The FIAT Linea made its way to India in January 2009 – almost a year after the debut of the all-new Honda City i-VTEC. But since its launch, even with all its qualities, the Linea hasn’t been able to post impressive numbers, let alone budge the Honda City from the top spot. The blame can be put to an extent to FIAT brand perception in India, to the quality of materials used to an extent, and to the shortcomings at the Tata-FIAT service stations. But scenarios seem to be changing now as the Linea comes back in the 1.4 T-jet guises with more firepower and it’s clearly got the Honda City 1.5 i-VTEC MT in its line of fire. Motoroids get behind the wheel of these two middleweights to give you a flavour of this fistfight between Italian passion and Japanese precision. Buckle up, let’s go whooshing!
Prologue
After years of erosion caused by Premiere Padminis, recycled Suzuki small cars and sorry-arsed saloons from Daewoo and Opel, the Indian roads finally got introduced to the new breed – the one that proudly wore the ‘H’ brand. Carrying forward the legacy that it had built with motorcycles (along with Hero, of course) in India, Honda made a silent entrance onto the scene with a car called the ‘City’ – a name that wasn’t as popular as a ‘Civic’ or an ‘Accord’. But with its clever packaging and stunning engineering, the City found a lot of sensible takers from day one. And then Honda introduced a new tag that made the City a living legend – the ‘VTEC’! The entire petrolhead community of the nation stood up and took notice as the first true performance car was unleashed onto the scene with 105hp on tap, mated to Japanese reliability and Honda practicality.
From drag strips to illegal street races, the Honda City VTEC set new benchmarks that other entry-level performance cars would look up to in the future. But like most other legends, the Honda City VTEC did not find a suitable successor when it finally retired in 2003. What followed was demure saloon born out of a hatchback that did not even wear the ‘VTEC’ badge for quite a few years. Instead, it adopted an i-DSI petrol engine which was more eager to return better fuel economy than outright power. Hence when the all-new Honda City came out in 2008 with 116 horses at the crank, every petrolhead was excited again as they thought, the legacy of the VTEC was back. And probably it was – the new City looked better, performed better and like most other Hondas, it has been a high roller at the showrooms ever since its launch.
In fact, the ‘Honda’ branding sells so well in India, that even better spec-ed cars like the Linea, Fiesta and SX-4 have a tough time trying to catch-up with City. While the latter two seem to have taken a defensive poise already, the FIAT has instead geared up for the battle once again. After its launch back in January 2010, the Linea has been everyone’s favourite with respect to driving dynamics and ride comfort. But the Linea line-up had been repeatedly ridiculed for its bad plastic quality, falling interior components and external monograms, inefficient cooling and inferior paint quality. FIAT reportedly started work on the Linea again in December 2009 to fix all the little niggles that hampered the growth of an otherwise brilliant car. In fact, we even caught a test mule of this improved version earlier this year. But that was not all, at the Auto Expo 2010, FIAT announced the Linea T-jet as well – the engine with which this fortune changer for FIAT debuted with the world over. The T-jet is a highly acclaimed engine globally, and our Editor who had driven this variant earlier in Turkey was highly elated as the Indian Linea was finally getting what it deserved. Almost a year has passed since its Auto Expo unveiling and the Linea T-jet is finally here. It now has a more powerful engine, more features and the quality issues are said to be ironed out. So will it succeed in taking on the kingpin of the 10-lakh rupee bracket this time around? Let’s find out!
