SURVEY & DECISION
Since 2009, I wished to sell my Fiat Uno Diesel Dlx of 1999 and was on the lookout for a new 3-box car. The Uno was still going great guns without any indication of a heart trouble. Still, since support was waning, and the new Tata Fiat dealerships were not servicing it, it was time to change after almost 11 yrs of very delightful ownership, having driven 1.5 lac km across the length & breadth of the country on all kinds of roads - National Expressways, National Highways, NHDP(GQ, EW Corridor), State Highways, BOT Roads, MDRs, PMGSY Roads and of course city roads.
I did a lot of research on review websites Mouthshut, Autocar and other user reviews at Team BHP, TeamFiat etc. After considering almost a thousand variables, I finally decided on Fiat Linea T jet Plus. It was a very complex Linear Programming problem fed onto my head’s super computer, with probable solutions of Honda City, VW Vento Highline and Fiat Linea PL & Multi-jet variants.
FIAT CONFIDENCE
One very major influence was my younger son who is an auto enthusiast from his childhood and in 2009, at the age of 11, he had advised me to go for Fiat Linea! He had even predicted that Tjet will be launched in 2010, and we should go for the same. At that point I had not been serious towards his advise, which was in fact, a very informed one after doing lot of research of his own.
Another major factor was of course my ownership of a Fiat car and no one would know better than me, what a pleasure it has been to own it for 11 years. It was such a reliable car that the concept of service network was a non-issue to me, after doing the regular maintenance as per schedule.
My confidence in Fiat is despite the fact that Fiat as a company is struggling in India for past 15 years and brand image is still at a low ebb, in spite of a stable full of good cars. But the reviews have instilled confidence that Fiat will establish itself thru collaboration with Tata. Its also come out thru the reviews and forums that Fiat buyers are making informed decision despite the odds, and not in a mad rush of “status” cars. AFTER SALES SERVICE
So the Tata-Fiat A.S.S. is a non-issue to me even now. I know, if I will take my car to the workshop for the scheduled maintenance, I need not worry too much. Still, I have the confidence of FIAT Road Side Assistance(RSA) for 50 months and a 50 month warranty which have come free with the car. The RSA is a wonderful concept, wherein I’ll be offered free assistance within 100 km of a Tata-Fiat dealership in case of a breakdown. I am sure, with the list of dealers already under Tata-Fiat collaboration and the growing nos. will assure me I am within 100 km of at least 1, whenever I leave my city.
FEATURES
Linea Tjet Plus is the Top-end model of Fiat in India. If Engine capacity nos.are ignored, the car meets eye to eye with cars like Civic, Altis, Skoda, Jettain pure statistics wrt larger dimensions, large wheel base, all 5 Alloys(16”dia), large 205mm wide tyres, all 4 disc brakes, dual parabola headlamps, turbocharged engine, leather upholstery. Still its pegged against Honda City& VW Vento by price segmentation.
Rather than going thru the host of usual features which one can compare on websites, I’ll list the most amazing unique features offered by Tjet Plus, which normally are proving very handy during ownership:
Non-Intrusion type boot hinges - means boot opens thru 2 hydraulic damperson the sides and leaves the entire boot space clear for luggage. With no large hinges inside the boot, pushing large suitcases to the rear or stuffing the boot to the top is enabled. Boot switch on Key Remote is also very convenient at many a times.
Vanity Mirror on both front seats & not only on passenger side. Both are with lights - the moment the mirror flap is lifted, 2 small lights on either side of the mirror illuminate your face, removing the requirement for switching on the main light.
The rear arm rest has 2 cup holders which can be pulled out. Moreover the cover can be opened to reveal a smart storage space for small change, specs, mobile, a small note pad/pen etc
The front arm rest also has a large space below the cushion, which can beused to keep your cell phone, which is already connected to Blue & Me system thru Bluetooth.
