[Sheel]

Wow! I didn't expect your review to be so exhaustive & you spoke your heart out.

Hopped on from a Yeti on this Car.

• Felt faster, okay it was.
• The doors... The Skoda one requires less effort.
• That steering. Can relate to it.
  
  And that engine is a bomb. Nowadays, guys on T-Jet thread are talking about a remap/box. That would make this a sure shot tool to embarrass much expensive Cars.
  
  Thanks for sharing your impressions. A bit late, but worth it. The Car in this particular shade appears very nice, subtle. I like this shade.

[oxyzen]

Congrats. Probably the best driver's car on the side of 10L.

I somewhat felt, the engine is not as punchy as the one on Vento. Off course it did not have 250Nm torque but then it does rev higher. And regarding brakes, you are absolutely right. they are much better than the Vento's (Quite disappointed with Vento's brakes to be honest).

Originally Posted by johy

Ex-showroom price: 8,30,350
Model: T-Jet Plus 2011.
Discounts: 2, 15,000 (1 lac exchange bonus and 1.15 lac discount)
Insurance: Free
Road tax (for 5 years): 41K or so.

Does it mean the on road price is 6.55L?

[johy]

Originally Posted by Sheel

And that engine is a bomb. Nowadays, guys on T-Jet thread are talking about a remap/box. That would make this a sure shot tool to embarrass much expensive Cars.

Thanks Sheel. Glad you liked the short drive in my car. Remap/box you say? I am headed to that thread right now!

Originally Posted by oxyzen

Congrats. Probably the best driver's car on the side of 10L.

I somewhat felt, the engine is not as punchy as the one on Vento. Off course it did not have 250Nm torque but then it does rev higher. And regarding brakes, you are absolutely right. they are much better than the Vento's (Quite disappointed with Vento's brakes to be honest).


Does it mean the on road price is 6.55L?

Thanks oxyzen. An oversight on my part with the pricing, The ex-showroom price was 9,59,943. I will request the moderators to rectify the opening post.

Passion. That is what is missing in the Vento. Otherwise, as you have mentioned it is a torque monster, 250 Nm of it. Can go the distance and quick - whilst making a great deal of din and noise.

It is not how fast it can get there. It is how.

And how it can go from 100 to 0 when you need it.

The T-Jet's drive is much more involving. And that is what it sets is apart. (The engine, turbo, steering, suspension, those R16, 205, 55 tires, 4-disc brakes all come into play - in symphony.)

Anecdote: Now that you bring up the Vento, I remember the day at the showroom with that stiff-collared sales lady. Indian of course .

You will admit VWs are expensive - for what they have on offer. So for my budget, she was pushing something they called the IPL edition.

"Sir, you get leatherette seats; it is just like leather. And a music system as well."

"Madam, I don't need a music system. I would rather have a fancy system from aftermarket. And it is not 'like' leather. I like leather - one that is made from skin and hide. I like the real thing." (I was actually pinching at my skin to tell her what skin was! LOL!)

"No, sir this is Kenwood (I think she said Kenwood). Far better than after-market products. Leatherette is better than leather sir."

I take a look. This is the average Joe (referring to the radio) sitting on the dash.

"I look towards the Highline. Can't I get that fancy radio?" (It has most of what I need, automatic climate control - you can't possibly sell a knob-filled dash to someone who has just stepped out of a Baleno with ACC, can you? It also has a fancy looking radio.)

"Of course, sir. But you have to buy the highline for it. It is costly, so you may please go for the IPL Edition."

I could not get what the Vento could have to do with IPL. I looked at some stickers on the car. "Can I get it removed?"

"Why will you want to remove this sir, this is IPL Edition."

"I am sure it is, madam." I walk away.

Damn. Why would I want a car with anything to do with cricket; I failed to understand.

Of course, in the end, after test driving the T-Jet, I realized that the German car was just plain boring!

[nkrishnap]

Congrats on getting the Tjet home. The Tjet in FTA is a rear one one. A very detailed review coming straight from the heart and that is where Fiat gets you at.

At the discounted price, its more than a steal and hell a lot of car that you got.

Enjoy many more happy miles flying the Jet.

