SilverStreakLInea
New member
Karthik
Have you noticed above pics of Linea?
It does not have Chrome strips alongside the window glasses like we have.
yes indians love chrome in every where in the car.
for them,it's luxury.for me too
General Fiat Linea
- Thread starter raton_laveur
- Start date
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General Fiat Linea
yes indians love chrome in every where in the car.
for them,it's luxury.for me too
Its a very attractive car. They could do an estate too...
I`m pretty sure if they sold a 1.4 or 1.6 estate of this in the UK, my parents would have got one instead of the Volvo V50 they got to replace the Tempra SW (they wanted a smaller engined medium size hatch or estate, they found the Croma too big & bulky & the GP & Bravo too small in the boot).
Fiat are missing a trick with this one, but then they`ve got a history of selling cars elsewhere that we`d like...
I`m pretty sure if they sold a 1.4 or 1.6 estate of this in the UK, my parents would have got one instead of the Volvo V50 they got to replace the Tempra SW (they wanted a smaller engined medium size hatch or estate, they found the Croma too big & bulky & the GP & Bravo too small in the boot).
Fiat are missing a trick with this one, but then they`ve got a history of selling cars elsewhere that we`d like...
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I am sure Fiat considered marketing it here in the UK but the simple fact is that unlike the rest of Europe very very few people in the UK actually want to buy small saloons/estates. Ask yourself a question...when did you last see one from ANY manufacturer? Fiat will have considered the poor demand for the Linea and come to the conclusion that after making a RHD varient for the UK market and after considering the costs involved, stocking spares, providing dealer info and support etc etc it simply wasnt worth their while to bring it over. They will have come to the conclusion their resources are better used selling and supporting cars they know WILL sell in large numbers like the GP and 500.
The GP was a big seller intially & is still selling reasonably well, 1 of the failings of the GP (as well as the 500, Panda & Stilo) is the boot size. Its all very well offering a bunch of small funky city cars, but what happens when your young funky customers grow up & have a family? They cant necissarily afford the running costs of an Alfa 159 SW (big insurance, high taxation class, high parts prices)...
Also bear in mind more & more young people are having kids at a younger age these days. Its something you`d expect an Italian company to realise...
Have you tried to get a couple of push chairs in the boot (with all the other assorted stuff) in the back of a 500/Panda/GP/Bravo?
They have no choice but to turn their back on Fiat, thats what!
Fiat have a long history of family sized estate cars, but none since the Marea (unless you count the Croma which had a poor mix of engines & trim levels).
What if you buy a new estate every 3-5 years? you had a 125 estate, then a131 Panorama, then a Regata weekend, then a Tempra SW, then a Marea SW, followed by a Stilo SW... now what? not everyone wants a van with windows...
Maybe a GP or Bravo with no boot for your dogs that cant transport rubbish to the tip & you cantcollect the bench from the gardening centre....
As I`ve said before, my parents wanted another Fiat estate after owning a succession of them over the last 20 odd years, however when it came to replacing the Tempra (that had been a wonderful car for them & is still doing very well in its 16th year with me) there were no suitable repacements. They wanted a GP 1.4 Eleganza on paper, but when they went to the showroom they realised the boot was simply too small. if they`d seen a Linea SW they would have bought it...
Instead they ended up getting a Volvo V50 & have been very happy, especially with customer service (a revalation after living with Fiats aftercare for decades)...
The result? my parents will probably never buy a Fiat again...
The engine to trim level restrictions is a mistake as well, with the increasing govenment imposed taxations being directly linked to emissions, people generally want to downsize, however you can only have a full option car with the biggest engine sizes.
This leaves people either having to go backwards with trim levels (irritating) or, as most of them do, going Japanese/Korean...
Also what you say about retooling for RHD & costs involved in stocking spares & support... Its fundimentally a GP with a big arse, the RHD parts are therefore already available, the dealers wouldnt need any further instruction & the cost of stocking a few rear end parts in the UK would be negligable.
A GP SW could be made now & the fact Fiat UK havent offered it is an oversight as far as i`m concerned.
They could be competing with the V50, the Astra estate, the Focus estate, the 307 SW, the Golf estate & any number of small to mid sized estates.
Fiats range is a mess at the moment, they are trying to do the Merk thing, trying to jump on too many bandwagons & forgetting the main ones.
IMO theres no need for Quibo or the Sedici, both of these would have also cost infinately more to "Anglisise" than a GP estate. I dont expect either of them to sell in numbers which would justify their introduction over the next 5 years.
