The Italian beauty is back on the roads, her swagger intact. The new Fiat Linea may look the same at first glance, take a close look and you will see the bits and pieces of chrome adding to its ‘contemporary’ stance; a flashy ‘Fiat’ greeting in red when the passengers open the door; and a darker and meaner dual-tone beige interiors giving it a premier edge. Look even closer and you will notice the increase in car’s height, resulting in a better ground clearance and a more rigid suspension suitable for Indian roads

The new features also include automatic lights that detect darkness and light up — say, you get into an underpass or a tunnel, your car will light up automatically. The rain vipers are also automatic, working its magic the moment first drops of rain hit the windshield. The car also has centralised door lock that could be controlled from any door. Very convenient, when you pull by for a quick ATM visit: Your passenger could lock your door without any acrobatic stretching.

Overall, driving characteristics have improved drastically due to the improved suspension and ground clearance. But old drawbacks such as rigid steering wheel and high turning radius remain. It takes an effort to make that u-turn on a red light. This is the only Italian non-sports car plying in India and, of course, they had to give something extra. But it doesn’t suit the scheme of things in city driving conditions because of its high turning radius — difficult to park and squeeze in crowded places.

Indians who have made themselves comfortable with Japanese and Korean cars will find this car lacking in ease. Even the steering height could only be adjusted a bit and that leaves a lot to be desired. Good thing, though: You might end up building your forearm muscles without having to hit the gym. The car still misses crucial features like an auxiliary port and USB drive slot to plug in music. It also misses automatic transmission and sunroof.

The spacing of the seating arrangements seems a bit scrunched up. While the passenger is a bit too close to the driver in front, you could just about sit comfortably in the back. The overall effect is that the car somehow feels cramped. A big tick to the centre console and dashboard, but the armrest could be improved.

When it comes to exterior beauty, Linea comes out with flying colours. It’s easily one of the most stylised modern-day mid-size sedans. It’s got an admirable length, excellent all round visibility and good air-conditioner and heater. But at Rs 10 lakh for the top-end 1.3 litre diesel, it loses out to Verna, Vento and Rapid’s 1.6 litre diesels. The Linea returns 18 kmpl in the city, against 17 kmpl for Verna and 15 kmpl for Vento and Rapid. The Linea diesel is refined but the take off is slow. The pleasure of driving catches up with you only after you cross third gear.

The petrol costs about Rs 8 lakh and stands a better chance against other petrol rivals because of its hatchback-like mileage of 14 kmpl. For someone with no knowledge of driving, and is being chauffeur driven, Linea’s glamorous looks will appeal over, say, SX4. Until a few years ago, Linea enjoyed a unique status, but now it has its European counterparts such as Vento and Rapid giving it a tough ride.

(The car was provided by Fiat India for test drive)

saahilanant@mydigitalfc.com