Fiat Linea [2008-2011] User Reviews

 

 

Dealership Experience – Got free from my college at 11:30 am on the 30th of October. Called Oberoi motors to enquire about the TD of Linea T-JET. The receptionist was polite and readily transferred my call to one of the FIAT sales persons. He sounded genuinely excited and was ready to bring the car to my home (Sweet!) but I told him that I am on my way to the showroom only so no need to bring the car over.

Reached the dealership around noon. It’s a huge double storey building and is only about 2 months old. The receptionist took down my contact details and showed me the way to the FIAT Area. As expected there were different display areas for FIAT and TATA as well as different sales teams. Was attended promptly by the SE and he offered me tea, coffee etc. before anything else (Didn’t quite expect this)!
He asked me if it was ok with me to wait for a few minutes as he was on a call with another customer. Was served with the coffee in about 5-7 minutes and in the next 5 minutes the SE was ready for the TD. The SE had decent knowledge about the car though not more than me.   (For those who don’t know, i worked for FIAT as a SE for about 4 months and Linea was launched while I was working).

The demo car was a Sum Beam Beige T-Jet+ and the color looked great. However, I find Tucson Wine the best on Linea followed by black. I wish FIAT launched the Cool Jazz Blue Linea in India (showcased at the auto expo).

ENTER – FIAT LINEA T-JET

Exteriors – Enough has already been said about the stunning, ageless looks and design of this car. Which ever color, one can’t take his eyes off this Italian Beauty (Absolutely Drool Material)! The new 16” alloys look staggering to say the least. The car has an improved GC of 170mm, 5mm more than the rest of the petrol Linea line up; thanks to the bigger alloys and 205/55 tyres. Try lifting the bonnet and you’ll realize why the car weighs almost 1.3 tonnes! The ‘tank like built’ makes you feel safe at any speed. The Europeans cars are way ahead in the built quality as compared to Japanese and Koreans.


Interiors – Step inside and it feels like a different Linea all together thanks to the soft touch dashboard and the exquisite leather seats. The interiors seem to put together in a much better manner as compared to the previous models. Though I never had any problems with the plastic quality of the Linea/Punto, it was the fit and finish at some places that was a let down. However, most of it has been taken care of but it can still be improved further IMHO. Having said that, hats off to FIAT for taking the customer feedback seriously.

The use of chrome instead of silver (like in other Lineas), give the interiors an up market feel. The leather seats are large and offer great under thigh and back support.

The interiors of Linea are better than the city but the fit and finish of Vento is a notch above the rest of the cars in this segment. The plastics have a ‘built to last a lifetime’ feel. Though I like the central console of the city, it’s the dials that are a turn off. Neither do they look sporty as the ones in Jazz nor classy like the Linea. Kind of ‘Honda Unicornish’. What I don’t like about the interiors are; the shallow cup holders and not even a single bottle holder!

Off Topic : Checked out a brand new punto emotion at the dealership and the plastics and fit-finish felt better than 2009 punot/linea.

Test Drive - Turn on the ignition and you can immediately feel the high refinement levels. You may feel you have turned deaf as you really have to strain your ears to listen to the engine sound at idling.
Till now things are more or less like the 1.4 NA Linea and almost everything brings a smile on your face but as soon as you slot in the first gear; you know things are different. This car is a serious powerhouse and the smile just grows bigger!

Slot in the 2nd gear and you can feel the turbo rush. Turbo in a petrol engine! You are literally pushed back (my friend sitting at the back also commented on the same)! Felt like Nirvana! Pure Adrenaline and it just continues to get better as you move ahead further and faster.

Though it wasn’t proper testing but I’m sure this car can clock 0-100 in 10.xx seconds thanks to the peak power of 113bhp @ 5000rpm and a class leading peak torque of 207nm @ a mere 2200rpm. On a traffic filled Noida lane, I reached 120 in no time.

