Only practice and guidance brings perfection. Though you can practice a lot its tough to find a good guide. Your favourite manufacturer Fiat offers not just the cutest car but also how to drive them better. Fiat has launched a new system that could change the way motorists drive their cars forever. Fiat’s eco:drive is an Innovative, easy to use computer application that will help you improve how efficiently you drive. It analyses your driving style helps you reduce fuel consumption and emissions and saving your money.
The eco:Drive program consists of a downloadable Adobe AIR application and a Microsoft Blue&Me equipped Fiat vehicle.Drivers of the new Fiat 500, Bravo,Panda, Panda 100HP, Panda 4*4,Multipla,Sedici,Dobla and Grande Punto can make use of this program as the products comes with revolutionary *Blue&Me system.
The process is as follows:
* Dowload the application from Fiat’s Web site
* Install the application in your computer.
* Fill your vehicle information and prepare the USB drive to transport data.
* Once done, plug the USB stick into the USB port of your Blue&Me system.
The system will record anonymous information about your driving habits and techniques. On plugging back into the computer, the eco:Drive application analyzes the information and offers tips to improve fuel economy and emissions. You can also track the mileage, and emissions from the application’s interface. Drivers who start eco:Driving can expect to improve their driving efficiency by up to 15 per cent. That means a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and in fuel costs.
Interestingly, there’s a social aspect to the eco:Drive program called Ecoville,which, while it sounds like a grass-eating cult in some remote village, is really a network of other eco:Drive-connected Fiat drivers. The purpose here is for all of you green-headed kindred spirits to share driving tips and other info, and also to see how you are doing in the save-the-planet-o-metre.
* Blue&Me - The simplest and easiest way to communicate. Blue&Me, the result of the collaboration between Fiat Auto and Microsoft, will change the way you communicate and listen to music on the move.
Using a series of voice commands, without taking your hands off the wheel you can telephone and listen to incoming SMS messages, interpreted on your Bluetooth Blue&Me mobile phone, consult your phonebook and listen to MP3s. Blue&MeTM supports most mobile phones with Bluetooth technology.
Fiat India Automobiles Ltd today entered a new chapter in India with the launch of the Linea which is expected to raise the bar for sedans available in the country. Fiat expects to redefine customer expectations through the car which rides on its success across multiple markets in the world. The numerous awards won by the car are a testimony to the satisfaction it has delivered to multitude of customers. The car designed by the Fiat Style centre in Turin will go on to become Fiat’s flagship product in India. The company announced that both the diesel & petrol version of the car are being launched.
The Linea represents a quantum leap as far as quality, safety and engineering are concerned. The car is expected to create a new sub-segment between the mid-sized cars and the luxury cars segment due to its unique design, comfortability, performance and features. Linea was first launched in Turkey & is presently sold in more than 50 countries across Europe, Asia, Central & South America and Africa. Besides Turkey, the Linea is produced in Brazil and now in India. It will also be manufactured in Russia in the near future. The launch of the Linea marks a big leap forward for Fiat in India, and embodies the company’s new philosophy in India, aimed at bringing its activities and services up to the maximum levels of performance. The recognitions for Linea include ‘AUTOBEST 2008’ in Europe which confirms the excellent welcome that it has received in that part of the world and “The Most interesting Car” at the Auto Motor Show in Katowice, Poland.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd said, “Fiat has kept its promise of making this an exciting year for its customers. Launch of the Linea is first in the line of three launches that Fiat will undertake this year, the other two being Bravo and Grande Punto. With this car which is equipped with Fiat’s world-renowned multijet and the fire engine we hope to make inroads in the C+ segment. We have also ensured that the Linea appeals to a wide range of customers with its petrol and diesel variants and the various options available under each of them. The car has met with strong success across the world and although Linea has been designed with a strong Italian style, we have also taken into consideration local Indian taste and requirements and have incorporated this into the Indian Linea. ”
The FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotized Engine) will power the petrol version of the Linea, and the diesel version will be equipped with the Advanced New Generation MULTIJET engine. This sedan stands out in terms of original style, functionality and drivability, in addition to offering a very competitive price/content ratio. To begin with, the car will be retailed through a select 70 Tata-Fiat dealer outlets spread across the country.
