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Thursday, 18 March 2010
After having a grandly successful year with Linea and Grande Punto, Fiat is trying to push its luck further. Fiat has launched two brand new variants of Punto in the petrol hatchback segment -1.2 litre Fire Dynamic and Emotion. And the most interesting things about these new launches are the very competitive pricing and the new features that come packed in the new variants of the oh-so-admirable Punto. The Punto Fire comes with an impressive range of features that include tilt steering, front power windows, fire prevention system and programmed service reminder in its entry level 1.2 Active variant. The 1.2 Dynamic will offer rear power windows and central locking system. And as if these things were not enough to pull the crowd to the showrooms, Fiat, as an introductory offer, is giving away music system in the 1.2 Dynamic. Punto 1.2 Emotion variant will come with an integrated music system, fog lamps, electric mirrors, dual tone dashboard and split seats. As an introductory offer, Fiat is also giving away music system in the 1.2 Dynamic. Meanwhile, the 1.2 Emotion variant will come an integrated music system, fog lamps, electric mirrors, dual tone dashboard and split seats. The exterior styling and looks of Punto has been so different, in a way that we like, from the other cars in the segment. While the others look rather like oversized women who would not go to the gym, Punto oozes raw beauty and appeal. It is a common knowledge that automobile industry in India is growing at a tremendous pace and the small car segment, with 60% of car sales, is fuelling the growth. Fiat, so far, has had about 5.5 per cent of the market share and it is looking to double the sales figure with more variant launches in the coming months. Punto Sports is another variant which will be launched during the second half of this year. When talking about Fiat’s efforts to raise the standard of sales figure, we cannot ignore the new Linea 1.4 T-Jet, which is set to make its debut during August – September 2010. When launched, Linea T-Jet will be the only one its segment to have turbocharged petrol engine. Labels: Fiat, Fiat-India, Fiat-Linea, Fiat-Punto, Grande-Punto, Linea-T-Jet, Punto-Fire, Punto-Fire-Dynamic, Punto-Fire-Emotion, PuntO-Sports
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Fiat India has been doing their homework well since their second outing in the Indian Car market. It’s a known fact that the first outing of Fiat was disastrous and left a sour taste in the hearts and minds of Indian people. This time Fiat has got the equation just right and has come out in the Indian car market like never before. They have launched three trend setting models in India in 2008-09 while they already had their Palio holding ground for them in India while they had left India momentarily. Fiat India brought out their popular models like hatchback Punto, sedan Linea and premium luxury small car Fiat 500 tying up with Tata Motors. But in order to further explore the Indian car market, Fiat India has come out with new variants of the Linea and Punto at the just culminated Auto Expo 2010. Fiat also unveiled three Punto variants during the Expo named Punto Sports, Punto CNG and Punto Trendz. Fiat Punto Sports gets its power from the 1.3L Multijet Diesel engine which produced a healthy 90 bhp and has a property of variable geometry turbo charger. The maximum torque produced by this engine is 205 Nm. The Sports edition seems to be a nice concept and is it is the livery that it carries that deserves all attention apart from the engine. Punto Sports is priced at Rs 6.5 lakhs and will be competing against the likes of Maruti Swift and Ritz, Ford Figo, Toyota Etios, Volkswagen polo and Skoda Fabia. Fiat Punto Trendz is a interesting display in the Fiat stands at the Auto Expo. Fiat Punto Trendz sports a Limited Edition 1.2-L FIRE petrol engine and comes with a CD/FM/MP3 version and it is one of the latest updates which are available from the manufacturer. Fiat Punto Trendz is a limited edition car that might be priced on the higher side and the level of decals attached is absolutely mind-blowing. Fiat Punto CNG also was displayed at the Auto Expo 2010 in the Fiat stands. It has now become a common amongst the car manufactures to come out with vehicles fitted with flexi-fuel optioned engines. Fiat India to tap this market has come out with their Fiat Punto CNG flexi fuel vehicle. This car can run both in CNG and petrol. Punto CNG uses a 1172 cc FIRE engine with a CNG kit which generates 68 bhp and will be pitted against the Maruti Suzuki WagonR Duo. Fiat India has priced Punto CNG Rs 5 lakh( ex-showroom-Mumbai). Labels: Fiat-India, Fiat-Linea, Fiat-Punto, Punto-CNG, PuntO-Sports, Punto-Trendz, Tata-Motors
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
