I fell for this car for its timeless design. We have been seeing the same design for years and its appeal has not faded. Classic Italian design, elagant and understated. It looks like no other car in India. This is my 5th car and also my best.
At the outset I will say that those who think that a car is for transporting from one point to another, please buy an Alto or Nano, dont come near this vehicle. It is meant for those who value car design and want feed back from the car. This is one of the few cars which still has hydraulic steering and that is a real boon. the steering gives feedback and feels live under one’s hand. I have seen complaints here that the steering is too heavy, those people should use Ubers and Olas, they are not drivers. Or ride in bullock carts. Then they will understand the difficulties in steering.
The car has some niggles, but what the hell, a beauty is entitled to her quirks. Power windows and central locking may give problems, though not of a serious nature. The dash and interiors are not of the highest quality. But boy, does she have charm. These niggles do not matter.
And her pluses are many. Her design is ageless. It is the only design that I have seen which is still as sexy 8 years after launch. The Mercedes E class design at the turn of the century had that quality. The Linea’s build quality is pretty good and she handles like a dream. I have driven most cars of that range and and they do cannot hold a candle to the handling and road manners.
The engine is tough and reliable and frugal. I have done 94000 kms and have kept a record of the consumption. It is a18.05 kms/ litre. This is with 50% city driving. The engine is small(1.3 litre) and has a turb lag at till it reaches 1800 rpm. If you dont love her then this can be a irritating. But what the hell, if Deepika had a turbo lag, she would still be as desirable.
I have read a review below that the spare parts are too costly. Actually they are not. They are just slightly above a Maruti Dzire. In my 94k kms I have only replaced front disc brakes which cost 7k and the front shocks at 60k for 9k which is fair enough. an average service is in the range of 5000 to 7000 including semi synthetic oil and changing all filters. At the moment my cost for maintenance is Re. 1.34 /km which includes player and speaker and seat covers. The OEM Amazers lasted 40000 kms and the current Yokohoma earth 1 are till on after 54000.
The ride quality is miraculously firm and comfortable at the same time. It is rock steady at 135 kmph on the Mumbai Pune expressway. The sterring is like butter and a real pleasure to drive. Road noise is there at a tolerable level. Well if Angelina Jolie snored lightly would you reject her?
The Leg room is not as high as in say an S class or a 7 series, but it is definitely acceptable, more so as it costs about the same as a mid level Swift(my model is Classic). I have driven an emotion in the city and find the Classic easier to drive. Have not compared on the highway but I suppose an Emotion would be somewhat faster with the other dynamics being the same.
The car has never given me problems on the highway and I have never been stranded. One drawback is that there are very few dealers and I have had to go many kms away for servicing. After the warranty got over(3 years) I just got the oil and filters changed at 90k for Rs. 3000/- She seems to be quite happy. Well not all good lookers are expensive.
The biggest plus points are that she is if not quite rare, a car that is not very visible. She is in a class of her own. Fiat sells less Lineas than BMWs sells BMWs, or Audi sells Audis, or Mercedes sells Mercs. That makes it much more difficult to spot. Ok she is not as rare as a Lamborghini.
The other day I went to the NCPA and parked next to an E class. She matched her inch to inch and(ok maybe I am biased) looked a bit better.
So ye passionate car people without obscene budgets, do look at this car, it is really worth it. Ignore those nay sayers below.
Oh yes, one more thing - In the flooding in Mumbai couple of months ago she was standing in wheel deep water the whole night, water got into the car and soaked the carpet. Cost - Only Rs. 2k for cleaning, no damage. A colleague’s Honda Jazz was next to my car and got water inside. Cost Over 30k(dont know the details). Go figure.