[KarthikK]

Very nicely written review johy! I loved the detailed way in which you have taken us through your journey of test driving different cars and shortlisting your final choices. Excellent coverage of the minute details! Really glad to read a T-Jet review after a long time too.

All the very best for your ownership journey with this car!

Originally Posted by ACM

Kagu in Beige for the floor - is that not a bit of a dirt magnet in some ways. You need to keep your shoes very clean - but in the monsoons?

Absolutely, ACM. I have learnt this the hard way. The beige color mats look absolutely smashing and gel in well with the Linea's black / beige ambience. But if someone steps in with dirty shoes or muddy water in rainy season, the mats look hideous with the dirtying. They are quite high maintenance mats in terms of effort and frequency of cleaning. That's the price paid in practicality for the enhanced looks I guess.

Hijacking this thread with johy's permission for a some snaps of the beige kagu mats in my t-jet. They make the interiors look like a car from a segment above

Originally Posted by ACM

Maybe you would need to idle the vehicle for about 30 sec before shut down due to the Turbo Charger - Do check out the manual.

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

+1. Its a thumb rule for all the turbo charged cars (unless they have turbocharger timer). If you take care of this rule, the car will keep serving you for years without demanding much. Please visit the GTO's thread on turbocharged cars, that would be very helpful.

Originally Posted by johy

The T-Jet's manual does not actually say anything about idling the turbo. In fact, it says you can stop and go in the traffic lights. However, I am aware of the turbo thread and have made it a point to idle the engine 30 or so seconds before start and for the same time after stopping. I got to respect the turbo and give it its due.

The compulsory 1-minute idling rule is more applicable to oil cooled turbos than water cooled turbos. The 1.4 T-Jet engine uses a water-cooled turbo setup which works differently (you can observe the main coolant pipes which are also cooling the turbo in the T-Jet), and doesn't need this 1 minute idling rule to be followed. This is the reason why even the owner's manual does not mention anything about turbo idling.

You can switch off and switch on the T-Jet abruptly as with any NA car without any issues or worries.

Originally Posted by johy

I have been wanting to change to something fancier (?Michelin Primacy or some good Yokos), but these NCTs are good for the bad roads.
Touchwood, no puncture so far. And believe me the roads are the worst kind (on my Wagon R, I got my first puncture within a week).

I would advise to stick to the Goodyears if your area has bad roads. No point spending 30-40k on better tyres if they are likely to be damaged on those roads. Just a mention about the Goodyears brought back some memories - I faced serious tyre belt failure issues with my Goodyears prematurely at 6k kms, and was forced to upgrade the tyres (details in my ownership thread). I upgraded to Michelin Primacy LC and I'm very satisfied with the difference it has made in noise levels, grip and cushioned ride quality. For an upgrade to non-delicate tyres, you could look at Bridgestone MY-01 or Bridgestone Turanza GR-90. They have a lot of good reviews.

Glove box does not close well! This was a big complaint during delivery when the glove box would not actually close! Now the Tata-Fiat service guys tried to fix it. It still would not close fully. Then they showed me another Linea with the same issue. "Saar, all Linea glove boxes are like this only." Not sure what is to be done here.

Originally Posted by akhilesh51

The gap looks huge.

The glove box issue seriously needs to be rectified. As an ex-owner of Linea, I can definitely confirm that this is not an inherent problem with all Linea vehicles. Our vehicle had perfect alignment of dashboard and glovebox. We can maybe understand that an mm here and there is due to quality issue in vehicle but this gap is way more than that.

The main issue is that the latch for the door is not located where it should be (on the centre of the glovebox lid). It is placed slightly to the left side, which makes the lid sag on the right side. This is a design flaw, and the designer should be flogged for this. The best you can do is ask the technicians to tighten the latch position on the top to ensure a closer lid seating fit, hiding the gap on the right. Maybe this (tighter fit) is what @Akhilesh's car had.

[krish3]

@johy - Brilliant ownership report with illustrative and quality pics. The review matches the official reviews here, with good and honest writings on the pros and cons of the car.

And nice to see a turbo petrol purchase in these times of Diesel mania. Wish you a very happy ownership for this very BEAUTIFUL car.