Engine
The engine is the most important reason that has given birth to this comparative road test review. The Linea’s biggest firepower is the new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine which gives this car the ‘T-jet’ moniker. Essentially, it’s the same 1368cc petrol engine that powers the Linea 1.4 FIRE but now comes with variable geometry turbocharger attached to it which is good for a 2.2 bar boost. The result is a big enhancement in power which, on paper, moves up from 89hp (90PS) to 113hp (114PS). Again, on paper, the Honda City has better specs with a 116hp (118PS) being churned out a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine. So how does it shape up on the road? In our test, the Linea T-jet, with its 1230 kg body shot from nought to the 100 km mark in 10.55 seconds flat. Impressive, isn’t it? It is, because City, on the other hand, beats the Linea only by marginally 0.15 seconds, in spite of its significantly lighter construction (1100 kg) and the 3 extra ponies (if it makes any difference at all). While we decided to let go off the throttle after the 140 km/h mark on the City, thanks to the wobbly nature of the skinny tyres, we knew the engine had a lot more juice. Knowing that the original VTEC could manage a speedo indicated speed close to a 180 km/h, we are sure the more powerful 2010 Honda City will be able to do it too. The Linea, on the other hand, had no issues tackling a speedo indicated the speed of 180+ km/h, but the engine takes a long time to increment the speed after the 150 km/h mark.
The i-VTEC mill is, no doubt, a sorted piece of engineering and like any other VTEC powerplant, it creates beautiful music when you rev it to the limits. The Linea’s engine too is an absolute fun machine. The IHI turbocharger has a muted yet sinister whine and begins bringing the horses to life after 2,000 RPM. But instead of pinning your head to the seat the variable geometry turbine smoothens out the power delivery even when all the 113 horses are raring to go at 5,000 revs. While the naturally aspirated engine on the Honda City gives you power play only in the top revs (peak power comes in at a late 6,600 rpm), the Linea’s T-jet mill gives you a meaty mid-range with its peak power coming in at 5,000 revs. But that’s the catch. The turbo works its wonder only between the 2,000 and 5,000 rpm mark. Below 2,000 revs the Linea suffers from turbo lag (even with a VGT) and above 5,000 rpm there is very little juice. That’s one of the primary reasons why the Linea increments speed rather slowly after 150 km/h. Undoubtedly, the strong mid-range helps the Linea in making quick overtaking manoeuvres without the need to drop a gear like you would in the City. Furthermore, the Magneti Marelli ECU provides as much as 207 Nm of turning force at 2,200 RPM itself – which is good enough to compete with most entry-level diesel around. This torque output not only makes the Honda City feel undernourished at 146Nm, but it also helps the heavier Linea return a very respectable fuel efficiency figure. Speaking of which, the ARAI figures for the Linea T-jet and the City 1.5 MT are 14.5 and 15.5 km respectively. A 1 km/pl drop for a car that’s heavier by 130 kilos is an appreciable feat.
Handling
In a bid to make the Honda City more fuel efficient, the blokes at Honda Siel have shod the car with skinny 175/65 section tyres. Though they do their bit in extracting more miles out of the petrol in the tank, they are absolutely afraid of the power that comes out of that 1.5-litre mill. On a straight line dash, the tyres make the car wobbly after the 140 km/h mark. We could understand that phenomenon on the Indica Vista Safire 90, but on a saloon of the ‘Honda City’ fame, it’s totally unacceptable. Things get even worse when you hit the twisties. To stay on the FIAT Linea’s tail, the City had to squeal its tyres in each and every corner. Simply put, these tyres get nervous when you step on the throttle. The City’s increased suspension travel (10mm more as compared to the Thai version) induces significant body roll when the car is pushed hard (refer to the pic below).
All this adds to unnerving feedback from the City when indulging in spirited driving around the ghats. The flaw is not with the car or the chassis though, the primary culprits are the tyres with a fair bit of contribution from the soft suspension. Equip the car with better (and wider) tyres and you should have a better grip to tackle the corners. But remember at the same time, that wider tyres are going to take away the marginal advantage that the City poses over the Linea in terms of acceleration and fuel efficiency and it still not provide a fix for the City’s unnerving body roll. Moreover, wider tyres will need wider rims, which Honda does not provide. Hence an aftermarket fitment will void the limited warranty on the suspension, brake and wheel hub components.