You drive this car once and trust me you just want to continue driving it! The engine makes itself audible after 3000rpm but the engine note is so sweet, you’d rather want to switch off your music system and listen to it!
Note that the peak power is achieved at 5k rpm, hence, it is not required to rev this car beyond that.

The ARAI mileage figures are 14.6 Km/L as compared to 13.8 Km/L of the 1.4 NA Linea. I believe it should give anything between 10-11 and even 12 if you drive it sedately (if you can, that is).

A special mention of the special music system. For ardent music lovers like me, it plain sucks! For people like my mom and dad who just prefer to listen to some music while driving, it can do a decent job. Speaker upgrade is highly recommended.

Though it has been discussed many times across various threads in the forum, I believe it still requires a mention here. The blend of ride and handling is the best in the segment (atleast as compared to the cars I have driven. SX4, City, Fiesta, Verna). Period! Vento might be a competitor but I have my doubts.
Same holds true for the Hydraulic Power Steering. It is the best steering to hold (in the segment) and looks great too (only the city steering comes close). And believe me, these looks are not deceptive! It is precise; full of feedback ad makes you feel connected to the road all the time. Metaphorically speaking, the steering makes you feel like you and the car are one entity and you’re entering into a relationship with the road.

This car is an addiction, honestly! And when I say I’m addicted to it, even alcohol does not have the power to make me an addict. But, I surrender to the FIAT LINEA T-JET! (Give us the PUNTO T-JET Please FIAT).
Last but not the least, you get the power alright but at the same time you get the built, suspension to withstand that power. Add to this, the wider 205/55 R16 tyres only make things better.
But the real surprise/boon/gift is the all four disc brakes. The car deserves them with so much power under the hood and FIAT has given it just what it deserves. Note that Linea T-JET is the only car with all four disc brakes.
Really Kudos to FIAT for this.

Final Verdict – FIAT really has left no loop holes with the T-Jet. If you are looking for a petrol sedan under 10L, buy it eyes closed.
Don’t worry about the service anymore. With 175 points of sales across 130 cities, FIAT has the 4th largest network in India after Maruti, Hyundai and TATA which would reach 200 by the end of 2010.
There is about a 45k price difference between the T-JET and T-JET+ for which you get leather seats, bigger tyres, better GC and all 5 alloys. Yes! You read it right, the spare wheel is an alloy too! IMHO, the price difference is worth it.
If I get a good enough job after my MBA, I am buying this!

Looks, Built, Addictive Engine. Feature, Ride & Handling, Steering Feel & FeedbackNo Bottle Holders, Slightly Rubbery Gearshift

 

Exterior Best in class. Even can give tough competition to D segment cars.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Excellent features, enough leg room, rear space may sound to be less if front seat is taken full back.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Fabulous engine, Average FE, below avg gearbox. Gearbox feels rubbery and throw is bit long.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Speechless. It handles potholes so nicely. Excellent ride. At higher speed it remains very stable.

 

Final Words Excellent car. Please go and buy it if you want to buy a car in this segment. This can give tough competition to the biggies like Honda city if Fiat can focus on their weaknesses and that is Marketing and Service after sales.

 

Areas of improvement Gear box. Fiat should focus on improving Service after sales and also do aggressive marketing. Many people are not aware of this new launch. I saw only one ad in paper on 9th Oct and after that no advertisement. This is really bad. They should know how they should market this awesome product.

 

Ride, handle, Power, Looks, Maintenance, StyleRubbery Gearbox, FE

I purchased this car in Feb 2012 and have driven it for almost 60,000 KM till now. The reason I rated it 5/5 despite have been struggled with Fiat's service a couple of time is that I couldn't have purchased a better car than this within my budget. The car offered such tremendous value for money at that point despite being the most fun-to-drive option that it was a no-brainer. I have enjoyed every KM I have driven on it. Be it the feeling of getting pushed in the seat due to the turbo-kick or cruising long distance, it's just perfect. Plus the comfortable ride at highway speeds helps me drive long distances without much trouble. It's built so well that it feels well put together and safe. The car looks and feels as good as it did ~7 years ago. It's a shame that not too many people took a chance with it and perhaps the fault is with Fiat. They could never market or sell it properly.

