Seems the GTX DNA is back..!! Indeed this is a Stonker of an engine, FIAT has tuned the Engine Perfectly, Kudos to them for bringing back the Peformance factor in the forefront.
GTO, one question, was this TD arranged by FIAT or this was a Dealers car ?
My Test Drive experience of the T-Jet, City & Vento, did this Last Week:
Me and my colleague were on a Hunt for a Petrol Sedan for him, he will be opting for a Company Leased Vehicle.
So we landed up in the TATA-FIAT showroom to check out the Buzz about the T-Jet. As my colleague insisted we check the Linea First. took a brief Test Drive of the T-Jet at the Fortune Nerul Showroom. The Car looked Fabulous in the Sunbeam Beige Color.
The 16 Inch Alloys are just superb, i was surprised to see that the 5th Tyre is not a Steel Wheel, it is an Alloy, Fantastic..!! I think the same alloys are available on Bravo Internationally, anyone ?
The Interiors are now better finished and the Black portion of the Dashboard has now a Soft & Spongy feel to it, which is pleasing to the eyes. The Leather seats also look great.
On the performance front, the difference can be felt right from the First Gear, FIAT has re-worked the Gear Ratios now the car feels more relaxed in every gear comapred to the earlier NA Variant. The Engine is Very Smooth at idle, we took off for a Test Drive & let the Tacho Needle get past the 2200 RPM Mark, there is a rush after that, the car transforms in terms of performance characteristics. Fantastic is the word that comes to my mind for the Performance, we took the car to 100 KMPH mark for a short stretch which it did quite comfortably. The Pulling Power of the Engine is Addictive..!!
I wont say anything on the Legendary Ride Quality & Handling, enough has been said on that. It is just awesome, how the car gobbles up the Potholes and Bad Roads. After the Test Drive, we came back to the Showroom, my colleague who took the quotation & otherstuff, as he is going to book the car soon. We had a very good experience with the sales guys, they seem to be more focussed now. And above all we were offered "The Italian Coffee" and a gorgeuos female sales representative took the feedback for the TD on the Form
One Word, this car should have been launched with the Tjet engine, when it was introduced in January-2009, it could have turned the Tables round for FIAT. Purely My Opinion.
After the Test Drive, we went straight to the Honda Showroom to check out the Honda City, it was a familiar Car that we are used to see, but i had never driven the ANHC, so it was a First TD of the Car for me. The Cars Engine is excellent, the performance is just fantastic. But the Tjet Ticks all the right Boxes now with the Honda City which it missed out in earlier version on the Performance front, now i feel they are at Par. But the torque of the T-Jet is Just Awesome.
I was shocked to see that the Honda City does not have an Engine Guard after paying more than 10L, ATLEAST i expect that, are you listening Honda..!!
Also the ride quality of the city was not great, it felt like it is hollow after sitting in the linea. The City's build quality is nowhere near the Linea. The only saving grace for the City was the Engine. Nothing Else, truly.
Then off we went to the Volkswagen showroom to check out the Vento, i was disappointed to see the car in flesh, it looked like booted polo, they should have given the car its own identity, also the car didnt exude the class as far as the exteriors are concerned. It was plane jane IMO.
The Interiors are very Good and fit & finish is fantastic. But there is no symmetry in the Color scheme of the Display, the Center Console was Purple Backlighting and the Display on the Meters & the MID is in Red. Why ? i dont know, just an observation.
Lets come to the Performance, the Petrol, as expected was OK, as reported by our Forum Members & Auto Journalists. The real star was the Diesel, it was just mind blowing, the torque & NVH. Very good. I Just Test Drove the Diesel to get a feel of the Engine only. My Colleague was only interested in Petrol Sedan.
So the Conclusion, If you are buying a Petrol Sedan, T-Jet is THE Car. Loaded upto the Brim & Fantastic Performance. If you want a Diesel Sedan, Vento It is, only if you are OK with the Wafer thin A.S.S Network & Unknown Cost of Ownership.
My colleague finally decided to go for the T-Jet, stands Booked.
Apologies for such a long post.
Disclaimer: The above are strictly my opinions, no offence meant to any specific Brand. It is only a Comparo which me and my colleague felt about the cars we considered. I dont intend to start any Debate regarding the respective brands.