The new generation multijet engine also boasts of higher peak performance with unparalleled power and torque outputs. This enables a fine balance of performance, refinement & fuel economy. Both the variants will be further supported with two option packs, one each on petrol & diesel top end variants mainly comprising of Dual Front Airbags and Blue & Me feature as standard. Blue & Me is the voice interactive device developed by Fiat along with Microsoft that offers an additional voice interface for the on board music system and can be linked to a personal mobile for communicating through the car’s audio unit & speakers.
The car will be manufactured at the Ranjangaon plant near Pune and is the first major launch after the company introduced the Palio Stile Multijet last year. The car is being launched across India through an aggressive communication campaign through Print & Television.
The three basic versions would be known as Active, Dynamic & Emotion with similar set of features for both variants. The Linea will be available in 4 colors at the time of the launch, Flamenco Red, Minimal Grey, Perla Champagne and Hip Hop Black.
The car will be competitively priced at:
PETROL
City
Linea Active
Linea Dynamic
Linea Dynamic Pk
Linea Emotion
Linea Emotion Pk
DELHI
598,967
629,972
657,978
669,980
698,984
MUMBAI
617,940
649,846
678,664
691,015
720,862
DIESEL
City
Linea Active
Linea Dynamic
Linea Dynamic Pk
Linea Emotion
Linea Emotion Pk
DELHI
688,983
718,989
746,993
756,996
810,004
MUMBAI
710,570
741,447
770,266
780,558
835,105
The Tata-Fiat dealer network will ensure easy availability of the car and satisfactory after-sales service for its owners. The car will be retailed by Tata-Fiat dealer network providing 100 sales outlets & workshop across the country by mid-2009. Eventually, this number will be more than 125 by year end, which will provide an even stronger geographical reach for the car.
Style:
Fiat Linea bears a strong European character with an Italian lineage. Certain visible design cues like the long sloping hood merging into a protruding front grill, escorted by prominent yet stylish headlamps are normally seen only in high end sports cars. The exceptional design expertise offers Fiat Linea the most stylish exteriors that make it compete with the cars from the higher segment for being the best-looking set of wheels.
Comfort & Safety:
The great design capabilities go beyond the impressive exteriors and equip the car with a luxurious cabin designed to offer maximum comfort for the front & rear passengers. Comfortable seating with ample amount of legroom, rear hat trey with collapsible sunscreen & exclusive features like the rear knee level & foot level AC vents are some design features that makes the car an object of desire. Further, the emotion variant comes with safety features including ABS with EBD and Dual front airbags with pretensioners & load limiters on front seatbelts.
Engineering:
Fiat has had a long tradition of engineering variety of cars for all diverse automotive needs. Beginning from most popular city cars like the Uno and the Palio, to the high end sports cars like Maserati, Alfa Romeo and the professional racing champion like Ferrari, Fiat has made it all. At Fiat, we engineer the cars to meet customer expectations. With the same thought Fiat is bringing to India two of its most successful engine – 1.4 16V FIRE petrol engine & the 1.3 16V Advanced Multijet diesel. The fiat power-train manufacturing facility in Ranjangaon is at par with the best of the plants fiat has globally. With an installed capacity of over 200,000 engines & 300,000 cars it is a state of the art manufacturing facility adhering to international standards of production of cars & engines.
The wait is over! Fiat Linea the winner of many coveted awards across the world is all set to rock the Indian sedan market. Linea which represents the modern face of Fiat is a C plus segment sedan which was launched internationally in May 2007 at Istanbul. Fiat India started production of the Linea at its Tata Motors-Fiat facility at Ranjangaon in November 2008. Fiat has already despatched the first batch of 100 Lineas from its plant in Ranjangaon near Pune.
Fiat Linea an elegantly functional car, with a strong Italian imprint, it will be equipped with features found in higher segment cars. The Linea has elegant proportions, with a curved rear window and stubby bootlid.Linea will be available in three variants with two engine options.
Fiat Linea which has already won hearts of Indian auto journalist and auto enthusiasts also bagged the prestigious AutoCar-UTVi 2008 COTY (Car Of The Year) winner. Gear up! to welcome style on wheels.
As part of our constant endeavor to bring you new ways of following Fiat India around the web, today we are very happy to announce the launch of official Twitter Channel, http://twitter.com/fiatindia. In FiatIndia’s twitter channel we will be posting all the updates about Fiat India Pvt. Limited.
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