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Fiat Linea vs Honda City – which is a better buy?

Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 17:17

For most of us, the answer is clear already – the all new Honda City wins hands down. Hell, sometimes I think it looks even better than the Honda Civic!

Update: Fiat Linea launched; price and specs

Fiat will launch its Fiat Linea in India, in mid-December 2008. The C-segment sedan was expected to be launched in September 2008.

Fiat Linea India photo

Photo: Fiat Linea

But it is not all that simple. I would have laughed if someone asked me a month back to compare the Honda City with the upcoming Fiat Linea – but there is more info available now, and the answer is not so easy.

Let us tackle the important points.

Top Speed, performance, horsepower

This is a battle the new Honda City will win hands down. It has 118 bhp to the top end Fiat Linea diesel’s 91. That means a much higher top speed, and faster acceleration, better 0-100 kmph figures for the City. If power is your thing, the Honda City wins easily.

Sleek - does the new Honda City look a bit like the Civic?

Sleek - does the new Honda City look a bit like the Civic?

Design and looks

I haven’t seen the Fiat Linea in the flesh yet. But I have seen the City, and it looks gorgeous. But more and more photos of the Fiat Linea are appearing, and I am having my doubts. What do I like – the sharp futuristic lines of the Honda City, or the Italian elegance of the Fiat Linea? Yes, the Linea IS elegant. The same way that the Fiat Palio still has those evergreen good looks, the Linea works the design too.

You will have to call this a tie. The City may be your kind of look, but it is just as likely it will be the classic lines of the Linea.

Driving, handling

The Honda City has the more sophisticated, eager engine and superb gear shift. The Linea is good, but you have to admit the City has done a better job here. The Linea is better on bad roads and winding roads, the City is better in the city and highways – but there is really nothing much to complain about. Which one feels more solid? So far the consensus is that the Fiat Linea is a more solidly built car than the Honda City. I guess you would need a longish test drive to figure out which is better.

Fuel economy

The top end Fiat Linea is a turbocharged diesel. Initial reports are that the kmpl figures are better for the Linea – and this is a diesel! So effectively, the Linea will cost half as much as the City to run.Long term maintenance and resale value are factors we can’t count at this point, though.

Interior

This one is the shocker. The Fiat Linea scores over the City as comprehensively as the City beats the Linea in horsepower stakes. Yes, the Fiat Linea has the better interior, classier feel, more goodies, more gadgetry, CD player, SMS text message readout… it doesn’t end! Overdrive magazine says the extra goodies in the Linea are worth close to a lakh.

Reputation

Well. Hands down winner – Honda. Enough said.

Price

The top-end Fiat Linea will be priced some Rs 1 lakh less than the top-end Honda City.

Now you know what we mean. It looks like this is a great car that might just not sell well enough due to Fiat’s reputation in India. That would be a shame if it happens.

Here’s one advice to Fiat India – pretty much no one seems confident about your after-sales, service and spares availability. If you have really improved things, make a big hoo-ha about it so the world knows about it. No one seems to know. Please.

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18 Responses to “Fiat Linea vs Honda City – which is a better buy?”

  1. tanay said on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 6:31

    if fiat launches the 120 bhp 1.4 16v Turbo option for the linea …….then it will surely beat the city in horsepower (0-100 km/h 9 sec) and about the reputation i think Fiat is known worldwide and is better than Honda, after all it’s Italian……!!
    we’ll just have to wait and see when it’s launched…

  2. Fiat Linea photo gallery, Fiat Linea Active, Dynamic, Emotion price and specs | DWS Auto India said on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 14:27

    [...] in India, in mid-December 2008. The C-segment sedan was expected to be launched in September 2008. Which is a better car? The All New Honda City or the Fiat Linea? Here is a ready reckoner – Honda Ci… Photo: Fiat [...]