(Rated the thread a well deserved 5 stars)

[W.A.G.7]

Congrats! A detailed review about the whole experience was very very interesting to read. All points straight from the heart esp. from the showroom till the present day. It is nice to read that your experience with Tata, but wasn't Fiat going to set up independent showrooms and service centres? Anyways, enjoy the car, I think you need to take her out for more spins on the highway. About the blue and me, I have a question, will that work out-of-the-box with only Windows phones or will it work with any smartphone? Will it work with Android phones too?

[nareshov]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

About the blue and me, I have a question, will that work out-of-the-box with only Windows phones or will it work with any smartphone? Will it work with Android phones too?

The compatibility list is available on the blue&me website: http://www.blueandme.net/resources/C...toCompleta.pdf

[johy]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

The compulsory 1-minute idling rule is more applicable to oil cooled turbos than water cooled turbos. The 1.4 T-Jet engine uses a water-cooled turbo setup which works differently (you can observe the main coolant pipes which are also cooling the turbo in the T-Jet), and doesn't need this 1 minute idling rule to be followed. This is the reason why even the owner's manual does not mention anything about turbo idling.


I would advise to stick to the Goodyears if your area has bad roads.

Just a mention about the Goodyears brought back some memories - I faced serious tyre belt failure issues with my Goodyears prematurely at 6k kms, and was forced to upgrade the tyres (details in my ownership thread).

For an upgrade to non-delicate tyres, you could look at Bridgestone MY-01 or Bridgestone Turanza GR-90.


The main issue is that the latch for the door is not located where it should be (on the centre of the glovebox lid).

Thanks KarthikK, very useful tips. I am particularly interested in the tyre belt failure issue. Looking up your thread to read it up.

Originally Posted by krish3

And nice to see a turbo petrol purchase in these times of Diesel mania. Wish you a very happy ownership for this very BEAUTIFUL car.

(Rated the thread a well deserved 5 stars)

Thanks krish3, I am glad I made a decision of the heart!

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

It is nice to read that your experience with Tata, but wasn't Fiat going to set up independent showrooms and service centres?

About the blue and me, I have a question, will that work out-of-the-box with only Windows phones or will it work with any smartphone? Will it work with Android phones too?

Thanks WAG7, Fiat has already set up some dealers and service centres around the country. I think in due time, we will see something in Siliguri as well. Blue-N-Me works out of the box with many phones. I see nareshov has posted an entire list. Thanks!

[Sivasankar]

Fantastic article!

I own a black T-Jet in Chennai. Having a lovely time with it here...

[BigBrad]

Superb pictorial review johy. A true ownership review it is.

How I wish my car had the same power-to-weight ratio as yours. You can truly exploit the capabilities of such a brilliant chassis and suspension with such an awesome engine under the hood.

As you mentioned, plastic quality is still bad at certain areas inside. I think FIAT went overboard with localisation.

Originally Posted by johy

Glove box does not close well!

Even I had the same issue with my Punto which I fortunately spotted during PDI. I pointed it out to the SA and made him fix it. You can try the suggestions from other members to help them fix it. Its been almost 3 months and mine is working fine now. Do make sure you get it fixed by the ASC guys and not let them escape with their usual excuses.

[akhilesh51]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

The main issue is that the latch for the door is not located where it should be (on the centre of the glovebox lid). It is placed slightly to the left side, which makes the lid sag on the right side. This is a design flaw, and the designer should be flogged for this. The best you can do is ask the technicians to tighten the latch position on the top to ensure a closer lid seating fit, hiding the gap on the right. Maybe this (tighter fit) is what @Akhilesh's car had.

The position of the latch door doesn't matter. Someone is trying to divert you from the issue. Please understand that Linea is an international vehicle coming to India from other countries which have much stricter conditions on fit and finish do it is very hard to believe that it could be designer's fault.

It is either the part quality sourced in India or fitment within India, both of which should be rectified by the ASC/FIAT immediately.

I would still ask you to not let go of the incident lightly.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by akhilesh51

The position of the latch door doesn't matter. Someone is trying to divert you from the issue. Please understand that Linea is an international vehicle coming to India from other countries which have much stricter conditions on fit and finish do it is very hard to believe that it could be designer's fault.

