Sx4 Zxi or Linea Petrol Emotion pk - Which is VFM?

drashkum · 13th March 2009, 23:48

hi all. i planned to buy sx4 zxi until i test drove linea petrol emotion pack for second time yesterday now it has got me all under confusion. both are competitively priced ( linea 7.88 on road / sx4 7.90 on road ( 8.22 minus 25000 discount). both are loaded with features. i believe maruti scores over in A.S.S but recent TATA FIAT A.S.S is tipped to be the next best thing! .can linea owners throw more light on FE of the vehicle. i wonder which is VFM? and which one to buy.

help me to choose.

neotraveller · 14th March 2009, 08:06

drash,
There are 2-3 petrol Linea owners in tbhp and they have posted initial ownership reports. Please refer to the "test drives & initial ownership reports section".
Initial mileage reports are 11 in city & 13 on highway (100% AC). Remember this is all before 1st servicing so hopefully final numbers will be even better.
SX4 is supposed to give 10 (the general perception is that SX4 is low mileage).

Also March issue of "what car" magazine has posted a comparison between Linea vs City vs SX4 itseems.

I booked Linea petrol emotion pack by the way. Awaiting delivery.

gemithomas · 14th March 2009, 09:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by drashkum

hi all. i planned to buy sx4 zxi until i test drove linea petrol emotion pack for second time yesterday now it has got me all under confusion. both are competitively priced ( linea 7.88 on road / sx4 7.90 on road ( 8.22 minus 25000 discount). both are loaded with features. i believe maruti scores over in A.S.S but recent TATA FIAT A.S.S is tipped to be the next best thing! .can linea owners throw more light on FE of the vehicle. i wonder which is VFM? and which one to buy.

help me to choose.

Though A.S.S at FIAT-TATA is improving a lot, Atlest in the short term you cant expect to get as good service as Maruti from TATA. However since you are looking at the sx4 which is not a high volume car you could face the same waiting periods for parts as you might have to with the linea. If you are very A.S.S conscious stick to the maruti atleast people around you wont be sarcastic when they see you waiting. If you want a car thats more comfortable to drive, gives you slightly more F.E than the sx4 and if you dont mind the admiration, go for the Linea

neotraveller · 14th March 2009, 10:41

Yes. Atleast for the immediate future, if you tell anyone that you booked a Fiat car, people will look like "are you crazy?". I am already experiencing it :(
But once I have the car in hand and they see it ... hopefully the sarcasm will turn into admiration

Does the SX4 feel more powerful than Linea?
How is the engine noise?
I felt Linea engine to be a little rough.

headers · 14th March 2009, 11:05

Linea is VFM than the SX4. Go for it.

ravibhat · 14th March 2009, 11:20

Go for Linea.

Linea and SX4 both get similar scores in every aspects except MUL would give better A.S.S. But as long as you keep good relationship and the way you handle them you can extract good service by TATA/FIAT too.

Anyday Linea slightly better than SX4. Personally I have checked both and Linea is more attractive although I didn't like both.

About FE I feel you would get similar values from both the sedans. At least 9kmpl with AC on in pure congested city driving.

Regards,

Ravi.

snaronikar · 14th March 2009, 11:40

Go for Linea. Its a new car. Although looks (depends on individual), I feel Fiat looks better than its counterpart here. Only drawback is A>S>S compared to sx4. But Fiat is improving on this part. I agree with what Ravi has put in...

amit · 14th March 2009, 11:44

Keeping aside the features (Linea scores slightly over here too due to Blue&Me) and A.S.S. how do you like your car? What about driveablity, suspension, feel etc.

The SX4 is dead upto 2500rpm. You can flog it as much as you want but it will move at it's own pace. Below 2.5K rpm it feels like a python thats just had it's lunch and trust me it can get VERY frustrating. I don't know about the Linea since I haven't driven the petrol.

The ride quality is really bad. The set up is very hard and at low speeds on bad roads you will get thrown all over the seats and the car will thud , crash and thrash over rough patches. On certain bad roads you will hear a big THUK sound from the suspension and you will keep wondering if something has fallen off or broken off.

