As the 2013 Fiat Linea closes in on its launch, test mules of the refreshed sedan are being spotted everyday in Pune.
Here are the latest set of spyshots of the Linea facelift from Rushlane.com and Teamfiat.co.in. As mentioned yesterday, the new car is consistent with the international facelift that was launched last year across Europe in a methodical manner.
The Linea facelift gets a minor design makeover involving new grille, bumpers and boot lid. On the inside, the tone is set by the completely new dashboard design. The dual-tone cabin has a beige applique that splits the dashboard horizontally and the retro instrument console has been replaced by a contemporary unit.
The Euro-spec sedan offers six airbags, ABS, ESP, ASR and the Blue & Me system with updated EcoDrive function. However it's unclear whether Fiat will provide all the bells and whistles on the Indian model.
The two versions of the 1.4-litre petrol engine (normally aspirated FIRE and turbocharged T-Jet) and the 1.3 litre MultiJet diesel engine would be retained. A Fiat India product presentation slide also suggests that a 107PS 1.6-litre MultiJet diesel is in the lineup.
Fiat India will rechristen the current car as the Linea Classic and sell it alongside the facelift. While the old car would address the lower end of the C Segment, the 2013 Linea will be pushed into the C-Higher Segment.
The festive season is a good time for a new car launch but will Fiat manage to complete all the testing and homologation by then?
[Source: Rushlane.com and Teamfiat.co.in]