The Linea though does a better job as a stock package. The suspension has the right amount of damping to tackle the twisties. It finds a great companion in the 205/55-section tyre set. These tyres (Goodyear Eagles in our case) are very well sorted out and did not squeal through the corners even with 4,000-odd kilometres on them already. Their larger footprint offers better grip and road holding capabilities. The overall package has no hint of body roll and the even with a meaty midrange and an FF configuration, the Linea T-jet is undoubtedly one of the most exciting corner carvers under the 10-lakh rupee mark.
Design
Both, the Honda City and the Linea are saloons born from their respective hatchback siblings – the Jazz (‘Global Small Car’ platform) and the Grande Punto (Small Common Components and Systems / GM4400 platform). But thanks to some intelligent and creative work by their respective designers, both these saloons look significantly different from the hatchbacks they are born out of. While the Linea still shares quite a few cabin components with the Grande Punto, the Honda City doesn’t have much in common with the Jazz. Though such an arrangement does increase R&D costs and component inventory, it ends up giving the customer a car that looks like none other – and that is one of the key reasons why both these cars demand a million bucks as compared to disproportionate looking, boot-ed hatchbacks like the Swift Dezire and the Indigo Manza.
Unlike the so-called ‘dolphin shape’ of the mid-generation Honda City, the new model looks very well proportioned. The horizontally slatted grille and the wrap-around headlights flow gracefully over the City’s sharp nose. The ‘arrow-head’ theme that Honda has used in the City’s design, gives the car a sharp yet balanced look but makes the car appear small in size in spite of its 2550mm long wheelbase. But what looks (and is) even smaller to scale is the size of the tyres. The City sits on slim 175-section tyres which makes it appear like a car that’s tip-toeing on the road. While the entire City line-up only used steel rims with wheel cars for the majority of the last two years, the top of the line 1.5V variant now comes with five-spoke alloy wheels. These alloys too are shod with the same skinny tyres and Honda doesn’t offer any up-size options either. Nevertheless, the five fat spokes, though not as beautiful as the ones on the original VTEC, do add some substance to the otherwise slim feet of the current Honda City. The side profile too looks quite balanced and the absence of the front quarter glass reduces the ‘cab-forward’ look of the current City as compared to its predecessor. The tailgate is stubby, but in spite of that, the City packs in lots of boot space (506 litres) without compromising on the cabin space. Contrasting to the sharp front end design, the tailgate of the City uses all chunky elements – like the BMW 3-series-esque square-ish, protruding taillights and a blocky bumper.
The Linea, on the other hand, is full of organic curves. The front end has a curvy hood, eye-shaped headlights and a large grille with rounded-off corners. Common to all new FIATs, the grille also holds the monogram that defines the engine type, which in this case is the ‘T-jet’. Look at the Linea from the side and you’ll fall in love with the large 16” multi-spoke alloys. Not only do they look classy, but with the 205/55 section rubber, they also fill up the wheel wells proportionately as compared to the City – whose wells present a comparatively larger gap between the arches and the tyre’s outer diameter, thanks to the longer suspension travel. The chrome accents on the door handle and the body and window liners add a premium touch. The City gets these too, but only in the top of line 1.5V. The presence of quarter glasses at the front and the back gives the Linea’s window line an elongated flow, making the cabin appear bigger than City’s when both the cars pose next to each other. The Linea’s tail continues the curvy design theme and the double barrel taillights impart a distinctive look to the car. The tiny turn LED blinkers and reverse lamps integrated at the bottom of the taillights are sometimes hard to see during the day since the chrome trim surrounding them tends to shine in the ambient sunlight.
Overall, both the cars have a very balanced poise and do not look clumsy or disproportionate as most of the other hatchback /crossover-turned-saloons in their segment. The designs of both these cars will age well and even ten years from now, their body lines won’t look out of place compared to most other radically designed cars. While the City comes across as a sci-fi car from some Thai adaptation of Star Wars, the Linea draws more brownie points from a purist’s point of view for staying true to the subtle yet powerful Italian automotive art.