NVH is ZERO. On concrete roads at speeds of 90kmph and over road, wind and tyre noise is so loud that you literally have to raise your voice to talk to your passengers or you will have to crank up the stereo volume to listen to music.

I can't comment on the Linea but I have it's cousin - the Palio thats almost touching 70K now and it feels better to drive, ride and be in then the 28K SX4.

If I had a chance to (re)buy a C segment car today, I'd pick the Honda City.

anantnehru · 14th March 2009, 11:59

I would say otherwise. Sx4 is a good car, not really dead - sure you have to push it a bit - but not so slow either. I mean, keep it under 2500-3000 rpm for a decent ride and push it higher if you want to drive faster. As far as the ride goes, no complaints there at all. You cant exactly zip over bad roads, but you cant do that in any car. The higher GC comes in handy as well.

SkyWalker · 14th March 2009, 12:32

Linea is a much better car. SX4 has a small advantage in power, Indian road situations (turning radius,GC) but Linea will easily trump SX4 in quality,features,interiors and looks.

rkbharat · 14th March 2009, 13:22

In my opinion SX4 is definitely better than Linea in term of power and there is no lag/dead below 2500 rpm in SX4.

Also maruti A.S.S. is way better than Tata.

But looking at the features and price, Linea scores more on VFM.

Prash · 14th March 2009, 14:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by drashkum

hi all. i planned to buy sx4 zxi until i test drove linea petrol emotion pack for second time yesterday now it has got me all under confusion. both are competitively priced ( linea 7.88 on road / sx4 7.90 on road ( 8.22 minus 25000 discount). both are loaded with features. i believe maruti scores over in A.S.S but recent TATA FIAT A.S.S is tipped to be the next best thing! .can linea owners throw more light on FE of the vehicle. i wonder which is VFM? and which one to buy.

help me to choose.

I have bought Linea MJD Emotion with Blue & Me. I had this A.S.S in my mind before I had thought of buying this beauty. I did a survey with the dealership, the service center and the Fiat company itselft. Everywhere I got a positive response. I visited one of the service center and spoke to the manager and he assured me that the service part wont pose a problem for the Linea. He said they were very well prepared for the Linea.
I had a problem (of ORVM breaking) and got in touch with the company as well as the service center. I was informed by the company that if the part was not available they would provide me in 1 day. I checked with the service center and to my shock the ORVM was readily available. Let me tell you that my Linea was (I guess) the very first one to be on Mumbai roads. I got the car on 2nd Feb and I am sure people who had booked at the launch are still waiting for their car to be delivered. All in all i mean is that while the car was still not on road the parts were available and that the company was ready if the service center didnt have the part. And about my ORVM being changed it was done in just half hour, I didnt require an appointment and also it was done under warranty. I bet no manufacturer will provide a warranty on ORVM as it is a part which can break while coming in contact with an outer object. Also i asked about the cost of the ORVM and got to know that it was ultra cheap. It was for RS 1500 or some 50 Rs more. My ORVM of Hyundai Accent and Getz which dont have an electric motor cost me more than that. I have heard and checked it by myself to know that the Linea spares are the least expensive as compared to SX4, ANHC, Verna and Fiesta. In one of the blogs you can check with Muneemmk in which he has stated that the Linea spares are subsidized by 40%. Muneemmk is an ex Fiat employee. Fiat has purposely kept its spares price less so that customers dont complaint about parts and service being expensive.
For a very small problem that i face with the stereo system (it switches on without any reason while i insert and turn the key) I had mailed to Fiat. I got a call from its service head, he forwarded my complaint to Tata people and i got a call from the Tata company itself and they forwarded my complaint to Wasan motors from whom I have purchased the Linea. Though this may sound long process, I didnt have to do anything apart from mailing Fiat. Every call from Fiat, Tata and Wasan was backed by emails in my inbox asking me for my feedback about my satisfaction for the complaint mentioned. All 3 companies were asking me to get my vehicle to the service center but I had decided that I would show this problem while in the 1st service of my car.
Believe me Fiat has become very aggressive and this time its not leaving any stone unturned to make Fiat users happy. In one of the blogs by some Linea user in some other city he had mentioned that the for the problem with the Blue and Me the dealer had sent his technician to the office of the owner to solve the problem as the service center was far away from the customer.
There is some meet also happening for the Linea owners in Mumbai and I am waiting to get a call from the agency that is conducting the meet. I guess it must be for the feedback from Linea users.
So now if you plan to buy a Fiat product I would suggest you to keep Fiat service people (from the company) phone numbers and email ids handy. So if at all you face a problem with the Linea or else at the service center you can get in touch with the Fiat officials.
I have driven the Linea for 2000 kms in 50 days and its amazing in ride quality and road noise is also at its minimum. I am driving a diesel so wont comment on the engine part but the cabin feel is just amazing. Best is the handling at top speeds. I have tried cutting corners at 80 + speed and have driven in Bhimashankar ghats at that speed with full confidence.
And for the SX4, I have two points on this car. The rear middle seat is so bad that it was difficult for me to sit for a very short trip also and the second minus point which I feel is the Fuel efficiency of the car. Its very poor. So buy it only if you are ready with such FE figures and that you are prepared to travel just four in this car. So however good the car be, for me having a bad FE and no proper 5th passenger seat puts me off from buying.
All the best for whatever choice you make.