It is either the part quality sourced in India or fitment within India, both of which should be rectified by the ASC/FIAT immediately.

I would still ask you to not let go of the incident lightly.

A little birdie told me,that plastics are sourced from same vendor as Tata,and this explains it.If you look at the pictures posted by Kartikk of his black Tjet,the gap is prominent on the right side,(towards the driver).
I re-alligned the glove box this sunday,and put it back,and this reduced the gap to some extent

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by akhilesh51

The position of the latch door doesn't matter. Someone is trying to divert you from the issue. Please understand that Linea is an international vehicle coming to India from other countries which have much stricter conditions on fit and finish do it is very hard to believe that it could be designer's fault.

It is either the part quality sourced in India or fitment within India, both of which should be rectified by the ASC/FIAT immediately.

I would still ask you to not let go of the incident lightly.

Well, I still stick to what I said earlier. The latch position is designed wrong - it is unsymmetric! It is placed towards the left side. When the storage space has weight or even otherwise, gravity will naturally cause the rectangular box to sag on one side. The reason why we don't see this gap in cars other than Punto and Linea is because those have the latch/lock at the centre of the lid. It may not entirely be a design issue, but the improper lock location worsens the gap.

The workaround for this is to tighten the locking latch on the dash panel (not lid) so that the lid when closed stays in a higher position. This will hide the panel gap to some extent. Service station folks will be able to do this easily.

The problem of interior panel gaps and ill-fitted plastic panels is not just restricted to India. If you've observed international reviews of Fiats in UK and other countries, reviewers continuously bash and criticize Fiat for these plastic fitting imperfections. Lets face it. Fiat doesn't have a squeaky clean reputation as far as interior fit and finish goes, even internationally. Fiats in other markets may come with better quality plastics than our Indian Fiats (I doubt this too), but the fit and finish will not differ much. It is one of their weak areas where they need improvement.

Most of the T-Jet's parts, even interiors are imported from Brazil from what I know. Watch this video of the Brazilian Linea and you will find the T-Jet's interiors exactly the same as the Indian T-Jet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIcdxnItBwo

By the way, just an offbeat point- the T-Jet's interiors are still way better than the Punto's plastics. It was by far the best Fiat as far as interiors were concerned. I don't find anything dreadfully wrong with T-Jet's plastics, apart from the ill fitting of few of the panels. The Punto on the other hand suffers from cheap material too.

Originally Posted by akshay4587

A little birdie told me,that plastics are sourced from same vendor as Tata,and this explains it.If you look at the pictures posted by Kartikk of his black Tjet,the gap is prominent on the right side,(towards the driver).
I re-alligned the glove box this sunday,and put it back,and this reduced the gap to some extent

Actually its the other way round from what I heard (not sure which is correct though): Fiat orders its plastic panels from vendor X. Tata was mimicking Fiat and ordering plastic panels from vendor X for Manza and Vista which are made at the same Ranjangaon plant to make them feel "upmarket".

[sandeepmohan]

Black Monday for me turned out to be Sunshine Monday after seeing a new T Jet owners review waiting on Team Bhp. Loved reading your review.

Originally Posted by johy

Handling, Handling, and Handling.

Yupp. That is why you buy a T Jet over everything else in the segment. I would like to highlight that more than handling, its the ride quality that sets this car apart. Its on another planet. There is a small weak spot in the T Jet's handling and its nothing really wrong with the suspension, springs and related components. The height of the car goes against it. I have wanted to push this car in a bend but a little afraid. The tail may never snap or it might take something to do it but you feel the slight shift in weight and this causes a little nervousness.

Originally Posted by johy

Turbo whine. You can hear it even at 1100 rpm.

I have never managed to hear this as well. I know its there but I need to listen hard and the surroundings need to be really quiet.

Originally Posted by johy

Excellent pickup in the turbo band.

You bet. Its quite a launcher when you are in the turbo range.