Interiors and Features
The Honda City’s interiors take absolutely no inspiration from any of its siblings. Hence, it ends up looking a tad confused – it’s neither as youthful as the Jazz nor as space age as the Civic nor as classy as the Accord. Instead, the City has interiors that look like a ‘mod-job’ from Thailand, with low-rent plastics that try to recreate the aura of brushed metal on black leather. Like its predecessor, the current City’s instrumentation console still sticks with the three-pot cluster design which seems to be inspired from a commuter motorcycle like Honda’s own Unicorn. While the top of the line City has finally introduced leather upholstery, the lower versions get fabrics that are a notch better than a bathroom towel. All these shortcomings could have still passed off well if this City was an immediate successor to the original VTEC. But after being introduced to better interiors in the Jazz and the Civic, even an ardent Honda fan may feel disappointed in the City’s cabin. At the 10-lakh rupee sticker price, the interiors of the current Honda City even with the leather upholstery, feel like a compromise. Unfortunately enough, ‘compromises’ are something you have to make these days when you decide to opt for a Honda.
The Linea, on the other hand, has a love-it-or-hate-it design for its interiors. Simply put, the Linea’s cabin is designed for the Europeans. The ‘T-jet’ being a premium offering, gets high-quality premium leather upholstery in beige to match with the black-and-beige theme inside the car. Like the Punto 90HP, the Linea to gets improved materials for the dashboard – like the small grain plastic for example which replaces the dust-bin plastic found in the other older Lineas. The earlier Linea also had a known issue of the plastic cover for the hood release lever coming off every now and then. To find out whether it still persists, we operated the lever more than twenty times in a row without any issues. However, if you own a T-jet already, do let us know if any such problems persist in the long run. The fit and finish of the Linea’s interiors have improved a lot over the previous models and feels much more premium than the City’s. While the City’s instrumentation console has a very loud (too bright, too orange) illumination for the dials and the LCDs, the Linea uses more subtle backlighting for its cluster. But either way, both the cars have nothing spectacular about their consoles and the white faceplate on the Linea’s dials, looks totally out of sync with the black-and-beige theme.
Features wise, there is very little to list in the Honda City (I told you that you have to make compromises, didn’t I?). Let’s being with the ‘entertainment’ part. The City uses a controversial audio system that will only play music from pen drives and iPods (and limited support for newer iPhones). So if you are the type who gives a fig about what Napster was and who Steve Jobs is, then be ready to shell out Rs. 10,000 more for a CD player specifically designed for the City, which by the way doesn’t add any phone functionality. Else, buy yourself an iPod and a book titled ‘iTunes for Dummies’ and either way, buy yourself a Bluetooth headset too. The music system is mated to a decent set of speakers and gives you steering wheel mounted controls for volume and music source.
Inside the Linea, you get the applauded (for what?) Microsoft Blue&Me powered music system which unlike the Honda’s unit, plays music from CDs too apart from USB and Auxiliary inputs. It even lets you pair your phone with the system to make and receive calls. While the iPhone doesn’t find love here either (neither as a phone nor as a music source), the Blue&Me is said to work very well with Windows-powered phones (of course!), most Nokias (and iPhones as verified by our reader, Amogh Chaphalkar). So make sure you try out your phone on the system in the test drive vehicle before making a decision. The most notable function of this system, however (and probably why the Blue&Me is applauded for), is the voice recognition for the phone and music controls. It actually understands most common Indian accents – even the MMI in Audis made in India can’t do that! Such small things do contribute towards a better customer experience – are we learning anything here, Honda? If you are the chauffeur driven type, all these things might not make much of a difference for you though. FIAT still gives the rear benchers a remote for the audio system so you don’t need to distract your driver for the music.