  3. New Honda City launched - price, specifications and photos of new Honda City i-VTEC | DWS Auto India said on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 14:28

    [...] The new Honda City comes with a 1500 cc i-VTEC engine, with both automatic and manual transmissions and comes at a price of rs Rs 7.7 lakh and Rs 8.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Honda hopes that the new City would help the company arrest the ongoing sales decline in the Indian car market and improve sales. Which is a better car? The All New Honda City or the Fiat Linea? Here is a ready reckoner – Honda Ci… [...]

  4. Dr.ajaykumar said on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 18:34

    I own palio diesel
    the build quality is superb and you cant miss it
    i am going to get the linea

  5. J P said on Thursday, January 15, 2009, 11:18

    A thing to note here is, although the Honda’s petrol horse produces more power, the Linea’s diesel engine produces much higher torque and at lower revs. Would it not mean that Linea accelerates much faster than the City?

    Also, about the interiors, i admit i havent seen Linea’s yet. But one thing to note here is that am left very disappointed by Honda. The interior cabin space is actually smaller. They claim its bigger (i guess they have got a better way to measure the distance, but it just feels smaller). The rear seat (being narrower and the weired seat angle, length) is nothing compared to the previous version. and the rear of the car looks funny.

    The thing about FIAT cars are they are Solidly built. Take for example the rear bumper of the old city., even a slight brush would knock it out of its position. Most ppl who owned CITY would agree to this one.

    True the brand value of HONDA is better in India, but i dont think its anything to do with the product being better. The old city despite being advertied as super effiecient never gave me more than 10 kmpl in city.

    Hope to hear form ppl who have tested both cars

  6. Dr. Sahdev Patel said on Thursday, January 15, 2009, 11:43

    It will be plain stupid to buy Honda City, the so called 100 HP power is never used by any one of us, there is a self justifying tendency among human beings, we praise what we own, hence this bias. Secondly Fiat has world’s best Multijet Diesel engine and Italians are the best designers. Linea Emotion Power Pack diesel model which has on road cost of around 9 lakhs has stunning looks, excellent interiors, state of art connectivity for external devices like mobile etc, which can be seen only in high end cars like BMW. And to top it all this time the Fiat’s after sales service net work is much bigger and better organized then Honda, Linea is numero Uno and it is time to say Sayonara to Honda and Toyota.

  7. Sanjay said on Friday, January 16, 2009, 5:12

    I saw the pictures of Linea and reviewed the comments and I am impressed. I have a City now 3 years old. Despite the touted fuel efficiency, I get not more than 11 in the city. I think its time to change to the Linea when the next change is due.

  8. ecijagm said on Friday, January 16, 2009, 8:50

    Wondering how can someone give judgement or pass comments without checking both side.

    “I haven’t seen the Fiat Linea in the flesh yet. But I have seen the City, “. I don’t belive in it, unless the car is tested and driven on road.

  9. Ruzan B.Siganporia said on Monday, January 19, 2009, 5:44

    Hi All, I booked the Fiat Linea yesterday and seeing the Linea i think its gonna make a clean win over the other sedan cars in its segment.
    Its giving all the features in its top end model (Emotion) which even a Honda City / Ford Fiesta / SX4 is not giving at an unbelievable price of 8 lacs on road.
    I think its worth it and Fiat has come back with a bang. Good Luck Fiat and a great product.

  10. Babu said on Monday, January 19, 2009, 5:58

    Dear Auto journo,
    Excellen report and comments. Considering that you have admittd that u havent seen the Linea in flesh, it is amazing how u analysed the looks, ride and handling etc.
    In the race to be first to comment, you have stretched beyond normal possibilities.

  11. Honey said on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 14:40

    I just saw the linea diesel today … I really does stand superiorly outstanding in other sedan cars on it’s segments the top model “EMOTION pk” gives the best of the features ever given to any car in the superb range of 9 lakhs..
    It’s exciting features like FPS;ABS; dual tone dash bord; blue and me tech;luxurious interiors; it’s technical specifications like displacement of 1248cc; nm/rpm of 203/2500…The advanced multijet engine; Dual front air bags… Various comfort features like tilt steering; rear AC vents at the foot and knee level;massive boot space of 500 litres…!!
    An amazing milage if (approx) 17-18:… Makes it far more superior than the Honda city in my eyes…

    Fiat was the first company to introduce automobiles in India… And after seeing the linea we should be proud of it…

    Linea rules.