If the sources are to be believed, Fiat India could come out with a hybrid car in India by 2010 end or early 2011 other than the India-specific small car. If the news comes right from the horses’ mouth, we all have every reason to believe it. Rajeev Kapoor, President and CEO of Fiat India said that the hybrid car certainly will be powered by CNG and petrol and also mentioned that Fiat India was also working on an India-specific car but he refused to give out more details. He was speaking to reporters at the ongoing Auto Expo held in New Delhi. Fiat is very optimistic on doubling the sales of its existing models and will be introducing more variants of existing models, but denied any launches of new cars in India. Rajeev Kapoor maintained that "Other than the variants launched today, we will not introduce any new models per se". He also mentioned that Fiat planned to sell about 46,000 units doubling last year’s 23,000 vehicles which were sold. He was quite optimistic that Fiat’s models Grande Punto and Fiat 500 could not pick up sales last year as the models were launched in the end of 2009 but 2010 would be a successful year for them. The company Wednesday unveiled the diesel version of Fiat 500, three variants of Grande Punto and two of the Linea model. Labels: Auto-Expo, Fiat-500, Fiat-Grande-Punto, Fiat-India, Fiat-Linea
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
 Tata Nano is one permanent fixture in Carazoo.com for a long time now. This little wonder car has been around in the portal for many reasons and continues to be doing what it does best. Earning rave reviews. The world’s cheapest car has won one of the most significant awards of the country – Indian Car of the Year aka ICOTY. ICOTY and IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) awards are the awards that are unbiased and exhaustive evaluation of all the new cars and motorcycles launched in the calendar year of 2009 in India. Although Tata Nano was a contender for this award amongst other heavy weights like were the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Jazz, Fiat Linea, Fiat Grande Punto, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Mahindra Xylo, Skoda Superb, Tata Indigo Manza, and Toyota Fortuner, Tata Nano emerged victorious in the end garnering 63 points. The Managing Director of Tata Motors, Mr. P.M. Telang, received the award from the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of JK Tyre Industries Ltd., Dr. R. P. Singhania, at a ceremony in New Delhi. Kawasaki Ninja 250R won the IMOTY award with 53 points. A 11-member expert jury members of the 2010 ICOTY included Yogendra Pratap and Vikrant Singh of Auto Bild India, Gautam Sen and Bob Rupani of Auto India, Bijoy Kumar Y and Srinivas Krishnan of Business Standard Motoring, Aspi Bhathena of Car India, Sirish Chandran and Bertand D’souza of Overdrive and Vardhan Kondvikar and Girish Karkera of Top Gear India. All these jury members evaluate and test cars as part of their journalistic work and are known for their analytic skills and professional competence. Once a year they come together to vote for the ICOTY. To qualify for the 2009 awards, only all-new cars and motorcycles, whatever the country of their origin, that went on sale in showrooms across the country before December 1, 2009 were considered. Existing cars and motorcycles that have had mere cosmetic facelifts or small mechanical tweaks do not qualify for consideration. The jury members judged the cars and motorcycles on various parameters such as price, fuel efficiency, design, comfort, safety, maneuverability, performance, functionality, environmental responsibility and driver/rider satisfaction among others. In addition, technical innovation and value for money were particularly important factors while deciding on the winner. The selection of the winner is carried out by a simple voting system with each jury member having twenty-five points to allot to at least four cars/bikes. They can give a maximum of 10 points to any one of them. A very fair and transparent system makes the ICOTY and IMOTY amongst the most credible and coveted car and motorcycle awards in India. Labels: Chevrolet-Cruze, Fiat-Grande-Punto, Fiat-Linea, Honda-Jazz, ICOTY, IMOTY, Mahindra-Xylo, Maruti-Suzuki-Ritz, Skoda-Superb, Tata-Indigo-Manza, Tata-Motors, Tata-Nano, Toyota-Fortuner
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