Apart from the music system, the Honda City gets all the regular stuff like air-conditioning (albeit without Climate Control) through four vents, a trip computer that gives you real-time fuel economy, range etc., a glove compartment, storage compartments in the door panels, electrically adjustable mirrors and a centre armrest for the rear bench. Having prepared itself well for the challenge, the Linea has all these features and more. The rear armrest has storage space and the rear bench also gets an additional A/C vent for better cooling. The seat belts have a height adjustment feature. The rear windshield gets a collapsible sun curtain like most high-end luxury cars. The A/C system, which now uses redesigned vents and a rotary compressor, provides efficient cooling at all fan speeds – so no matter what the ambient outside temperature the multi-info display is showing you, the new system will work better to give you a cooler cabin. Though the new A/C system isn’t necessarily better in terms of cooling speed than that of the City, we are mentioning this feature in detail because this is one the improvements the T-jet incorporates over the older Linea. But the fact that Linea comes with Climate Control makes this a better A/C system overall than the Honda City.
Safety, Drivability and Comfort
Though the City feels clumsy when pushed hard due to the lack of good rubber, it comes equipped with the most necessary safety features like ABS, EBD and Driver/Passenger Airbags as standard fitment across the entire range. The brakes offer progressive feedback and hence, are easy to modulate. The Linea ‘T-jet’ line-up too gives you the anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and dual airbags, but gets another one-up on the City for providing disc brakes in all the four corners of the car as compared to the drum brakes on the City’s rear wheels. But the Linea’s brakes need getting used to. The brake bite is sudden and gets rather unnerving in the moderate city speeds. Hence you need to plan your braking manoeuvres in the Linea – not to avoid dashing into the obstruction in front of you, but to avoid the vehicle behind you from panicking and rear-ending you. Speaking of safety, the Linea’s body comes across as a more solidly built unit and it is evident from the reassuring ‘thud’ while closing the doors as compared to the metallic ‘clunk’ of the City.
Both cars are absolutely impressive with their urban duties. The City has always been a great car to drive in the city environs with its light steering wheel, decent low-end power and butter smooth transmission. I particularly like the design of the gear shifter and it fits ergonomically in the palm. The Linea, again, needs getting used to. The clutch pedal engages/disengages the clutch only in the final few millimetres of its otherwise long travel. Couple that with the initial turbo lag of the T-jet mill and there is a fair chance that you may stall the car repeatedly in stop-n-go traffic. Otherwise, the Linea has equally light and responsive steering but some may prefer a higher level of stiffness from its steering at higher speeds.
The City’s suspension overall is custom designed for the fabled Indian roads and that, coupled with Honda’s patented non-independent H-frame layout for the rear suspension, provides a cushy ride comfort for the front as well as the rear passengers. The Linea, like its impressive handling, is known for its ride comfort and had completely blown us away when we took the 1.4 FIRE variant from Pune to Delhi early this year. The T-jet is no different. Even with lower profile tyres (55 as compared to the FIRE’s 60 and the City’s 65), the Linea has an absolutely plush ride comfort. However, even with the new dashboard and cabin materials, there is significant wind and tyre noise in the cabin after the 120 km/h mark. The City’s cabin, on the other hand, is a silent cocoon to be in.
With respect to seating comfort, I personally prefer the driver’s seat of the Linea and the rear bench of the Honda. In terms of comfort, the seats in both the cars are very relaxing, but the Linea’s driver seat feels more ergonomic to my liking. The rear seat feels better in the Honda City because it’s a tad higher, making ingress and egress better than the Linea and the fact that the City’s rear windows retract completely, gives the psychological feeling of a more airy back bench. But with a rear A/C vent available in the Linea T-jet, you might not need to open the rear windows frequently. Overall, both the cars provide very good cabin comfort with the Linea providing an edge with better in-cabin features.
Conclusion
So which is the better million-buck car – the City 1.5 MT or the Linea T-jet? The answer lies with you. The Honda City is the current market leader, thanks to the Honda reliability, cheap cost of spares, wide service network and a strong brand and resale value in this part of the world. The City is a no-frills car that is practical enough to transport you from one point to the other without giving you basic features (which are even available on small cars like the Hyundai i10 now) like climate control, a phone-compatible entertainment system etc. If you are ready to shell out a million rupees just for the Honda badge, then you belong to the compromising lot who had the City as their favourite car throughout the length of this comparo. Close your eyes and buy the Honda City for nothing better will appeal to you.