Fiats UK marketing dept needs a serious kick up the arse... I suspect its being run by young people who are completely ignoring the needs of the motorists who are over 35 who happen to be the ones with the majority of the money to buy new cars....
Also bear in mind more & more young people are having kids at a younger age these days. Its something you`d expect an Italian company to realise...
Have you tried to get a couple of push chairs in the boot (with all the other assorted stuff) in the back of a 500/Panda/GP/Bravo?
They have no choice but to turn their back on Fiat, thats what!
Fiat have a long history of family sized estate cars, but none since the Marea (unless you count the Croma which had a poor mix of engines & trim levels).
What if you buy a new estate every 3-5 years? you had a 125 estate, then a131 Panorama, then a Regata weekend, then a Tempra SW, then a Marea SW, followed by a Stilo SW... now what? not everyone wants a van with windows...
Maybe a GP or Bravo with no boot for your dogs that cant transport rubbish to the tip & you cantcollect the bench from the gardening centre....
As I`ve said before, my parents wanted another Fiat estate after owning a succession of them over the last 20 odd years, however when it came to replacing the Tempra (that had been a wonderful car for them & is still doing very well in its 16th year with me) there were no suitable repacements. They wanted a GP 1.4 Eleganza on paper, but when they went to the showroom they realised the boot was simply too small. if they`d seen a Linea SW they would have bought it...
Instead they ended up getting a Volvo V50 & have been very happy, especially with customer service (a revalation after living with Fiats aftercare for decades)...
The result? my parents will probably never buy a Fiat again...
The engine to trim level restrictions is a mistake as well, with the increasing govenment imposed taxations being directly linked to emissions, people generally want to downsize, however you can only have a full option car with the biggest engine sizes.
This leaves people either having to go backwards with trim levels (irritating) or, as most of them do, going Japanese/Korean...
Also what you say about retooling for RHD & costs involved in stocking spares & support... Its fundimentally a GP with a big arse, the RHD parts are therefore already available, the dealers wouldnt need any further instruction & the cost of stocking a few rear end parts in the UK would be negligable.
A GP SW could be made now & the fact Fiat UK havent offered it is an oversight as far as i`m concerned.
They could be competing with the V50, the Astra estate, the Focus estate, the 307 SW, the Golf estate & any number of small to mid sized estates.
Fiats range is a mess at the moment, they are trying to do the Merk thing, trying to jump on too many bandwagons & forgetting the main ones.
IMO theres no need for Quibo or the Sedici, both of these would have also cost infinately more to "Anglisise" than a GP estate. I dont expect either of them to sell in numbers which would justify their introduction over the next 5 years.
Fiats UK marketing dept needs a serious kick up the arse... I suspect its being run by young people who are completely ignoring the needs of the motorists who are over 35 who happen to be the ones with the majority of the money to buy new cars....
VW has the Jetta now which you see a few of, Ford used to do the Focus saloon but they were very uncommon. It's a shame as I really like the style of the Linea.
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Sweetsedici
New member
RHD variants are already been made by Fiat India and apparently selling very well out there.
They buy a Focus/Astra/Golf......or a people carrier, check the sales figures.
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India is still a developing market, they dont have the choices we do in the UK, they are driving varients of the Austin Ambassadors, Rover SD1s and Montegos. In addition would a RHD Indian spec car meet UK requirements? plus they would have to ship them all the way from the Indian factory instead of the Italian factory which would increase the unit cost even more.....you need to start thinking money....... like company directors do.
Does this look familiar?
Yes...its a saloon version of the Fiesta, called the Ikon You cant move on the continent for them yet for some reason Ford dont sell them here.......I wonder why? There are also saloon versions of The Clio, the Polo, the Fabia, the Corsa.....all the popular hatches. Now if Ford/Vauxhall/VW etc have decided its not worth their while trying to sell a saloon version of their best selling cars over here what chance have Fiat got with a saloon version of the GP?.....There is a simple answer, no-one wants them in numbers sufficient enough to make it economicaly viable.
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Agreed, saloons arent desirable any more, estates are however, in fact theres been a constant rise in demand for estates over the last 30 years.
Despite this, Fiats decided to ignore the market since the Stilo was killed off, a market they`d been part of for around 50 years. As most estate owners dont want to be forced into a MPV sized thing or miniature 4x4, its given Fiat enthusiasts no option but to go elsewhere.
This is the point I was making in my posts....