Originally Posted by johy

Brakes are super. They are so good that you risk the chance of being rear-ended

I too am very worried about getting rear ended. What I love the most about the braking is the excellent modulation. Its perfect. No front nose diving and the car stays absolutely straight in panic braking situations.

Originally Posted by johy

Once the fuel shuts off, the doors unlock automatically and the cabin light will light up to facilitate safe exit. Now that is some reassuring safety feature.

I did not know this. Is this in the manual?

Originally Posted by johy

What car am I going to replace it with next??

You may never have to worry about this in a long long time.

Originally Posted by johy

Huge turning radius.

Managed to get past this problem with a little planning ahead of the u turn.

Originally Posted by johy

Fit and finish, especially of the interiors is not top notch. I see a lot of room for improvement here.

Yupp. Plenty of room for improvement here. I would like to see VW quality levels in this car. It used to be once upon a time.

Originally Posted by johy

Skoda Rapid: If you are on team-bhp, you will come across Skoda horror stories. And fan boys.

I did line up for this car. The diesel is actually a much more tractable engine than the T Jet and the car “felt” quicker. It sure was noisy and quite vocal when pushed. I could deal with Skoda too. Not that Fiat service has proven to be revolutionary. At the end, the T Jet felt more value for money and the drive was way more satisfactory. In the case of the Rapid, the single point of interest for me was the engine and nothing else. There was a lot more to like in the Fiat.

Originally Posted by johy

Honda City: It is customary to check out the Honda City, isn't it?

You bet. This is still the best car to buy and you can buy it eyes closed.

Originally Posted by johy

Fiat Linea T-Jet: I will be frank with you guys. I had never considered it.

I landed up buying this car without even test driving it during the purchase planning period. A colleague had called for the T Jet test drive many months before I was planning on a new car purchase. This was one of those casual test drives. We were lucky to get a nice extended drive. We were just blown away by the engine, the steering, braking ability, composure. Everything was perfect. We did not really look at the plastic, fit and finish too close during the test drive. I loved the car but could not afford it at the time. I was looking at the then Ford Fiesta 1.6l. There was a good 2lac difference in price between the Ford and Fiat. Once the discounts rolled, the Ford was history.

Originally Posted by johy

Apparently, they have a T-Jet somewhere, a test drive vehicle.

You were super lucky they had one. Few dealers keep a T Jet test drive car.

Originally Posted by johy

There is light blue car he has brought.

It is probably the design of the car that somehow makes just about any color go with it. The blue you have is a beautiful shade.

Originally Posted by johy

Handling is oddly precise.

You were never expecting this? Sounds like this was your first ever Fiat drive.

Originally Posted by johy

I don't like the way the front of the car looks. To me, looks like an old lady.

1. Maybe but there is no such thing as a bad angle to look at this car. It is beautiful and will stay beautiful.
   
   

   Originally Posted by johy

   Booking and Delivery

   This is what Fiat India need to fix. I too went through a horrible experience with the first dealer.
   
   

   Originally Posted by johy

   Polk speakers fitted.

   How effective is the speaker swap? I have been holding back as nobody has done just a speaker swap to report on the improvement in audio quality.
   
   

   Originally Posted by johy

   The car stuck to the roads like a leech!

The stock tires are supposed to be the worst tire you can buy in the market. From my experience, I find them just noisy or its probably the poor insulation for the car. For my driving style, the Good Years have more than sufficient grip and work well for our roads.

Originally Posted by johy

Mileage: Mileage has varied between 8.5 to 12.7 kmpl

I very rarely keep the MID to list efficiency. Its mostly a quick cycle of all readings and then just back to none. Going by your MID read outs, that is spot on numbers based on tankful to tankful efficiency numbers for my car. City to Highway.

Originally Posted by johy

And 9 out of 10 times, he won't be able to close the boot with the usual force. Quite a sight

You might want to get this checked. I had this sorted during first service. The boot lid now shuts with just a gentle push. It required slamming earlier.

Originally Posted by johy

Interior space and comfort

It was only yesterday that I was sitting in the front passenger seat for the first time, for a long time. A friend and team bhpian was driving my car and we were checking the Ecu parameters using the bluetooth dongle from the OBD port. It was only then I realized how comfortable the car is. The ride quality is the best in my experience and not just in the segment the Linea sells, but some higher.