But to put it in simple words, if you’re a sensible guy who is looking for great resale value, good fuel efficiency, unquestionable straight line performance with absolute peace of mind, the City is the car for you. But if you have the slightest of liking for hurling your machine around corners, if you hate your car’s suspension acting like a jelly when abused, if you love driving yourself, and if you don’t care much about the anything if you get driving pleasure – don’t look any further beyond the T-jet in this price bracket.
On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who wants more value for every buck you are spending or are a performance enthusiast who wants a new age successor to the legend of the original Honda City VTEC, then look no further, the Linea T-jet will serve you well, everyday, in the city and on the highway. At the 10-lakh rupee mark, the Linea T-jet impresses with a host of creature comforts, premium interiors, a powerful engine and decent fuel economy for a petrol car of its size and specs. The FIAT brand is striving hard to improve its image and network and hence owning the premium ‘T-jet’ tag should attract special attention and care from the company.
For me, personally, the new Honda City has the performance that I enjoyed in the original City VTEC for years, but it somehow lacks the character of the original. The Linea, on the other hand, gives me equal excitement, with better ride and handling, new age creature comforts and then quenches my emotion of owning a truly Italian car. Undoubtedly, out of the two cars compared here, the Linea T-jet makes its way onto my wish list…
FIAT Linea 1.4 T-jet performance Figures
Testing Partners:
| Performance Figures: | |
| 0-60 | 4.5 |
| 0-100 | 10.5 |
| 0-120 | 14.7 |
| 0-140 | 22.2 |
| In Gear: | |
| 3rd gear | |
| 30-60 | 4.73 |
| 60-80 | 2.74 |
| 80-100 | 2.98 |
| 100-120 | 3.86 |
| 30-120 | 14.31 |
| 4th gear | |
| 40-60 | 5.14 |
| 60-80 | 4.12 |
| 80-100 | 4.52 |
| 100-120 | 5.07 |
| 120-140 | 6.14 |
| 40-140 | 24.99 |
| 5th gear | |
| 40-60 | 11.83 |
| 60-80 | 7.29 |
| 80-100 | 7.25 |
| 100-120 | 7.21 |
| 40-120 | 33.58 |
FIAT Linea 1.4 T-jet and Honda City 1.5 i-VTEC MT Technical Specifications:
| Key Specs: | FIAT Linea 1.4 T-jet (Plus) | Honda City 1.5 i-VTEC MT | |
| Engine | |||
| Family | Advanced T-jet | i-VTEC | |
| Displacement | 1368cc | 1497 | |
| Max Power | 114PS @ 5000RPM | 118PS @ 6600RPM | |
| Max Torque | 207Nm @ 2200RPM | 146Nm @ 4800RPM | |
| No. of valves | 16 | 16 | |
| Camshaft | DOHC | SOHC | |
| Suspension | |||
| Front | Independent | Independent | |
| Rear | Non-Independent | Non-Independent | |
| Brakes | |||
| Front | Ventilated Disc | Solid Disc | |
| Rear | Solid Disc | Drum | |
| Tyres & Wheels | |||
| Tyres | 205/55-R16 Tubeless | 175/65-R15 Tubeless | |
| Wheels | 16” Alloys | 15” Alloys | |
| Transmission | |||
| Manual | 5 Speed Manual | 5 Speed Manual | |
| Dimensions | |||
| Overall Length (mm) | 4560 | 4420 | |
| Overall Width (mm) | 1730 | 1695 | |
| Overall Height (mm) | 1487 | 1480 | |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2603 | 2550 | |
| Kerb Weight (Kg) | 1230 | 1100 | |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 170 | 160 | |
| Boot capacity (Ltr) | 500 | 506 | |
| Fuel Tank Capacity (Ltr) | 45 | 42 | |
| Turning radius (Mtr) | 5.55 | 5.3 | |
FIAT Linea 1.4 T-jet (Plus) and Honda City 1.5 (V) i-VTEC MT Features Comparison:
| Details | FIAT Linea T-jet Plus | V MT / AT Exclusive |
