UPDATE – A source has confirmed to Rushlane that there is Linea by Abarth in pipeline.
Snapped on test at the Fiat plant in Ranjangaon, Fiat Linea by Abarth is probably heading to the 2016 Auto Expo in February. Spied with ‘Powered by Abarth’ badge, it will be the fourth model under the the Abarth nameplate. First four being Abarth 595, Abarth Punto, and Abarth Aventura.
Fiat Linea by Abarth will be powered by a 1.4 liter T Jet turbocharged petrol engine offering 145 PS power at 6,000 rpm and 200 Nm torque at 1,750 rpm mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. Pricing has not been revealed but we expect it to be over INR 2 lakh extra over the current Linea top end variant. Abarth Linea will also be produced at the company’s Ranjangaon plant.
Fiat Linea Abarth will be offered only in the top end Emotion trim. It will receive 16” alloy wheels and front and rear disc brakes. Safety will be enhanced with ABS and EBD besides front airbags and automatic AC. Infotainment will be in the form of Bleutooth enabled 2 DIN musicsystem, steering mounted controls and cruise control besides automatic headlights.
Fiat Linea Abarth will have a reduced ground clearance of 20mm while suspension has been stiffened. Accents will be seen on wing mirrors and grille while rear spoiler and signature side body decals will also be evident.
The present Fiat Linea sedan is a slow selling car in the mid sized sedan segment. It is offered in two different styles of Classic and Modern versions while recently the company launched a limited edition Elegante variant in India priced at INR 9.99 lakhs. It is not certain if launch of the Linea Abarth could have a positive effect on sales but it will add impetus even as the company is planning to replace the Linea sedan with a new Fiat Aegea which was recently on display at the Istanbul Motor Show.
Fiat Punto and Avventura by Abarth – Photos
Fiat Egea – Photos
Spy shot via Team-BHP