Despite this, Fiats decided to ignore the market since the Stilo was killed off, a market they`d been part of for around 50 years. As most estate owners dont want to be forced into a MPV sized thing or miniature 4x4, its given Fiat enthusiasts no option but to go elsewhere.
This is the point I was making in my posts....
VahanPujari
New member
jayavijayanravi
New member
This is my first post in Fiat Forum. I have booked Fiat Linea 1.4 l [90 bhp] petrol Emotion Pack-Fox Trot Azure. The vehicle is in transit and expected to be delivered to me by next week. I will post a detailed report along with photographs after I get the vehicle.
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@sledge: Yes India is still developing country and doesnt have options like europe and drive ambassadors. But do you the its them who are revolutionizing the industry, some facts
1. Makers Cheapest Car in the World - Nano
2. Highest selling electric small car - Reva
3. Only country where people are working with technologies to run car on air - Courtesy TAtA.
4. Hub of small car development, companies developing small car in/for India Nissan, Renault, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Suzuki, GM, Fiat, Hyundai etc etc..
5. A country of billion people, with population that can own the car is more than total population some of the european countries, where do you see it going ?
Indians do have fathers gifting Maybacs to daughters and Ferraris Gifted to sports persons.
With Jaguar and Land Rover in Tatas kitty, the best Iconic brand is also comming in. And FIAT cars are sold in India by Tata's its a JV
There are many more things that i can say, like Mercs and BMWs are sold more in India as compared to some european country. And GDP over 7% during the word recession phase would let you know where the sellers will go.
1. Makers Cheapest Car in the World - Nano
2. Highest selling electric small car - Reva
3. Only country where people are working with technologies to run car on air - Courtesy TAtA.
4. Hub of small car development, companies developing small car in/for India Nissan, Renault, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Suzuki, GM, Fiat, Hyundai etc etc..
5. A country of billion people, with population that can own the car is more than total population some of the european countries, where do you see it going ?
Indians do have fathers gifting Maybacs to daughters and Ferraris Gifted to sports persons.
With Jaguar and Land Rover in Tatas kitty, the best Iconic brand is also comming in. And FIAT cars are sold in India by Tata's its a JV
There are many more things that i can say, like Mercs and BMWs are sold more in India as compared to some european country. And GDP over 7% during the word recession phase would let you know where the sellers will go.
Gents,
I am from India and have just joined the forum which is indeed a great place to share and know more about Fiat cars and our experiences with them. I recently bought a new Linea Emotion+ 1.3 MJD and have just completed 1000 kms on ODO. The car is great and have no trouble so far. I have two queries which perhaps someone can reply.
1. Till now I have been checking regularly the coolant level and it does not seem to go down and is still pegged at almost the same level ( max ) when I first took the delivery in August end. Is it normal ? I have read in other forums where owners had to top up after reaching 1000 kms. Is anyone else in a similar scenario ?
2. The front alloy wheels have shown signs of rust on the discs ? Is that normal too.
3. Should I change my engine oil now or is it recommended to change after 1K kms although manual does not state.
4. How is your overall experience of driving Linea on really bad roads ? Lately due to heavy rains in Mumbai , roads are uneven with lot of deep potholes. Is Linea suspension strong enough or I need to get them checked by the dealers.
It would be helpful if anyone could shed some light on the above points please ? Many Thanks.
I am from India and have just joined the forum which is indeed a great place to share and know more about Fiat cars and our experiences with them. I recently bought a new Linea Emotion+ 1.3 MJD and have just completed 1000 kms on ODO. The car is great and have no trouble so far. I have two queries which perhaps someone can reply.
1. Till now I have been checking regularly the coolant level and it does not seem to go down and is still pegged at almost the same level ( max ) when I first took the delivery in August end. Is it normal ? I have read in other forums where owners had to top up after reaching 1000 kms. Is anyone else in a similar scenario ?
2. The front alloy wheels have shown signs of rust on the discs ? Is that normal too.
3. Should I change my engine oil now or is it recommended to change after 1K kms although manual does not state.
4. How is your overall experience of driving Linea on really bad roads ? Lately due to heavy rains in Mumbai , roads are uneven with lot of deep potholes. Is Linea suspension strong enough or I need to get them checked by the dealers.
It would be helpful if anyone could shed some light on the above points please ? Many Thanks.
Granvilleb
New member
Don't hold your breath until Fiat decide what to do about bringing the Linea to the UK. What Fiat do wth their UK market is known only to them. Why no replacement for the Stilo? Where does the Bravo fit in the range? Why was the Croma not marketed and then dropped?