Originally Posted by johy

I was spoilt by the Baleno's AC earlier and those who have used it know what I am speaking about.

Yupp. Refrigerator cold.

Originally Posted by johy

Especially when you have to reach for the power windows. No reaching out or moving the arm.

I find these switches a little far out. Just a bit.

Originally Posted by johy

No sudden surge of power in the city.

The good thing is you don't need to go to those rpm's to get up to speeds. The power delivery is very linear that you may not notice you are in the turbo region. Its only when you do pedal beyond the metal driving do you catch that sudden wave of power.

Originally Posted by johy

Highway Driving: Hoot to drive. Very addictive. Very fast. Very composed. Excellent handling especially on hilly roads. Grips the road like a leech

Absolutely. This car is built for the highway.

Originally Posted by johy

But the power delivery is very good. Probably runs out of steam at 6k rpm.

I have never hit these rpm's often. What I have noticed is there isn't much “go” when the rpm is reaching its limits.

Originally Posted by johy

Gearshift: Though not the best, one gets used to it very fast. You will adapt to the gearshifting very soon.

For a new comer, it needs getting used to. It took me a while as well. It is now as good as a quick shifting box for me. I still rate the Swift and Brio gear box tops.

Originally Posted by johy

Steering: Feels well weighted. Very balanced. Again driving in hilly roads, it is pure symphony.

I guess it would be safe to rate the steering on the T Jet as the best right up to the 20lac segment.

Originally Posted by johy

The car has very little storage space in the cabin

There is no space at all. From the image attached with this line, it looks like the gear stick covering has slipped off. It is supported by that first notch.

Originally Posted by johy

The trip button is sometimes a pain. You press it and nothing appears on the display

I have noticed this behavior only when the pairing process with the phone has just taken place. Not otherwise. Even with music, I have the track title list out in the MID just once, when it changes track. The display does not loop the track title. It should be possible to customize this. I have not explored this too much, even with the radio.

Originally Posted by johy

Rear passengers' view. I have seldom sat here

Apart from tight leg room, this is the most comfortable place to be in a Linea. You sit nice and high, entry and exit is easy, you get a nice commanding view of the road up ahead and not a single pot hole manages to filter in. Sometimes, I just sit in the back seat when I clean the insides of the car. It feels good just sitting there.

Originally Posted by johy

A lot of people think Blue-And-Me is 'Bluetooth.' It is much more than that.

More than bling factor, I have found this feature incredibly useful. I use it often for music and phone functions.

Originally Posted by johy

"Saar, all Linea glove boxes are like this only."

More than blaming the TATA guys for this, its Fiat that needs to be told. Every single car I have seen has this problem. The alignment is not perfect. I too feel the lock to hold the gearbox is not strong enough.

Originally Posted by johy

Note the poor fit and finish on the steering column

This appears to be very bad in your car.

Originally Posted by johy

Sometimes you can feel hot air coming in from 2 vents and cold from 2

I too have noticed this. Thought I use the system in manual all the time, the system does channel warm air from the central ducts and cold air from the side ducts.

Originally Posted by johy

In contrast to the boot lid opening button, the fuel-lid opening lever is a total let down.

I keep cleaning this to make it look new. I once applied black wax shoe polish and shined it. Looks like a VW made part now. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by johy

Fuel lid cap is anchored with a rubber strip. Very handy. The distracted petrol pump attendant is not going to lose this one.

I find the lid very flimsy. You may not have noticed this. The little notch at the bottom on the fuel lid opener is provided to hang the fuel cap.

Originally Posted by johy

Sunglass holder for driver. Just a tad too small. A standard RB Aviator's case barely fits in.

This is meat only for the shades to sit inside it. Not with the case. I have the exact same model of shades. Due to limited use, I had even forgotten it was there. A strange rattle was noticed from what seemed like it was coming from the steering column. After weeks, I figured out the noise was from the sun glasses resting in this storage compartment.

Originally Posted by johy

Rear windscreen curtain. Very effective when I need to park the car in the sun.

Mine has stayed up from the day the car was delivered.