Fiat Linea vs Skoda Fabia vs Toyota Innova

The big and small of Things Rs 10 lakh gives you a lot of choice. Here's an odd selection of vehicles that fit this budget. But, which offers the most bang for the buck? Does an expensive small car really makes sense? Or is buying a behemoth the more sensible choice? Maybe treading the middle path is the better option? Auto Bild India has the answers...

My grandfather always said, bigger is better. And insisted that one must buy the largest car possible for the money one had. Naturally, the Skoda would never have appealed to him, because the Fabia in its most expensive trim is very much in sedan territory. And you’d agree it isn’t exactly sedan size.

Thankfully though, a growing majority of urban Indian car buyers don’t share my grandfather’s sensibilities. Today, need defines a car purchase. Moreover, with this growing majority in question, choosing to go the nuclear way, a car more often than not only needs to accommodate four individuals and their luggage during most outings.

So, we have brought together three different cars representing three different body styles which cost more or less the same to settle the debate on whether bigger is always better or do all good things come in small packages - once and for all. Besides the Fabia, which obviously favours the latter, we have the Fiat Linea walking the fence and the Toyota Innova coming out in favour of my grandfather.

The best looking insides in this test. Multi functional steering is easy to use on the move. Clocks are beautifully designed but not the easiest to read. Stereo is a multi in-dash unit and sounds nice too. The buttons though could do with a little more positive feel. Climate control standard on the Emotion which makes the Linea the only car in this test to sport one

Linea too behaves well around corners as well as in a straight line. Linea might not be the longest car here but can certainly do with aids like parking sensors to shoo away its parking blues. A large C-pillar and the big boot limit rear visibility. It does offer better isibility over the bonnet and is less troublesome to park than the longer Innova.

For an urbanite, what he drives is nearly as important as what he wears or where he is seen. Undoubtedly then, after spending upwards of Rs 8 lakh, he’d want a car that uplifts his persona in public. With millions of Innovas running as taxis all over the place, the Toyota isn’t the ideal choice for someone looking to climb the social ladder. To be fair, the Innova has recently got a small nip and tuck job and it does look fresher as a result, but it’s just a matter of time before you see BPO employees stuffed in it like poultry inside many of these new faced Toyotas as well.

The Fabia holds more clout, courtesy the Skoda badge. But, it’s the Linea with its modern looks and classic proportions along with strong and clean design lines that commands a second look from all and sundry. Arrive at a party in the Fiat, and you are bound to be showered with appreciative nods and of course, a few questions about the company’s reputation for servicing woes.

Inside too, the Fiat holds the most appeal. It is the most fashionable and lively and the dashboard too is visibly more driver focused. The lines again, all around are smoother and more pleasing. However, compared to its Czech and Japanese counterparts, the Linea feels less solidly built.

The Fabia and the Innova’s insides have a lasting feel. Each button, knob or stalk when pressed into service feels positively substantial.

No steering mounted controls, but the wheel itself is good to hold and use. Clocks are easy to read but the design is bland. The trip computer though is the most elaborate in this bunch and easy to use. No climate control is a sore exclusion. Integrated music system sounds nice but could do with a multi in-dash changer. It doesn't look too plush either

The Fabia might be small in size but handles like a bigger car.When it comes to parking the Fabia is our champion. Its small size helps, of course, and so do the rear parking sensors. The ear visibility is good too. The A- and C-pillars can cause a few problems nonetheless.

Fits like a well worn shoe It’s all very nice to arrive in a fashionable suit for a party, but if it chokes you to death, one needs to look at other clothing options for everyday chores. A car too needs to be easy to live with.

The three cars in question here are all like pairs of well worn shoes;comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Additionally, the seats are supportive and there is decent stowage as well.

But, when it comes to convenience features, the Innova in the GX trim really lags behind. There’s no climate control, no steering mounted controls, no trip computer or even a stereo. It does not even get new instrumentation! The only saving grace here is the dual aircon. The Fabia is much better equipped even though there’s still no climate control or a multi functional steering wheel to be had. But there’s a stereo, one touch auto up and down function for every single window, a sunroof and a truly comprehensive and useful trip computer.

The Fiat however is our pick here again. It has everything hat the Fabia offers (besides the sunroof) andmore. There are more comfort features like the central rear armrest with pop out cup holders and AC vents for those who choose to be rear passengers.