Yes, there is definitely a gap in the market for an estate/saloon/saloon-wagon vehicle from Fiat.
And, sledge... Peugeot is a prime example of a manufacturer that does it well.
Look at the 307 and the 307 SW, the 308 and its counterpart SW, the 206 and its counterpart SW, the 207 and the 207 SW.
All of those sell really well in the UK, so why shouldn't a GP SW?
Vauxhall, Ford and Renault or whoever you listed might not be able to do it, why are Peugeot able and so successful at it? Yet Peugeot have even "salooned" most of the cars in their range, not just the odd one or two!
If Fiat did introduce an estate/saloon vehicle it could be competitor to Peugeot.
Vauxhall, Renault, Ford and even Fiat are missing out on some competition here.
Anyway, back to the Linea. Introducing this in the UK would be a great idea. I can see it being a replacement for the gap left from the Marea. When the Brava/Bravo (classic) age came to an end, it was replaced by the Stilo which had no equivalent to a Marea. The Stilo has since gone and the Nuova Bravo replaced it. Although the Nuova may be bigger and more stylish, it is still aimed at ex Tipo/Brava/Bravo(classic)/Stilo audiences and not Marea audiences.
Introducing the Linea to the UK markets could be a plus for the markets here, I can see [imagine] many on the roads and also imagine they would sell really well, rivalling against Vauxhall and Ford where they have already covered this audience!
And, sledge... Peugeot is a prime example of a manufacturer that does it well.
Look at the 307 and the 307 SW, the 308 and its counterpart SW, the 206 and its counterpart SW, the 207 and the 207 SW.
All of those sell really well in the UK, so why shouldn't a GP SW?
Vauxhall, Ford and Renault or whoever you listed might not be able to do it, why are Peugeot able and so successful at it? Yet Peugeot have even "salooned" most of the cars in their range, not just the odd one or two!
If Fiat did introduce an estate/saloon vehicle it could be competitor to Peugeot.
Vauxhall, Renault, Ford and even Fiat are missing out on some competition here.
Anyway, back to the Linea. Introducing this in the UK would be a great idea. I can see it being a replacement for the gap left from the Marea. When the Brava/Bravo (classic) age came to an end, it was replaced by the Stilo which had no equivalent to a Marea. The Stilo has since gone and the Nuova Bravo replaced it. Although the Nuova may be bigger and more stylish, it is still aimed at ex Tipo/Brava/Bravo(classic)/Stilo audiences and not Marea audiences.
Introducing the Linea to the UK markets could be a plus for the markets here, I can see [imagine] many on the roads and also imagine they would sell really well, rivalling against Vauxhall and Ford where they have already covered this audience!
Well, facts speak for themselves and it would seem that the people who REALLY know about these things ie: the manufacturing, sales and marketing executives employed by Fiat disagree with you.......on the basis its NOT marketed here in the UK. Perhaps you should get in touch and tell them about their glaringly obvious oversight
I am sure the reply would be somthing along the lines of..."we looked at the possibilty but decided the costs involved and the low number of projected sales made it unfeasible"You need to think like a business man and ask yourself how many would they have to sell before they covered their costs and started to make a worthwhile return, several thousand I would guess.
No business ignores a sales opportunity and I am sure at some stage they will have sat round a table and said to themselves "shall we sell the Linea in the UK?". They will have looked at the costs involved in making a UK version, setting up the logistics, transport and storage costs, dealer training, documentation, marketing and advertising, parts stockholding etc etc etc and all the other costs involved in bringing a car to market and supporting it. Then looked at the unit cost, projected sales figures for the UK, worked out profit margins and then come to a conclusion..............and it would seem the conclusion was "NO! its not worth it".
Instead it would appear they have chosen to sell Lineas in the markets where cars of that style are in demand and profitable and instead utilise their UK resources on importing and marketing cars that they know will sell here in numbers that will turn a profit...like the GP, Panda and 500
As for Pug, I would guess they went through a similar exercise with their estate/wagon varients, but the upshot of the meetings was obviously "YES! it is worth it"
Ask yourself - how many Focus Saloons have you seen?
I've seen one, and it was butt ugly. The Linea is a looker - no doubt - but in that size of car the UK public much prefer a hatchback.
I've seen one, and it was butt ugly. The Linea is a looker - no doubt - but in that size of car the UK public much prefer a hatchback.
