Here goes the review on a brand from a car manufacturer who evokes the most extreme responses in the Indian automobile sector:
- MAD LOVE by the proud owners & DEEP HATE mostly by non-users(excluding a few genuine owners but name a car which can satisfy each & everyone).
So when finally after a long hiatus(though intermittent unsuccessful launches), the INTEL of Indian automobile industry FIAT launced LINEA, I decided, this was the car I wanted. The mouth-watering prices at which the product was launched was the FIRST BIG SURPRISE.
But again the word of mouth bad publicity of an underpowered engine was the first real dampener(DEEP HATE factor at play I guess coz a FIESTA DIESEL is much more underpowered than LINEA but had great reviews). Went on test driving spree on everything under 10 lakhs – Scorpio, Xylo, Used Innova, Used Cedia, Honda I-Vtec, SX4, Fiesta and finally MANZA(read comments section for brief report).
Booked a silver dynamic pack(multijet) with ABS at WASAN motors chembur which was delivered in seven days. As of today the car was done 9600 kms and on every drive the car has surprised me.
Surprise 1 – A rough patch of broken road where I used to slow down in my earlier car, the LINEA just glided over this patch without flinching. Great suspension set up.
Surprise 2 – The amount of information displayed on the screen …how can a car be so highly feature laden at this price
Surprise 3 – The pick up … the supposedly slow coach is not slow after all. The trick is to hit the sweet spot on the rev band and this puny engine can surprise many sedans with bloated BHPs
Surprise 4 – I never thought any car in this segment could be a better handler than FIESTA 1.6 sports. Surprised again! The handling is too good to believe. The car stays glued to road and is one of the reasons why great speeds can be achieved.
Surprise 5 – A truck cutting lane came right in front of me on eastern express highway & surprised me when the car was doing 125 kmph but the LINEA was as composed as ever, taking this in her stride … thanks to the marvelous brakes & ABS.
Surprise 6 – Mileage. The highway mileage at constant speeds(70-80) is about 21-22 & in city is about 14. Roughly works out to 17 overall. Now that’s really good for a big heavy car
Surprise 7 – Built. Sit inside you will be surprised by feel of solidity & safety. This one is built to last
Surprise 8 – No matter what the traffic condition you simply can’t get enough of her.
Surprise 9 – Service intervals of 15000 kms. Wow!
Surprise 10 – The delivery process and service at WASAN. Though still don’t make you feel as special as in HONDA service stations(but I guess that comes at a price!)
The one thing that does not surprise me is the looks of admiration on the road or when parked… this is a beautiful sedan.
But can a man be ever satisfied? There are certain lacunas that I need to bring forth to all prospective buyers.
1) Rear head room
2) Leg room is adequate but for a longish sedan could ve been more
3) First gear with longish clutch play
4) Space in the footwell – cramped pedals and difficult to use dead pedal
5) Finding the most comfortable position the drivers seat may take some time.
So, I am one absolutely contended owner of FIAT LINEA. I comprehend why FIAT owners take deep pride in their possession or are typically ones who care two hoots about the resale of their FIATs … These are not meant to be sold, they become a part of your personality. As somebody rightly mentioned in one of the forums “Some cars have soul and others are just machines”