In the GX trim the Innova is scarcely equipped - there's no multi functional steering, no trip computer and no climate control either. One can order a seven-seater though which makes for comfy commuting

Innova disguises its bulk well when on the move, even around bends.Innova is long, wide and tall, which makes for good room on the inside, but when it comes to squeezing it between low bjects like bikes or railings, it can get harrowing. Thankfully, the ORVMs are large and the view over the hood, clear.

But space wise, there’sno competition here; the Innova is clearly the mostspacious and one with the biggest, most flexible boot. And, to top it all of, it has an extra row of seating as well. I guess my grandfather’s idea of a good car must have been one that offered cavernousroom inside with everything else being incidental.

The Fabia is pretty roomy for a small car and offers nearly the same room as the Linea losing out only in terms of rear shoulder room. Yes, it has a smaller boot, but it’s not small enough for the Skoda to feel embarrassed.

Keep running The Linea is a large car onthe outside but runs a lesser capacity engine than even the Fabia. But, before you start imagining the Fiat being underpowered, let’s look at the engine output figures: The Linea makes over 20 percent more power and torque while it weighs 166 kilos more. Theend result is a higher power to weight ratio in favour of the Fiat Linea.

In the real world though, the acceleration performance isn’t as far apart between the Fiat and Fabia, with less than a second separating the two in the run up to 100kmph. Linea though offers way better drive ability thanks to both better sorted gear ratios as well as a variable geometry turbocharger which cuts turbolag significantly. The Innova has a much larger engine. It’s more powerful too. But, thanks to its mammoth size and weight, it is the slowest.

The Innova isn't brilliant to drive either, especially in this company. Sure, the steering and gearbox lend much better feedback than you'd expect from an MUV, but the Linea and the Fabia are in a different class altogether. Steering feel and preciseness on both cars make you want to get behind the wheel and positive shifting gearboxes with relatively short throws on both cars only elps matters along. Moreover, on a twisty road, both the Fabia and the Linea are a lot more fun.

Fiat Linea

Fiat's multijet is a superb engine. And on the Linea thanks to the VGT, it makes more power and provides the Fiat with good performance. It's also pretty efficient. The gearbox though not as good as the Fabia's, is still a pleasure to use

Skoda Fabia

The Fabia is the most efficient. But, it's also the noisiest. The engine's turbo lag also affects the car's driveability. It does have a superb gearbox and along with a light clutch makes for an effortless drive in city's choc-a-bloc traffic

Toyota Innova

Toyota has the largest, most powerful engine in this test. But the Innova's size and weight see it finish at the bottom of the performance as well as fuel economy charts. The gearbox too is the least fun to use among the three cars here.

Scorecard

Body: The Innova, thanks to its size, outclasses the other two quite comprehensively. It scores more for the space it offers and for its larger, more flexible boot. It does lose out on the safety front. The Fabia scores the least, courtesy lack of both interior and boot space, but scores the highest for quality.

Drive: The Innova's advantage under the first head gets completely negated here. It's the slowest, with the worst gearbox in this test and is significantly more thirsty. It's the latter that really drags the Toyota down under this head because otherwise it manages to run the Fiat and the Skoda close.

Comfort: Like we mentioned in the story, all three cars are comfortable offerings and their scores reflect the same, with all three scoring over 60 percent. But, it's the Linea with its well insulatedcabin and good seats that wins here beating the Skoda by the slimmest of margins.

Dynamics: The Skoda and the Linea have good steering response as well as feedback. These are comparatively easier to manoeuvre, have better grip and recorded significantly shorterbraking distances compared to the larger Toyota.

Cost: The Fiat Linea wins this shootout, and it does so for offering a lot more as a product. But, crucially, as a car buyer you get a lot of peace of mind looking at the car's warranty figure which is way better than either the Skoda or the Toyota.

Verdict

The Innova is comfortable and dynamically able. It offers great flexibility for transporting the extended family and their luggage. But, for daily use it is cumbersome. It’s also the most expensive and the least fuel efficient, and scarcely equipped in this company.

Though small the Fabia is the easiest to live with. It’s better equipped than the Toyota and is comfortable and good to drive. But fitting three at the rear is an issue and on a road trip you’d end up sharing cabin space withyour luggage.

The Linea Emotion is a superb compromise, especially for its price and warranty. It has better presence, is well equipped and efficient. There’s space for five and their luggage. It is also easy to drive in the city and manages the odd highway jaunt beautifully as well.