karanraheja · 14th March 2009, 15:07

I havent TD the Linea P, but from what i heard its kinda underpowered. Apart from engine specs & A.S.S Linea is the best thing that has happened to the mid size segment. SX4 scores on A.S.S . Initial reports suggest that Linea P does return decent FE. I would go for Linea P.

drashkum · 14th March 2009, 18:50

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madhukar_n · 14th March 2009, 23:41

It depends on how you want to use it.
i think sx4 is made perfect for indian roads.. no need to worry about the potholes and mountain like speed breakers whereas linea still suffers with road clearance.(when fully loaded).. obviously maruti name is there and they are offering huge discounts.
fait had a bad name and they are trying honestly to rectify it. but if you go by looks then the decision is already made

- LINEA !

13th March 2009, 23:48	#1
drashkum BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 226 Thanked: 206 Times	Sx4 Zxi or Linea Petrol Emotion pk - Which is VFM? hi all. i planned to buy sx4 zxi until i test drove linea petrol emotion pack for second time yesterday now it has got me all under confusion. both are competitively priced ( linea 7.88 on road / sx4 7.90 on road ( 8.22 minus 25000 discount). both are loaded with features. i believe maruti scores over in A.S.S but recent TATA FIAT A.S.S is tipped to be the next best thing! .can linea owners throw more light on FE of the vehicle. i wonder which is VFM? and which one to buy. help me to choose.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 08:06	#2
neotraveller BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 739 Thanked: 0 Times	drash, There are 2-3 petrol Linea owners in tbhp and they have posted initial ownership reports. Please refer to the "test drives & initial ownership reports section". Initial mileage reports are 11 in city & 13 on highway (100% AC). Remember this is all before 1st servicing so hopefully final numbers will be even better. SX4 is supposed to give 10 (the general perception is that SX4 is low mileage). Also March issue of "what car" magazine has posted a comparison between Linea vs City vs SX4 itseems. I booked Linea petrol emotion pack by the way. Awaiting delivery.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 10:41	#4
neotraveller BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 739 Thanked: 0 Times	Yes. Atleast for the immediate future, if you tell anyone that you booked a Fiat car, people will look like "are you crazy?". I am already experiencing it :( But once I have the car in hand and they see it ... hopefully the sarcasm will turn into admiration Does the SX4 feel more powerful than Linea? How is the engine noise? I felt Linea engine to be a little rough.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 11:05	#5
headers Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Greater Chennai Posts: 4,667 Thanked: 559 Times	Linea is VFM than the SX4. Go for it.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 11:20	#6
ravibhat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,256 Thanked: 37 Times View My Garage	Go for Linea. Linea and SX4 both get similar scores in every aspects except MUL would give better A.S.S. But as long as you keep good relationship and the way you handle them you can extract good service by TATA/FIAT too. Anyday Linea slightly better than SX4. Personally I have checked both and Linea is more attractive although I didn't like both. About FE I feel you would get similar values from both the sedans. At least 9kmpl with AC on in pure congested city driving. Regards, Ravi.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 11:40	#7
snaronikar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 2,845 Thanked: 29 Times View My Garage	Go for Linea. Its a new car. Although looks (depends on individual), I feel Fiat looks better than its counterpart here. Only drawback is A>S>S compared to sx4. But Fiat is improving on this part. I agree with what Ravi has put in...
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 11:44	#8