 Fiat Linea is a much loved car in India but not by automobile enthusiasts because of its not so powerful engine. The 1400cc petrol engine is just not enough to give you that driving pleasure that you are eying for. The car definitely offers a lot else, but sheer driving pleasure is not what you get from the Linea. Even the diesel version is not close. That complaint will be over when Fiat launches the Linea T-Jet at the upcoming Auto Expo 2010 at New Delhi in January. The 1400 cc petrol engine now gets a turbocharger, and that means a stupendous boost in sheer horsepower. What the Linea T-Jet offers you is 118 bhp @ 5000 rpm. That takes to the same level of power output as the all-new Honda City, which is the flavour of the year since it was launched. Max torque is believed to be 206 nm. The top speed, 0-60 acceleration timing and overall drivablity are all expected to go up with the arrival of the Fiat Linea T-Jet. Of course the price will not remain the same when other things in the car goes up, it certainly will go up too. We guess the Linea T-Jet would be priced at least Rs 1.5 lakh more than the current petrol Linea top-end version. Almost one year after the launch of the Fiat Linea in India, it gets an engine it deserves. This indeed is great news. There is also much talk online about a rumoured hill-holder function in the Linea T-Jet. Essentially, this makes sure that the car does not roll back when you take your foot off the brake to move it to the accelerator. That is a welcome addition – the less riding the clutch, the better for your car. And less stress on the driver, obviously. At the Auto Expo pavilion, Fiat will also show off the flagship model the Fiat 500 alongside the new Linea T-Jet. Also rumoured is a 1.9 liter diesel version of the Linea, but this is a rumour that is dying off – so it may not happen at all. Fiat recently announced that the company is planning a small car for India for a 2011-2012 launch. Fiat currently sells the Punto medium hatchback car and the Linea in India. A new face lifted version of the Fiat Palio is also planned, and even this might make an appearance at the Auto Expo. 2010 is going to be an interesting year! Labels: Fiat India, Fiat-Linea, Fiat-Linea- T-Jet, Fiat-Punto
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
There weren't many things happening at the Fiat stage of late. The company has also recently denied the launch of ultra cheap car, which we all expected to host the Indian roads very soon. But with such saddening news the company also combined the promise of the plans of the company to launch small, low cost cars. But it will take some time before the car will be actually available to the Indian car lovers.
Now let us speak of something that will happen in the near future. The much-loved model of Fiat, Linea will now be more powerful. The company will provide the Linea a more powerful petrol engine. Fiat will now establish its T-jet 1.4-litre engine that has a remarkable direct injection and turbo charger.
The T-jet is expected to bring in a new appeal for Linea. It will also help in improving the performance and refinement of the Linea.
It is also expected that the company might also introduce 110bhp 1.6 litre diesel engine for Linea. And it was expected that the company will launch this during the beginning of next year, but it is now said that the company might launch it only towards the end of 2010. Labels: cars-India, Fiat-Cars, Fiat-Linea, small-cars-India, Ultra-cheap-Car
Thursday, 22 October 2009
It was just yesterday that we had blogged on Fiat Linea due to be launched in India with a more powerful 1.9 L engine to give enough bang for the customer’s bucks. It seems like Fiat is working its charm on the Indian mass in stages. Just when we thought Punto was out of the picture, we get this report of an upgraded engined Punto being tested in Brazil. But this time Fiat Punto has made sure that Brazil gets another variant. Punto 1.4ELX is now available with two optional kits, termed as Punto Creative I and Punto Creative II. Meanwhile Autossegredos, a Brazilian automobile blogger reports Fiat is testing a 1.6 16V Flex engine in Punto. Both the news is equally exciting and can really contribute a lot of momentum to Punto’s successful journey in coming days. Fiat Punto Creative I is Punto 1.4ELX with factory fitted accessories like MP3 CD radio, electric rear panel, knife type key, alloy wheels, rear spoiler and creative stickers in the columns of the front doors. Punto Creative II adds Blue & Me system, operated by voice commands and includes Bluetooth, USB port in the glove and leather steering wheel with radio controls and telephones to the list. Fiat added $1,970 and $2,880 to base price of Punto 1.4ELX for Creative I and Creative II respectively. Now the second excitement, the above Punto was spotted in Brazil with a 1.6 16V Flex engine. We also anticipate the arrival of 1.4ltr 16V Flex engine in near future. Both the engines are capable to return better power (say 5bhp or more) and fuel economy. The 1.6 16V engine uses electricity for valve timing but the previous engines uses belt. The Fiat Punto 1.6 16V and Punto 1.4 16V will hit market by next quarter, let us wait and see Fiat India is planning this upgrades to our market too! Labels: Fiat-Grande-Punto, Fiat-India, Fiat-Linea, Multi-jet engines
