Debuted as Egea two years back in Turkey, FCA has finally revealed its Linea replacement in the Brazil and Argentina market. Renamed to Cronos, the sedan features minor cosmetic changes to suit the local consumer needs.
Based on the Tipo (the hatch version, also known as Argo in some markets), it shares the Smallwide platform with the soon to be launched Jeep Renegade. Currently, Fiat’s Brazilian lineup includes the Argo which gets the option of a Firefly 1-litre 3 cylinder engine which produces 77bhp and 106.89Nm of torque, a 1.3-litre 4-cylinder engine which churns out 109bhp and 139.2Nm of torque and a 1.8-litre four cylinder engine which produces 139bhp and 189.26Nm of torque. All three engines are Flex engines which run on biofuel like ethanol and petrol. Transmission options include a five-speed manual, an automated Gear Smart Ride (5-speed) comfort and a six-speed automatic gearbox. The Argo is available in seven variants. The cars sold by Fiat in Brazil have engines which run on both petrol and ethanol as fuel since 2005.
The Cronos is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2018 in the Brazilian and Argentinian markets. FCA India is preparing for the launch of the Renegade sometime next year. As the Egea shares the platform with the SUV, expect it to be launched in India in the future. Obviously, Fiat India has not disclosed any details yet.