amit Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,717 Thanked: 449 Times	Keeping aside the features (Linea scores slightly over here too due to Blue&Me) and A.S.S. how do you like your car? What about driveablity, suspension, feel etc. The SX4 is dead upto 2500rpm. You can flog it as much as you want but it will move at it's own pace. Below 2.5K rpm it feels like a python thats just had it's lunch and trust me it can get VERY frustrating. I don't know about the Linea since I haven't driven the petrol. The ride quality is really bad. The set up is very hard and at low speeds on bad roads you will get thrown all over the seats and the car will thud , crash and thrash over rough patches. On certain bad roads you will hear a big THUK sound from the suspension and you will keep wondering if something has fallen off or broken off. NVH is ZERO. On concrete roads at speeds of 90kmph and over road, wind and tyre noise is so loud that you literally have to raise your voice to talk to your passengers or you will have to crank up the stereo volume to listen to music. I can't comment on the Linea but I have it's cousin - the Palio thats almost touching 70K now and it feels better to drive, ride and be in then the 28K SX4. If I had a chance to (re)buy a C segment car today, I'd pick the Honda City.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 11:59	#9
anantnehru BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 447 Thanked: 14 Times	I would say otherwise. Sx4 is a good car, not really dead - sure you have to push it a bit - but not so slow either. I mean, keep it under 2500-3000 rpm for a decent ride and push it higher if you want to drive faster. As far as the ride goes, no complaints there at all. You cant exactly zip over bad roads, but you cant do that in any car. The higher GC comes in handy as well.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 12:32	#10
SkyWalker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,531 Thanked: 136 Times	Linea is a much better car. SX4 has a small advantage in power, Indian road situations (turning radius,GC) but Linea will easily trump SX4 in quality,features,interiors and looks.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 13:22	#11
rkbharat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gurgaon/New Delhi Posts: 1,601 Thanked: 724 Times View My Garage	In my opinion SX4 is definitely better than Linea in term of power and there is no lag/dead below 2500 rpm in SX4. Also maruti A.S.S. is way better than Tata. But looking at the features and price, Linea scores more on VFM.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 15:07	#13
karanraheja Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 1,961 Thanked: 436 Times	I havent TD the Linea P, but from what i heard its kinda underpowered. Apart from engine specs & A.S.S Linea is the best thing that has happened to the mid size segment. SX4 scores on A.S.S . Initial reports suggest that Linea P does return decent FE. I would go for Linea P.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 18:50	#14
drashkum BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 226 Thanked: 206 Times	Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : SMS / Slang is STRICTLY prohibited on this community. We would much appreciate your using full & proper english in posts, for the benefit of other forum users. Please view our board rules carefully before proceeding any further. Last edited by GTO : 14th March 2009 at 19:52.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 23:41	#15
madhukar_n BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 395 Thanked: 179 Times	It depends on how you want to use it. i think sx4 is made perfect for indian roads.. no need to worry about the potholes and mountain like speed breakers whereas linea still suffers with road clearance.(when fully loaded).. obviously maruti name is there and they are offering huge discounts. fait had a bad name and they are trying honestly to rectify it. but if you go by looks then the decision is already made - LINEA !
	() Thanks