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Fiat’s stylish sedan Fiat Linea has long suffered from underpowered engines since its inception here in India. Fiat Linea currently runs on a 1.3L diesel and 1.4L petrol that lacks the punch. The owners of the car certainly feel that they haven’t got their share of power for their money with the Linea. The guys in Fiat finally have taken the complaints and grumblings quite seriously and are all set to launch a series of powerful engines by next year in the upcoming 2010 Delhi Auto Expo. Fiat’s sedan Linea and hatchback Grande Punto is of much importance to the Fiat India’s Indian presence as these two models have given tremendous sales figures. Now Fiat India would not want to give their customers a great car with underpowered engines, which takes the josh out of motoring and dwindles the size of their coffers due to poor sales. Fiat India therefore might as well showcase powerful 1.6L or the 1.9L diesel engines for the gracious Linea. If launched in India, the 1.9L diesel engine will come with two configurations that might be 8 valves and 16 valves. These two engines would have four different power outputs that would generate 100PS, 120PS, 130PS and 150PS. Labels: Fiat-Grande-Punto, Fiat-India, Fiat-Linea, Hatchbacks-in-India, Sedan
Monday, 12 October 2009
The other day we were talking about the silver car colour mania. Indians also are swept off their feet by this colour. Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India have affirmed that the market for them is for whites, silver and other subtle colours. These two Indian car majors have said that 50 per cent of the total sales of the industry are still for the all-time favourites, while red stands at 11-13 per cent. For Maruti, it is all about silver, golden and white. Even Honda says that almost 50 per cent of its sales are off-white and silver. The red colour signifies premium and prosperity and is winning hearts of the Indian car buyers. It is such a hit that car makers are finding it difficult to meet the delivery dates for red coloured car. Almost 50 per cent of the orders for the new Skoda Superb are for Rosso Brunello which is a shade of the colour red. And Skoda Auto India is gearing up to meet the huge demand for that colour. The Czech car company is also seeing an increasing demand for black, which till recently was not really preferred by Indians. Indian car customers symbolize colour with different things. The colour white signifies power, black is considered as ‘evil’ and red as prosperity. Chocolate and blue colours are some of the contemporary car colours. Moreover, the choice for bright colours can be attributed with the age of car buyers. It is a general belief that the young crowd prefers brighter colours. While, most feel what sells is what is shown in the advertisements. A large number of the car ads feature bright colour cars. For example, the cars in the ads of Fiat Linea and Grande Punto, Skoda Superb and Honda Jazz come in red. And it has to be mentioned here that that the maximum sales of Linea are for red, courtesy the advertisement showcasing Linea in Flamenco Red, wine red for Fiat India. Labels: Car-Colours, Fiat-India, Fiat-Linea, Honda-Jazz, Hyundai, Maruti-Suzuki
Friday, 8 May 2009
Fiat wants to give more power to its stylish Linea. It plans to add two new engines - a 1.6-litre multi-jet diesel engine that produces 118 bhp and a 1.6-litre petrol engine that generates 106 bhp. The launch of the car has helped the company to get back its lost glory in India that was faded away into oblivion a few years ago. It experienced a smooth ride in the fast racing Indian car industry grabbing several accolades like ‘Car of the Year’ by UTVi Autocar, ‘Mid-Size Car of the Year’ awarded by both UTVi Autocar and CNBC Overdrive UTVi. It was also selected by TopGear for the Best Mid-size Saloon 2008 award. It has enticed many customers with its elegant design, luxurious interiors, and advanced features that give them a feeling of ownership pride. Many believe that the car is underpowered compared to its rivals. The present 1.4-litre FIRE engine generates 89 bhp which is quite less compared to 116 bhp offered by the Honda City. Eyeing the customers’ response and competition, the company plans to enhance the power of the car. The company also plans to achieve 90 percent localization in production by 2010. This will further help to slash down the price making it more cost effective. Labels: Fiat-Cars, Fiat-Linea, Sedans
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
