• The information display does not show range
• The driver’s seat is not height adjustable making it unsuitable for short drivers.
• The Brio does not have a seat belt height adjust either.
• No climate control

Honda has clearly bestowed the Brio with a massive dollop of ‘smart packaging’. The fit and finish of the interior is top notch with no rattles or squeaks when on the move. The feel of the interior is very pleasant and will keep the incumbents very happy on their journey.

Stay tuned for the driving review as it might surprise you!

As soon as the Brio was launched, Honda component factories in Thailand and Japan were struck by natural calamities resulting in shortage of supply. As a result Honda had to shut down bookings for the Brio and the Jazz. Finally some help came from other component manufacturers from China and Honda could resume the production of the Brio. Now, the little stalwart can be booked from any Honda dealership in India. So we decided to have a closer look at what Honda had to offer to an average Joe aspiring to buy his first car.

Honda has been always criticized for having a conservative approach in its design language that will only appeal to octogenarians. However, Honda Brio is not targeted towards the retired but rather to a young audience and the design needed to convey the same.

Honda’s designers have done a radical job with the Brio’s exterior. The Honda Brio’s design is actually a summation of two triangles thus there are many sharp edges pointing out of the car. The idea is to make the Brio as aerodynamic as possible to reduce drag and boost fuel economy.

The Honda designers and engineers focused on key aspects such as larger area of visibility, better knee room and ample boot space. Overall, the Brio looks very small and cute and more in the league of the i10 and A-star than the Swift or i20.

The front fascia features a leaf shaped headlamp with black surrounds separating the main headlamp barrel from the turn indicators. The rather small grill in the front features a chrome bar that make the Brio look very cutesy. The front also features a blackened out wide air dam. The radiator is very much exposed with little or no protection. Honda  says it helps in efficient engine cooling in the hot and humid Indian conditions.

The bonnet has 2 sharp lines on either side giving the appeal of a sporty hatchback. Because of its angular design, the Brio does exclude massive road presence for its size.

The Brio’s bold stance is carried over to the side profile as well. The side profile features 2 sharp lines – one rising from the front bumper going all the way to the tail lamps and the other one starting from the front door and meeting the wheel arches. The wheel arches are flared very aggressively and complementing them are the aerodynamically designed mirrors.

The arches house tiny 14 inches aluminum wheels with 175/65/14 Tubeless Radials. 5 spoke alloy wheels are available on the top variant. The only other car in the hatchback space with such a dynamic side profile is the Chevrolet Beat. The pull-up antenna on the A pillar is slightly old fashioned and the first sign of cost cutting.

There are three things that give the Brio its true character. First is the engine (which we will find out in the driving review), second is the nippy handling (also in driving review), the third is the rear profile. The most unique aspect of the Brio that makes it stand apart in the parking lot is the rear glass hatch.

The rear profile of the brio stuns you with oodles of panache. It is the only hatchback that features an all glass boot lid instead of a conventional ‘glass in a frame’ set up. So is it fragile you ask? I tried banging it thrice with full force and nothing happened. But I am not sure whether it is safe to have a glass hatch in a rear impact scenario.

The tail lamps look like afterburners of a jet plane. A tiny spoiler when coupled with edge shaped bumper provide optimized air flow in-and-around the car and reduces the under body turbulence respectively. Rear wiper and defogger is absent which could be tricky when reversing in rainy conditions.

We are quite happy that Honda chose a love-it-or-hate-it design for the Brio to separate it from the rest of the crowd. Unlike the rival Japanese project – Etios/Liva, the Brio’s design is very modern and contemporary and will be loved by the younger generations. The aesthetics of design sort of resembles an Apple iPod – very cool and very fashionable.

However, the Brio has a bit MORE to offer when it comes to interiors and driving pleasure. Stay tuned!

After all, it has to take on the Ford Fiesta, Honda City and the Skoda Rapid for the title of the ‘Driver’s Car’. But has the raised ground clearance affected the handling of the Linea?

Let’s find out:

What powers the new Linea?

The petrol Linea that we had for our review is powered by a 1.4L FIRE Engine. The FIRE Engine (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine) is actually quite an old and trusted technology dating back to 1981. The Linea’s 1.4L pot produces 90PS @ 6000 and 115NM @ 4500 which may sound a bit less when compared to the rivals. But remember, there is so much years of development on the FIRE engine that it is one of the most refined four pots in the market.

The 2012 Fiat Linea as we discussed in the exterior review is actually a D segment car in a C+ segment. But due to its small displacement and heavy weight, it feels a bit underpowered especially in the first and second gear.

You really have to rev the engine high to get good acceleration from the Linea. Thus overtaking is not as easy and you have to carefully plan all your moves. Fiat has very cleverly slotted in the Linea T-Jet, a more powerful variant (and predictably more expensive), for people who really want a driver’s car.

Although the Linea’s engine needs to be revved hard, the good thing is that it is a rev happy engine. Hitting the redline is easy and it make a fantastic sound as a complimentary gift. The five-speed gear box has been mated very well with the engine. The gates are precise and the throw is pretty short to give you a sporty feeling.

