Hi ,
My Tuscan Wine T Jet+ was delivered last Friday. A big thanks to GTO for the comprehensive review and everybody who posted their feedback. Special thanks to all the TJet owners - I will not risk taking names because I might miss somebody , but be assured , if you have a TJet ownership thread here or any other forum , I have read every line of it and it has helped me greatly !
Background : The loan for my first car , a 1.4 Petrol Logan got over this July and I was on the lookout for a new car. The other car in the family was my wife's Honda city ZX. Came across the ads for the TJet+ and went through ownership reviews in detail. I wasn't considering a diesel anyway given my low daily runs of 20-30Kms.
The TJet surely looked like a killer deal given its trim/equipment levels , along with the legendary turbocharged engine.
TD , booking and delivery : Only Triumph Auto in Faridabad had a TD TJet as well as a March '11 TJet+ in stock. Took a test drive , promptly blown away . Went to check out the car they had in stock and it seemed clean , barring a few cosmetic issues. Cut to the chase , two test drives later , car was booked !
Other cars considered/Test Driven - None.
Delivery was scheduled last Friday , 19th of October after the finances were arranged with HDFC. The SA , Satish was a pleasant enough fellow and generally responsive. Didn't go over too many technicalities/features as I was aware of mostly everything about the car , and I think he was aware that I was aware
The car I was planning to buy had a few minor scratches here and there which they had fixed prior to delivery , but in the process introduced a few new ones . I have chosen to overlook these. The overall delivery experience was quite interesting actually :
Rear left chrome door handle was badly scuffed - door lock assembly replaced using the same from the 2012 Linea TD car
Cap of windshield fluid reservoir missing - replaced using the same from the 2012 Linea TD car
Insulation under bonnet ragged - replaced using the same from the TD Tjet
Weak battery , would not crank even after jump starting - replaced using battery from the 2012 MJD on display
Car was delivered with 136 H on the odo.
Final OTR : 7.18L . Apart from the usual TJet discounts , I got an additional discount of 10K from the dealer, the special colour charge of 6k was waived , corporate discount of 5k and reverse parking sensor and camea were included.
Initial driving impressions :
Engine - A modern day Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Keep the revs low and she will meekly potter about town all day. Floor the throttle and she leaps forward. Seriously , the throttle response and the torque is something to be experienced ! There is some amount of turbo-lag at <1700 RPM and this might catch you off-guard if you plan to accelerate quickly in-city. To get the most out of the engine , it needs to be kept in the turbo zone >2000 RPM through the optimal use of the gears.
The sound of the turbo spooling up is quite addictive ! You can hear it when you are driving at night on empty roads. The engine is silent when driven sedately but gets throaty at higher RPM's. I am yet to reline so cannot comment on how rev-friendly the engine. However , given that the max torque is delivered at 2200 RPM itself , there is no point in revving too hard during the course of your daily in-city drives. Yet to take the car out on a proper long-distance highway run so cannot comment in that aspect. But going by the in-city driving feeling , the highway drive should be quite an experience !
Interiors - All the windows are quite big and lend an airy feel , at least in front. However , space at the back is at a premium , especially for tall passengers. The roof line swoops back over the doors and headroom is compromised. The car is best suited for four people. If the driver is tall , like I am , then the legroom at the back behind the driver's seat is also compromised severely. The seats have adequate to-and-fro travel , and combined with the height and backrest adjustments , should help you in finding your preferred driving position quickly.
Since temperatures have already started dropping , the cooling power of the AC is yet to be tested to its full extent , but I do not anticipate any problems on that front. However , based on moderate usage of the AC it is evident that there is zero loss of power when the compressor kicks in.
Suspension - On the harder side and bumps and potholes are felt when driving with one/two passengers. Body roll is minimum and high speed stability is excellent.
Steering and brakes - Best in class probably. The hydraulic power steering feels on the heavier side at parking speeds , but weighs in brilliantly at higher speeds. Quite a change from the EPS of the Honda ! Four disc brakes are a necessity given the powerful engine and provide excellent stopping power. I expect the brakes to only improve once they have bedded in.
Gearshift and transmission - Gear shifts are a bit iffy - nowhere near to the City in this department. Hoping it will feel more precise with time. Car has done about 500km to date. Moeover , with the armrest in place , quick gear changes can be troublesome. While driving in the city , I usually have the armrest put away.
FE - Too early to comment. Right now I am getting anywhere between 10-11 kmpl on my daily 30 drives from home to work and back with 50% AC usage and 50% bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Things that could have been better :
- Optimization of storage space - the only usable space for me is the one inside the armrest !
- Long pedal travel - Not sure if this characteristic of all Fiat cars , but it certainly takes some getting used to ! Stalled a car while taking a U-turn after along time
- ORVM's - They are tall enough , but not very wide. Electronically folding mirrors would have been nice but guess you can't have everything !
Niggles/Issues :- Odometer blinking - Fixed at Dhingra motors
- Windshield reservoir pipe had fallen off - Fixed
- Wipers were leaving trails on operation - Temporarily fixed by adding shampoo to the water , but will probably replace the blades anyway
- Light shuddering sound coming from front left. Audible only when its very quiet outside and at very low/crawling speeds - Explained by technician as normal given the heavy engine of the Linea. Currently on to-do list
- Wind noise - On to-do list
- Road noise - The loud OEM Goodyears were replaced with Yokohoma C-drives recently. Road noise is now very low.
In some ways , I think this car has made me a saner driver. Earlier there was this to urge to meddle with the racers in their Swifts/Hondas/Ventos/Safaris when one used to land on my tail honking/flashing/dipping/dimming.. Now I calmly move over and let them pass - "I forgive you.."
[A very honorable mention to my outgoing car - Mahindra Logan GLX 1.4.. king of comfort , trusted ride for four years - you will be missed]