Ever since the launch of Fiat Abarth Punto and Avventura powered by Abarth on 19 October 2015, the possibility of Linea getting the Abarth treatment brewed. Fiat India also showed interest on bringing the Linea powered by Abarth after overwhelming response to the Abarth brand in September 2015.

A new spy picture clicked at Fiat's Ranjangaon factory posted by TeamBHP cements the existence of a Linea powered by Abarth. The model is expected draw power from the same 1.4-litre T-JET turbocharged petrol engine employed in all Abarth cars in India. The engine develops 145bhp and 200Nm of torque in Abarth Punto, while in Abarth Avventura it makes 140bhp of power and 212Nm of torque mated to five-speed manual transmission. Which of these tunes make it to Abarth Linea remains to be seen.

Visually, Linea Abarth will feature the "Powered by Abarth" badge on the trunk. It is expected to come with contrasting ORVM colour and sporty body decals on the bottom of both sides, a signature of Abarth models. Additionally, it will have the Scorpion logo exclusive for Abarth high-performance models. On the mechanical front, the Linea is expected to use disc brakes, stiffened suspension and have its ride height lowered by 20mm.

Fiat Linea was a slow seller in the mid-size sedan segment, and also one of the oldest models despite a facelift. The Abarth version might not increase sales dramatically, but will give it a much-needed makeover. Fiat India sources could not confirm this news to IBTimes India when contacted.

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