So in the driving department, it is more of a comfortable cruiser than a fire-spitting sporty car.

What about the handling?

The raised ground clearance has marginally affected the handling characteristics of the 2012 Linea. However, the satisfaction of knowing that the car’s underbody is definitely safe from ANY nasty undulations adds a much greater value to the proposition

It still has the perfect balance of high speed rigidity and comfy low speed ride. The body roll has certainly increased from the predecessor and its quite evident when doing some high speed cornering. The 195/60 R15 tubeless tyres provide a fantastic front end bite when cornering hard. The straight line stability is brilliant as well.

What about fuel economy?

Fiat claims a fuel efficiency of 14.6 kmpl. After a day’s worth of hard cornering, we got a very disappointing 9 kmpl from the digital readout.

What about the safety?

The Linea comes loaded with

• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with EBD
• Dual Stage Front Airbags

Things that I don’t like about the Linea:

Actually the only thing that I did not like about the Linea is the sluggish engine. Rest all, I thought was near perfect.

By introducing minor yet significant changes what Fiat has done is made the whole Linea range a greater value proposition that its competitors. The exteriors and interiors are the key USPs of the Linea.

Some competitors like the Honda City and the Skoda Rapid have a better drivability than the Linea but lack the street presence. All-in-all, we were quite pleased with the Linea deliverables and we think that if you are in the market for a petrol sedan, the Linea should definitely be on your list.

Step into the 2012 Fiat Linea and at a first glance you will notice that it has a very well designed interiors. Unlike Fiat’s previous models and many other rivals, the Linea’s interior’s does feel like someone has taken the effort to make sure the owner of the car feels good when he is sitting in the car.

The Linea has a two-tone interiors which is a beautiful blend of black and light beige. The light colors make the Linea’s inside feel very airy. The three spoke steering wheel is leather wrapped and is one of those rare ‘perfectly proportioned’ ones which provide ample grip (just like the new Fiesta’s). It has steering mounted controls help you to change the song/channel or take a call on the fly.

The two stalks (indicator and wiper) are interchanged in their placement. Both the stalks reveal some interesting updates. The 2012 Linea comes with auto headlamps and rain sensing wipers in all variants.

In my opinion, the Linea has the second best dial cluster in its segment (I sort of like the Fiesta’s more). It is very beautiful to look at when you are driving because of its cool fonts and red needle (little joys of driving). Although, I would have loved it if it had a white backlight but we have to settle for a red one. A little display below the dials shows you all sorts of information such as average fuel economy, trip distance, average speed etc.

The center console introduces a dash of silver to the dual tone interior. It has an empty slot on the top which looks a bit weird. The fonts on the buttons are a bit difficult to ready in the day because of the white and light silver combo. The gearstick is also wrapped in leather to give you a good grip.

The Linea comes with automatic climate control for the top Dynamic and Emotion models. Fiat has worked on the air conditioning unit because they received a lot of complaints from the customers that the AC doesn’t cool enough. Happy to report that the air conditioning works just fine now.

The glove box is deep but the opening is obstructed by the Blue and Me system. The USB port is inside the glovebox so you can’t change USB sticks while on the move (Safety feature I suppose). The Linea also comes with a dead pedal to rest your foot on.

Coming to the rear, the legroom for the rear passenger is just enough; not ample like the Nissan Sunny but just enough. The headroom could be concern for the 6+ people because of the sloping roofline. The armrest can be opened to bring out the cup holders. It also has a rear sun blind in the dynamic and emotion variant. I don’t think any car in its segment has that feature.

The Linea also comes with a dedicated AC vent for the rear to cool the rear passengers. The seat belts are height adjustable.

The boot space is massive – 500 liters to be precise. It can swallow a full size human if it wants too.

Things that I don’t like about the interiors:

• Biggest grouse by far – it doesn’t have an AUX port.
• Unlike the norm where in order to get the high beam you have to push the indicator stalk down, in the Linea you have to pull it up. The problem is that the same action coincides with the blinker. So every time you want to overtake someone, inadvertently you engage high beam. This gets on your nerves after a point of time.
• The steering wheel cannot be adjusted for reach. Coupled with the weird driver seat adjustment settings means that it takes a lot of time to find the right position.
• The storage solutions in and around the driver’s area are appalling. Yes, there are cup holders next to the gearstick but no idea which sort of cups they can hold; not the normal ones for sure. There is no place to store water bottles as well.
• The power window settings are placed unusually forward. So many-a-times when you try to open the driver’s window, you actually open the window behind you.
• The A-Pillar is very pronounced and obstructs the view of oncoming traffic on turns.
• Overall the interiors materials feel good to touch and feel but there are some parts of the interiors where cost cutting is evident.
• The voice dialing on ‘BlueandMe’ still doesn’t work correctly

Overall, the Linea has very good interiors in its segment. They are very well designed and are very pleasing to the people seating inside. Apart from a few ergonomic niggles, the Fiat Linea definitely impresses us with its interiors.

Stay tuned for driving review.