Blue & Me is amazing, whereby the system talks to you for configuration of the phone and then acts on your voice commands to dial phones or play music. The calls can be picked up thru a smart phone button on the steering. Steering mounted Microsoft button initiates the system. All the passengers in the car can communicate with the person at the other end, as the microphone picks up the voices from rear seats equally well.
Very smart driver information system, which gives you many info on the centre display - Date, Time, Outside Temp, Main odometer reading, 2 Trip distances, Mileage and much more. Most exciting is the instantaneous mileage for current trip. The figure keeps fluctuating from 0 to 50 kmpl as you drive, and gives you a fair idea when you are driving the most fuel-efficiently. You can fine tune the driving in long run to get the best mileage.
Defogger for rear windshield and ORVMs is very helpful in rainy season to quickly clear the water & mist on the rear glass for better visibility.
Front & rear fog lamps - Front lamps are helpful even during normal night driving by throwing additional light when the high beams are off.
Rear AC Vent is a very desirable thing for the rear passengers of this premium vehicle.
Automatic Climate Control is really helpful in setting the cabin temperature to your desired no. as you are used to these nos. even in your home or office. The air distribution can also be controlled by switches on the panel.
Smart option for accelerated defogging during winters is also part of the ACC.
The front panel tells you exactly which door is not closed properly.
The passenger door handle is also enabled to operate central locking. This comes in very handy when drives goes out and children in the car are advised to lock the car from inside. They can open it for you when you return, as the key is already in the ignition for leaving the stereo on.
Roof Lighting with dimming effect– A wonderful feature, whereby the moment you press the door open switch on the remote, the lights in the cabin automatically switch on, allowing you to see the seats while sitting after sunset. After all doors are closed, the lights slowly turn themselves off. The roof lights have 2 very minute spot lights which keep throwing faint light beams on the gear lever and makes it convenient to be dimly visible during night driving.
Follow me home headlamps – Another amazing feature when you park the vehicle in dark. After removing the key from ignition, pulling the high beam lever once will light up the headlamps for 20 seconds. You can give 2 or more pulls to keep the lights on for 40 sec, 60 secs and so on, after locking the car and moving away towards your destination in well lit conditions.
Rear Curtain – The factory fitted rear curtain is a delightful feature, not available in the other cars of same price range. This is something, which I had always got installed in my previous cars.
Dead Pedal near clutch pedal –This is a standard Fiat feature, which I’d enjoyed in my Uno too. The clutch foot rests at the same level and prevents fatigue in the ankle & shin region in city driving.
Rear leg room – When my driver is driving the vehicle on long trips, I can actually sit cross legged on the rear seat, stretch and move around the legs quite comfortably. The rear armrest is a welcome addition. However, I do feel the lack of cushioning on the same as in Manza or Corolla.
DEAL
I had negotiated and booked the car in Apr-2011, when Fiat had just stepped on the sales promo pedal. Overall, on the listed price incl Registration & Insurance, I could get almost 70 grand chopped off in form of Exchange & Loyalty bonus, Insurance NCB discount of my previous vehicle, Free Extended Warranty & Free RSA, Corporate Discount.
DRIVING & HANDLING
The car is an absolute delight to drive. I’ve done 25000 km in first 3 years with many long trips. City handling is excellent. The 4 disc brakes have saved me on many a tricky situations in the city. However, the forte is Highways. The road grip is tooo. good. I’ve driven at speeds as high as 180-190 kmph on EW Corridor and 150 kmph on other 4/6 lane highways like N-S Corridor. Overall squattish design and 205mm wide tyres keep the vehicle rock steady at such speeds.
The driving experience is accentuated by the continuous surrounding of the smart features of the car mentioned above. I’m sure I’ll enjoy Tjet’s company for at least 5 years with pride & delight and with the contentment that I made a very wise & sound decision, despite the low brand image of FIAT in India, which is slowly getting a turn around with Fiat going soslo inn dealerships. Even the new Linea has been launched recently with improved looks & interiors as well as even more startling features like rain sensing wipers, etc.