A MUST READ FOR ALL PROSPECTIVE LINEA BUYERS

I HAD BEEN CONTEMPLATING WHETHER OR NOT TO WRITE THIS REVIEW SINCE IF I AM TO BE HONEST THEN FIAT & TATA GUYS WILL KILL ME AND I DON'T THEN I MY OWN CONSCIENCE WILL KILL ME. ...I HAVE BOUGHT LINEA EMOTION PETROL PACK LAST MONTH 02 MAY 09 AND HAVE SINCE DRIVEN ALMOST 3000 KMS THROUGH THE UP & DOWN IN RANIKHET, HILLY TERRAIN OF NAINITAL, RAM NAGAR (JIM CORBETT), TREACHEROUS INDIANISED ROADS FROM DELHI TO LUCKNOW AND THROUGH THE SUMMER HEAT (45 TO 47 DEGREE AMBIENT TEMP) IN DELHI. TO BE HONEST I HAD BEEN AN ARDENT ADMIRER OF THE LINEA DESIGN EVER SINCE IT WAS LAUNCHED AND SO I HAD DECIDED THAT AS AND WHEN THE CAR WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN INDIA I WOULD BUY IT. THIS DECISION WAS BASED AFTER FOUR TEST DRIVES THAT I HAD UNDERTAKEN 02 AT CONNAUGHT PLACE, NEW DELHI AND 02 AT GURGAON, HOURS & HOURS OF RESEARCH AND FEEDBACKS FROM OWNERS AND VISITS TO WEBSITES. NEEDLESS TO STATE THAT THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR IS A BIG LET DOWN AND WELL BELOW EXPECTATIONS SINCE THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TEST DRIVE AND THE ACTUAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON THE INDIAN ROADS. THE GROUND CLEARANCE OF THE CAR IS SO LOW THAT ON THE ROAD FROM DELHI TO LUCKNOW THE CAR BUMPER MUST HAVE TOUCHED POT HOLES & SPEED BUMPS SO MANY TIMES THAT .THAT I GAVE UP THE COUNT. YOU FEEL A PART OF YOU BEING SCRAPPED OF EVERY TIME THE CAR HITS THE BUMP..BUT YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT....I DONT KNOW WHAT HONDA OWNERS MUST BE GOING THROUGH. IN THE OUTSIDE TEMP OF 45 PLUS DEGREES THE PERFORMANCE OF AC WAS REALLY POOR. AT TIMES WE HAD TO OPEN THE WINDOWS ON THE DUSTY AND SULTRY HIGHWAY & ROADS ....I DON'T THINK THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AC HAS BEEN CUSTOMISED BY FIAT FOR THE INDIAN SUMMER IN NORTH (I MEAN ABOVE 45 DEG) CONDITIONS. IT IS A BIG LET DOWN. THIS AFFECTS THE ACCELERATION OF THE CAR TOO AND YOU CAN FEEL THAT THE CAR IS WAY TOOO UNDERPOWERED FOR ITS SIZE. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR I MEAN THE ACCELERATION AT LOWER SPEEDS IS SO BAD THAT EVEN OUR MARUTI 800 AT TIMES BEATS YOU IN PICK UP AT LOWER SPEEDS . OF COURSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS ABOVE 70-80 THE CAR IS SHEER CLASS TO DRIVE IN TERMS OF COMFORT, DRIVING PLEASURE AND HANDLING. BUT TO REACH THESE SPEED LIMITS 70-80 ..THE STRUGGLE IS JUST TOOOO MUCH. THIS AFFECTS HIGHWAY DRIVING WHEREIN FOR OVERTAKING YOU HAVE TO SHIFT TO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR. UPHILL DRIVE TOO IS TARDY AND CAN BE DONE ONLY ON 3RD / 2ND GEAR AND THAT IS BAD FOR FUEL ECONOMY. I ALSO HAD TO INVOKE THE SERVICES OF TATA TO CHECK THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AC. THOUGH THEY WERE COURTEOUS AND VERY FRIENDLY, THE AVAILABILTY OF SPARE PARTS NEEDS A LOT TO BE DESIRED. THE ACTUAL PARTS OF THE CAR WERE AVAILABLE AFTER 25 DAYS ..SINCE IT WAS AC PART I COULD MANAGE ...I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD IT BEEN A CRITICAL PART....I LEAVE ALL READERS TO GUESS. THE REAR VISIBILTY OF THE CAR ALSO LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED....BETTER WOULD HAVE HAVE BEEN FOR FIAT TO INSTALL PARKING SENSORS. I HAVE BOUGHT FIAT LEATHER SEAT COVERS (Rs 11,000) PLUS EXTERNAL CAR COVERS (Rs 3,500) AS ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES....... I DO ADMIT THAT THE CAR HAS NUMEROUS WORLD CLASS FEATURES IN TERMS OF COMFORT, STYLE, SAFETY AND MILEAGE WHICH MAKES IT STILL UNBEATABLE FOR THE PRICE ON OFFER ....AND EVEN AFTER KNOWING ALL THE DRAWBACKS LISTED ABOVE I DEFINATELY WOULD HAVE HAVE STILL DECIDED TO GO BACK ON LINEA ....BUT MY AIM HERE IS NOT TO CRITICISE FIAT/TATA BUT TO EDUCATE AND APPRAISE ALL THE ESTEEMED READERS ON THE DISADVANTAGES SO THAT THEY MAY MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE RATHER THAN AN IGNORANT ONE. IF I COULD DESCRIBE MY OWN FIAT LINEA IN ONE SENTENCE IT WOULD BE 'ITNA PAISA MEIN TO ITNA HI MILEGA' ADVICE FOR THE POTENTIAL BUYERS LINEA IS NOT A PERFORNACE CAR...BUT MEANT FOR THE FAMILYMAN WHERE SAFETY COMFORT ELEGANCE AND STYLE ARE THE DICTUM HAPPY HUNTING LOVE & REGARDS AK MISHRAVERY COMFORTABLE & BEST STYLED CAR THAT ONE CAN GET FOR THE GIVEN PRICEVERY BAD AC, VERY POOR PICKUP, LACK OF ASTERN FIELD OF VISION, VERY POOR AVAILABILITY OF SPARE PARTS