| EXTERIOR | ||
| Alloy Wheels | Yes | Yes |
| Front Dual Fog Lamp | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Dual Fog Lamps | Yes | No |
| Chrome Door Handles | Yes | Yes |
| Exhaust Pipe Finisher | Yes | Yes |
| Body Coloured Mud Guards | No | Yes |
| Body Colored Bumpers | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Fender Cover | Yes | Yes |
| Green Tinted Glass | No | Yes |
| Body Coloured Outer Door Mirrors | Yes | Yes |
| Dual Parabola Headlamps | Yes | No |
| Halogen Headlights | Yes | Yes |
| Dual Horn | Yes | Yes |
| Door Lock Protector | No | Yes |
| Chrome Door Sash Molding | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome Trunk Garnish | No | Yes |
| Front Quarter Glass | Yes | No |
| Rear Quarter Glass | Yes | No |
| Follow Me Home Headlamps | Yes | No |
| INTERIORS | ||
| Height Adjustable Drive Seat (Lever Type) | Yes | Yes |
| Front Cup Holder | Yes | Yes |
| Distance To Empty display | Yes | Yes |
| Average Fuel Consumption display | Yes | Yes |
| External Temperature display | Yes | No |
| Sunglass Holder | Yes | No |
| Advanced Integrated Audio With Remote Control | Yes | Limited |
| (USB/AUX/CD/AM/FM) | ||
| Leather Upholstery | Yes | Yes |
| Seat Back Pocket (Driver Side) | Yes | Yes |
| Seat Back Pocket (Passenger Side) | Yes | Yes |
| Tweeters | Yes | Yes |
| Center AC Knob | Beige | Silver |
| Front And Rear Speakers | Yes | Yes |
| Steering Mounted Audio / Phone Control | Yes | Yes / N/A |
| Rear Seat Armrest | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Seat Armrest With Cup Holder | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Seat Armrest With Storage Compartment | Yes | No |
| Center/Console Panel | Beige | Silver |
| Tilt Steering Column | Yes | Yes |
| Air Conditioning With Heater | Yes | Yes |
| Climate Control for A/C | Yes | No |
| Chrome Plated Hand Brake Knob | Yes | Yes |
| Leather Wrapped Gear Shift Knob | Yes | Yes |
| Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel | Yes | Yes |
| CONVENIENCE | ||
| Power Door Lock | Yes | Yes |
| Power Door Mirror | Yes | Yes |
| Day / Night Mirror | Yes | Yes |
| Accessory Socket | Yes | Yes |
| Pull Pocket Driver Side | Yes | Yes |
| Front Console Pocket | Yes | Yes |
| Center Console High Armrest | Yes | Yes |
| Power Windows Front & Rear | Yes | Yes |
| Passenger Vanity Mirror | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel Consumption Display With Warning | Yes | Yes |
| Headlight Height Adjuster | Yes | Yes |
| Foot Rest | Yes | Yes |
| Key Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| Keyless Entry With Answer Back | Yes | Yes |
| Foldable Key | Yes | No |
| Headlight Alarm | No | Yes |
| Rear Defogger with timer | Yes | No |
| All four Power Windows with Auto-Down Function | Yes | No, only Driver Side |
| Collapsible Rear Sun Curtain | Yes | No |
| Phone Pairing | Yes | No |
| SAFETY AND SECURITY | ||
| Dual Front SRS Airbags | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) With Brake Assist | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Window De-Fogger | Yes, with a timer | Yes |
| Seatbelt Pretensioner With Double Load Limiter | Yes | Yes |
| Driver Seat Belt Reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Height Mount Stop Lamp | Yes | Yes |
| Driver Side Pinch-Guard | Yes | Yes |
| Childproof Rear Door Locks | Yes | Yes |
| ECU Immobilizer System | Yes | Yes |
| Double Crank Protection System | Yes | No |