  12. ram said on Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 13:38

    i believe fiat linea has a slight edge over the honda city.Time and again fiat fiat has proved its technological prowess by some historical technological inventions…..as far as the numbers are concerned i dont have any idea about them…..but fiat is definetley going to have a better build and ride….which is often seen in most of the fiat cars…..onething we should remember before making a decision is the company’s history……afterall fiat has invented the common rail diesel engine……now its for you to decide,which car to go for….

  13. Dr. Sahdev Patel said on Thursday, January 29, 2009, 14:02

    Booked a fiat Linea Emotion PK (Qudrajet Diesel), after extensive test drive (130 Km) on Ahmedabad – Vadodara Expressway and within city limits of Ahmedabad. ride was excellent, fuel efficiency (nearly 18 KM/ Liter), instrumentation and climate controls were note worthy. Seat adjustment and steering adjustments are good, gear shift is smooth, no noise inside the cabin at all, music system is good. Suggest take an extensive test ride before making decision and ask the company sales representative to seat in the back seat so he does not confuse you by pep talk. Insist on filling up tank completely before test ride and set trip meter at zero, top up the tank on return and check the efficiency for your self. Do not rev up beyond 2500 rpm during test drive, the engine seems to work optimally in 2000-2500 RPM range. To sum it up in lighter way, Linea is Italian elegance while Honda is like faithful Japanese wife, one has to decide for him self, I opted for the Rajiv Gandhi way

  14. Arvind Bansal said on Thursday, March 12, 2009, 10:38

    I have no doubts about quality of fiat linea. I am already having Palio Petrol and am completely satisfied. Only thing which disturbs is engine power of new linea. It looks if the company has given a smaller engine to big sedan like linea. Will it perform —— any answer ?

  15. jew said on Sunday, March 15, 2009, 7:27

    I am driving Honda City , lot of problems mileage below 10Kms in city with ac without 11kms.If you start and stop more In bangalore I get only7-8KMS. No stability at high speeds I am very much impressed after test driving Linea petrol/diesel both.I am sure its a winner.After sales now very much better with Tatas. More over one feels very safe when you Lines due to weight balance

  16. adi said on Friday, March 20, 2009, 18:50

    fiat linea is better.fiat linea 1.4 tjet with 152 hp is the winner from 0 to 100km/h

  17. Willson Mathew, Nagpur said on Sunday, March 29, 2009, 3:45

    HONDA City…. BYE BYE…. Its Not a Value for Money. FIAT LINEA…. “Welcome to My Home”. I guess its Great Technology, 1.3 Multijet Diesel is Effortless and Takes off Like a Dream, but the 1.4 Petrol has a Drag at Low Speeds with the AC on. While at the Test Drive and Talks with the Honda Executives, all the Honda Guys had to say against was the Erstwhile Reputation of Fiat having Expensive Spares and Non-Availability of the same. Even People generally dont have Full Faith in Fiat even with the TATA JV. I guess FIAT should seriously spend some money in getting the Faith of People and Make some Serious Attempts to propogate its Reputaion as a Reliable Car for Life.

  18. Abhishek said on Sunday, April 19, 2009, 3:11

    Nonsense conclusion I would say. If I compare the results under each category, here is what I get.

    Top Speed, performance, horsepower – City
    Design and looks – Linea (Subjective but I have never met rarely met people who like City over Linea, only ardent honda fans I believe)
    Driving, handling – Linea
    Fuel economy – Linea (the fact that Linea has a diesel engine, also I think Line petrol is more efficient than ANHC, but am not sure about the exact figures)
    Interior – Linea
    Reputation/A.S.S – Honda (A clear winner, but with Modern cars mostly we go 2-3 times in an year to the service center, whereas we drives our cars daily)
    Price/VFM – Linea

    So I guess you can see for yourself who is the winner.

Porsche Cayenne diesel set for India drive
Fiat Linea priced at 6.20 to 9 lakh