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I’m in Arjeplog. Yes, even I didn’t hear of it before this. It’s really cold here. At this time of the year, the reindeer have headed south to warmer climes. At this time of the year, the preferred mode of transport is a snowmobile. At this time of the year, hot coffee becomes cold coffee before you can say Jack Frost. At this time of the year, it is minus 17 degrees Celsius. At this time of the year, there’s a metre-thick layer of ice over the lake. This time of the year is really good for winter testing.

I’m beginning to wonder what I’m doing here, a mere 100 km shy of the Arctic Circle. Through chattering teeth, I thank Fiat. The basic idea behind this drive is to show us the extreme conditions that are part of the development phase of a Fiat. The idea behind the basic idea is to show us how much fun it is driving on ice.

Fiat is among the many manufacturers who test cars at the Colmis proving grounds at Arjeplog. Part of Colmis’ appeal lies in the 1,000 hectares of wide-open frozen lake that they have at their disposal. For car manufacturers, it provides a brilliant testing ground for traction control systems, ABS and ESP systems among other things.

For us Indian journalists, it is a rare opportunity to indulge in carefree, uncontrolled hooliganism. A chance to completely let go.

You see, on a lake, there’s nothing to hit but soft snow banks. You can easily push cars beyond their limits and get away without the agony of bent panels and damaged cars.

It is a good thing that we have driven both these cars before — in more hospitable conditions. You see, when it gets this cold, you can’t get a seat of the pants feel — the seat of my pants, along with everything in close proximity to it, has long since frozen solid. So, if you ask me how good the Linea 1.6 Multijet’s acceleration is, the honest answer is, I don’t know. On a low grip surface like this, there’s no turbo lag. In first and second gear, the engine simply skips the lag and dives into wheelspin. The Linea is no 800bhp Toyota Supra, but on this surface, the 105bhp engine easily breaks traction — even in fourth gear.

If you ask me how good the Linea’s handling is, I can tell you the steering is quick enough to catch slides. And it likes to understeer on low-friction surfaces. That’s about it. What I am sure about is the Linea’s brakes. The ABS works with cold precision, each time you push on the middle pedal. On the two-lane highways we drove on, you need to ease your way out of oncoming Scanias’ and Volvos’ paths. ‘Easing your way out’ means gingerly dabbing the brakes and gently steering your way out of a big accident. You need a well-calibrated ABS system to do this – and the ABS on the Linea works just fine.

Back in Mumbai, Arjeplog seems like it is on a different planet. The Indian Linea and Grande Punto may never face those conditions here, but it is nice to know that the car has been tested in extreme conditions. It is nice to know that sometimes when you’re not fully in control, the car can help get you out.

OUSEPH CHACKO

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