The Brazilian new car market is so hard-fought no automaker is willing to let the slightest chance of holding or boosting its share slip by. One way to ensure maximum segment coverage is to use all available architectures.
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Stretch the wheelbase and up goes rear seat leg room for a competitive advantage. This was done with the Chevrolet Vectra (a uniquely local concoction) and PSA’s C-segment Citroën C4 Pallas sedan, for example. The latter ended up just 0.4 inch shorter than the larger D-segment C5, which is wider.
B segment ‘compacts’ are also longer these days. The latest European harvest – Fiat Punto, Peugeot 207, Opel Corsa and Ford Fiesta – have broken through the four-metre (13.1 ft) barrier once seemingly reserved for lower-medium (C-segment) cars .
Fiat do Brasil decided it was more feasible to stretch the Punto to create the new Linea than launch a saloon version of the higher-priced Brava.
That lower-medium model, replacing the Stilo here in Brazil in 2009, is 2.5 in. wider than the just-launched Linea sedan.
The new model is competitively priced and features an excellent 17.6 cu ft boot (matching the Siena and Renault Clio saloons’ luggage space). High-value standard items include front airbags and ABS brakes. The Absolute version, with automated manual gearbox, sells for US$37,000.
Engine options include the Brazil-designed, Argentina-made, 1.85-litre, 16-valve, 130bhp ethanol-compatible unit and the T-Jet version’s Italian made, petrol-only, 1.4-litre turbocharged motor delivering 150bhp. Weighing just over 2,866 lbs, this sporty version has acceleration comparable to the Brazilan-spec Honda Civic Si and VW Golf GTI.
Fiat has also launched the L’Unico Club: dealership-personalised car care, collect-and-deliver service for maintenance and repairs, three-year warranty and an array of other customer benefits.
Fernando Calmon
