Fiat Linea 1.4 Turbo likely to come to India in 2010

The Fiat Linea 1.4 Turbo will address all concerns regarding the car's lack of performance...

The Fiat Linea, a brilliant little sedan that is currently stuck with underpowered 1.3-litre (diesel) and 1.4-litre (petrol) engines, is all set to get a makeover next year. For the Indian market, Fiat plans to launch a new version of the Linea in 2010, which will be fitted with a turbocharged 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol engine.

Thanks to its forced-induction engine, the Fiat Linea Turbo will pack around 120 horsepower and 206Nm of torque, which should help it win a few traffic-light drag races and also take on the segment leader – the Honda City. The Linea T-Jet will be able to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in less than 10 seconds and hit a top speed of 200km/h, so performance enthusiasts are likely to love the car. We expect Fiat India to announce the Linea 1.4 Turbo during the Auto Expo in January 2010, with the car going on sale shortly thereafter.

On another front, Fiat is also working on an all-new small car for India, which should be out in the market by 2011. Fitted with a sub-1.0-litre petrol engine, Fiat’s small car will be positioned between the A and B segments and prices could start at as little as Rs 2.75 lakh.