 

Exterior Exquisite styling the italian way. Beautiful looking headlights and grille. Which ever angle you look at it from it will please you. It looks more expensive that it actually is. 

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Leather seats are great. Steering feels solid, interiors are nicely done. Sunglass holder is quite thoughtful and the lights for the vanity mirror too. Could have made provision for a 1 litre water bottle holder but can manage with 1/2 litre for all four passengers. Dials with retro look are pleasing and the orange lights all over the dashboard makes it look very upmarket. 

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox This is like a motorcycle engine. It feels so light with so much power on tap. 1-100kmph takes just 11 seconds and with no fuss. Power in the 2000rpm to 5000 rpm range is absolutely linear and wonder if that's the reason it's called Linea. Ride is good but nothing great. Road grip is fantastic at speeds right up to 160kmph( I did not test beyond this). 

Ride Quality & Handling Nothing exceptional but you will feel very safe in the car. Turns are comfortable at all speeds. Steering is a delight to use. Hardly any blind spots. 

 

Final Words If you want to pamper your ego go for Linea. It is sure to surprise you with the performance little seen on other cars in the same segment. Yes, Honda City is good but this one is better. 

 

Areas of improvement Speakers need improvement.

 

Exquisite exteriors, fantastic enginespeakers

 

Exterior Probably the best looking car in this segment. I had actually booked Vento, it did not come after few months wait. My old car was Honda City which I used for 6 years. On exterior look and feel Linea T jet certain scores far ahead of its competition.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Excellent. Particularly Blue & me is a very useful features. Speaker system could be better. In the price range of Tjet, I think the music system is okay.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbo Very good power. Driving comfort is as good as most cars(Vento,City) in this segment. At low speed, the car tend to stall, probably low torque at low speed particularly when driving over the bumps.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is certinly quite good. Nothing extraordinary about this car though.

 

Final Words On detail research on specification and test drive of Vento, SX4 and Linea Tjet, I found Tjet is certainly a very good buy. It has a very good look and finish. I bought this car this december 2010. My driver drives the car, though some times I take the car around myself.

 

Areas of improvement Some how Fiat has not been able to make its name/brand in the market. That is why its products suffers due to poor resale value. Another area which Fiat has to look in to is its service network. Partnership with Tata is certianly good but Tata does not have experience of customer service for high end buyers.

Fuel efficinecy needs improvement.

 

DRIVING COMFORT,POWER,LOOK AND INTERIORFUEL EFFICIENCY

 

Exterior A Beauty to look at and admire.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very comfortable seats with good upholstry.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Great fun to drive especially when picking speed while overtaking.

Ride Quality & Handling Very good. The tyres are beautiful looking too!

 

Final Wordd Undoubtedly the best car in this segment that money can buy. The car has so many features and add ons that a few thound of accessories is all that is needed to make it a prized possession. I am aware that some people are hesitant and carry old notion of fiat -- but the truth is: IT IS A GREAT CAR-  and people with open mind will see that sooner. The body of the car is also better built comare to Honda city and what with so many other features that are missing in Honda city. The energy of this car is different and gives me good feeling.

 

Areas of improvement Add music remote control and rear parking sensors.

 

Excellent features -None

 

Exterior One of the best, great stylist looking. The shape of car is so good and give you a rich feel

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Silent powerful engine with nice fuel economy (if you compare with the weight of car), high performance because of Turbo on petrol engine. Smooth gear shifting.

Ride Quality & Handling Excellent.