It’s raining awards for the Fiat Linea as it has bagged prestigious titles in different categories. It’s a big achievement for the car which is just launched 3 months back. Amazingly, the mid-size sedan is crowned with the ‘Car of the Year’ award by UTVi Autocar, the ‘Midsize car of the Year’ title by CNBC Overdrive and UTVi Autocar. The car stands out to be an outstanding contender among many other top cars like the New Honda City, Maruti Swift Dzire, Skoda Fabia, Hyundai i20, and the Toyota Corolla Altis. The car truly deserves the success with enticing features like majestic sweep of the roof, multi-function steering wheel, two-tone dash with a chrome slash, and 90 PS powerhouse. The eye-catching exterior with contemporary Italian styling, dual parabola headlamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, aggressive front with modern front grille and clean rear set the car apart from its competitors. Not only in India, the car has also experience a good response in the international markets. It was chosen for the ‘BBC TopGear Best Mid-size Saloon 2008’ award by TopGear. Well, this is the scenario only after a few months of its release, the Linea is sure to add more feathers to its cap in the coming times. Labels: Fiat-Cars, Fiat-Linea, Sedan
Friday, 30 January 2009
The latest sedan Linea is launched by Fiat India solely with a view to strengthened its presence in the Indian car market. The company has tied high hopes with the car and is completely relying on it to bring good sales.It also targets to sell 24,000 cars in the first year and export around 3,000 cars to international markets like South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and UK. The recently launched Fiat Linea boasts unmistakable Italian design, aesthetic glaring lines with modern features. The impressive design with a smooth body shape, elongated dual-parabola headlights, and a steeply raked windscreen improves aerodynamics. Welcoming and bright environment in the interior accentuated with a host of interior elements delivers a perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality. There is nothing left behind to roll a beauty on wheels. With such an elegant design and high quality interiors, the Fiat Linea is sure to attract a large number of car buyers across the country. If this new car succeeds to win hearts of Indian car buyers, it is sure that the impact of slowdown on the company will be nullified. Fiat expects to increase the market share and aims to sell about 40,000 cars during 2009. The Linea is surely going to coup over leading sedans like the Honda City and the Ford Fiesta if its gains car buyers’ confidence. This would then definitely help to revive Fiat's business in India. Labels: Fiat-Linea, New-Car-Launch, Sedan
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Finally, the car we all eagerly waited for has arrived with curiosity, excitement, magnificence, and grace. The Linea is no stranger to the global car market. But in India the car is a new and a significant addition to the Fiat's portfolio that will endeavour to rewrite the laws of sedans. It was first launched in Turkey in 2007 and had received an overwhelming response. With the same degree of exhilaration, passion, and fortitude, Fiat brings Linea to India. The Linea is meticulously designed to create a masterpiece of undaunted beauty and technological excellence. The flawless design and impeccable lines accentuated with gorgeous headlamps, impressive front grille, and curvaceous rear gives the Linea an admirable, appreciable, and dynamic look. When you get behind the wheels, the air within will stuck your heartbeat. Aesthetically designed interiors supplemented with revolutionary car technologies and futuristic safety features offer a striking mélange where style meets performance and function. There is no compromise in terms of performance. The heart of the car makes a perfect power statement with highly efficient and powerful engine options. Linea is available in both petrol and diesel versions. The petrol version is powered by a 1.4-litre revolutionary FIRE engine whereas the diesel engine works on 1.3-litre advanced multijet engine. Adding to your surprise are the 'My Car' and Blue&Me technologies. The exciting 'My Car' technology gives you an opportunity to rejoice the art of car customization. With this you can customize your Linea with an assortment of features including digital odometer, clock setting, radio display, service schedule reminder, setting units for distance, front passenger airbag activation, and a variety of entertaining solutions. With Blue&Me technology, you can enjoy hand free system usage (by pairing Bluetooth mobile phone and the system), SMS reader, and voice command music system. It enables you to receive or make phone calls without removing your hands from the steering wheel. So, now you can have safe commute and easy communication during a ride without distracting your concentration from driving. Retailing at an economical price range of Rs 5 Lakh to Rs 6 Lakh and Rs 6 Lakh to Rs 8 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for petrol and diesel variants, the new Fiat Linea is nothing less than a showstopper. Labels: Car-Market, Fiat-Linea, New-Car-Launch
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