Fiat has made enthusiasts happy when they launched its performance brand ‘Abarth’ in India and now reports are to be believed then the carmaker will expand its performance portfolio as the Abarth Linea is in the works. At present Abarth lineup has three models including-Abarth Punto, Abarth Avventura and 595 Competizione but it seems Linea will soon the bandwagon most probably by this year’s Indian auto expo.
The Fiat Linea with Abarth badging has been spied at company’s Ranjangaon facility, Pune. There is little else known about the other details of the model like its engine but it is likely to get the same 1.4l T-Jet turbocharged petrol engine that also powers Avventura and Punto.
The T-Jet engine makes a massive power of 145bhp@5500rpm and 212Nm of torque between 2000-4000 rpm, while the one in Abarth Avventura delivers 140bhp of max power and 210Nm torque. Both the cars are matched with a 5-speed manual transmission.
Changes to the design might include contrasting Outer rear view mirrors (ORVMs), new scorpion alloy wheels, new exterior color shades with racy stripes all around and apparent Abarth badge at rear. Interiors will be enhanced by a new infotainment system, premium seats with contrast stitching, soft touch dashboard etc.
Like Abarth Punto, Linea will also get the reduced ground clearance to stiffen up the suspension to improve drivability. Safety aspect will be handled by standard dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, engine immobilizer with floating code, fire prevention system etc.
Pricing has not been revealed yet but expect it to be over at least 1.5-1.75 lakh higher than the current Linea top spec variant.