Final Words This car is one of the best in its own type of cars with so many functions and powerful engine. The turbo resolves the problem of pick up which was with old Linea. Road clearance is also better than older Linea, overall it is a value for money car. Fuel economy is comfortable i.e. 9 km/l in Mumbai Traffic and around 11-13 on Mumbai - Pune express way. One can drive this car @ 200 km/h without vibrations.

Areas of improvement Reverse censor should be part of main car and one major thing which I am not able to understand why Fiat is not marketing such a nice car in Indian Market.

Spare parts are not that easy so it takes longer time to replace warranty items. The service centers also don’t entertain if you take a car for fault work, you will be welcomed if you took a car for servicing. Specially Wasan Motors Kandivali Service station is the worst amongst them, they are very poor on customer servicing. Staff is very rude and thinks that the Fiat car owners are beggars.

So be careful when you buy a car from Wasan Motors as their Sales staff is very good but servicing staff is worst.

Stylish look, comfortable interior, silent engine, Powerful performanceVery poor marketing by Fiat itself,

Exterior Awesome. Defintely 'admiration guaranteed'. I still admire other Lineas that I see on the road. Can't resist it, yaar.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Awesome. The leather seats, blue & me, climate control. are all worth it.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

Engine - great

Fuel economy - so so

Gearbox - slightly stiff.

Ride Quality & Handling Awesome & Fandu. It just eats up the road when you're on the highway. My trips to Chennai, Mysore, Wayanad, etc are memorable because of the amazing ride quality. The shockers are nice & you don't feel the bumps too much (except if the car is fully loaded & it needs to go over our notorious speed breakers).

Final Words Just love driving it. can't wait to get behind the steering wheel. Even my wife likes driving the car ! It's been nearly a year since I bought the Linea T-Jet Plus, the romance still continues.

Areas of improvement  

Very few that a slight tweaking will take care of. the gearbox & mileage.

Great style, looks, pick-up, balance ... backed by some good service from Prerana motors (BLR)Just the 'C' pillar, which blocks some of the view.

The exterior of the is obiously the best in the segment especially when viewed in profile. The Fiat style centre has done a good job to keep the lines flowing around the car to be continuous and curvaceous. I personally feel that the car should have been a bit more wider as this will make its presence felt a bit more.

The interior of the car is actually a nice palce to be until you keenly start observing certain plastic panel gaps, for example the covers housing the control stalks. The rear view operating switches could have been better, the AC vents operations could have had the same feel (the left one feels tight and the one on the right a bit loose). The AC could have been a bit more powerful that said, it does the job well compared to many of the cars in its class. There are a lot of thoughtful features that FIAT never mentions in its brochures such as speed sensitive seaker volume, sun blinds and various options available with Blue & Me and My car. 

The Engine is the best part of the car. I love this engine as it provides a robust performance and cruising on the highways is an absolute joy, however I find city driving to be bit hairy experience as the car tends to pounce resulting in stalling or having wheel spins. The gearbox is one of the best I have ever tried, its smooth to operate. The all 4 disc brakes coupled with ABS and EBD provide excellent stopping power on normal conditions, on sprited driving conditions the brakes tend to fade a bit. the fuel economy of around 12.5 to 13kmpl on highways is acceptacle for this weight and power exuded, but on city driving conditions I shudder to think.

The ride and handling characteristics are sublime, it feels at least 2 classes above. Also to be noted when one puts the foot down there will be torque steer. The car understeers in sharp corners when carrying in a lot of speed. Body roll is acceptable.

Its a good car if you want a highway cruiser, its very comfortable at doing high speeds and can easily keep up with a lot of big boys. More importantly though, it makes you feel special. I would say its a good buy for anyone who enjoys driving. I have so far not yet faced any service problems with this car.

The areas of improvement could be plastic quality, front windshied quality as there is a slight shift in vision at the centre of the windscreen, other than that I don't see much.

Thank you

Ajay. J

Performance, Solid buid, excellent ride and handling, good ergonomicsFlimsy pastic fittings, rear head and leg room