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-   -   Belleza Clara: The beautiful Fiat Linea T-Jet comes home! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/144185-belleza-clara-beautiful-fiat-linea-t-jet-comes-home.html)

This is not an everyday car buyer story. This story represents some convoluted and unreasonable thinking. This is a story of philosophy, denial, reality, chaos and fantasy.

Starring:

Poet: Nicknamed thy for his penchant for writing limericks. The poet has a rebellistic streak in him. Freedom is of paramount importance to him. Freedom to do whatever he wishes is the basic essence of his life. He loathes authority and is finicky about any one intruding into his den of freedom. He has a bullet and a strong sense of wanderlust. The freedom that the bike gave him was second to nothing in his life and he used to embark on extra-long trips on the bike. The bike gave him a sense of warmth, relationship with nature and the adrenaline rush every time he put his balls on it. His motto in life was “Rain, Shine or Pain – I ride fine”. In his quests for a faster ride he uses a ninja 250r and the wanderlust did not stop with it either.

Devil: The only thing in life that scares the Poet. Some say the devil is definitely Indian. Nobody believes she isreal. Nobody ever saw her or knew anybody that ever worked directly for her, but to hear the Poet tell it, anybody could have worked for the Devil. You never knew. That was her power. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world she didn't exist. And like that, poof. She's gone and she becomes the poet’s usual wife.

The Plot

The Car was the exact antonym of the poet’s expressive self. Practical, comfortable and convenient. Poet resisted everyone’s attempt to make him buy a car. He lived in eternal denial that he would need to be caged. Top of the list were his father and the devil who were conspiring ever since he had got married.

Two years later, he had to give in after succumbing to a complex web woven by the Devil and the search for a car began. The Devil had insisted that the poet buy a bike which can carry groceries, pick up people from the airport, transport her relatives and travel comfortably during the rainy season. The Poet was stumped by the question. His search across seven seas and the World Wide Web did not yield a single bike which could inherently carry out the Devil's exercise.

Tata Nano was the poet’s first choice since at 2.0 lacs on road, it would solve all the problems and give him a great peace of mind. But the devil had issued the ultimate dictum –

“ Tum Tata Nano kareedoge tho mera kutta bhi nahin aaoge usmein”.

He took the pains to make her understand that Tata Nano is indeed a good car and it’s just the perception that the car is cheap. A cheaper car doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad car. It would be cheaper to own, maintain and would be a breeze to drive as long as it is in the city. But she wanted something with a boot so that the luggage could be tucked in and four people seated comfortably. The Nano was not a luggage carrier and hence had to be ruled out. Also on the highway, the Nano was not a safe car.

The focus had now shifted to a hatch back with all bells and whistles. Swift and I20 were ruled out because they were too common. Polo and Figo were looking good. Then all the hell broke loose. The Devil wanted an SUV. She was head over heels in love with the woodland brown Duster.

Now this was the heights of chaos, husband looking for a hatchback and wife wanting an SUV. There was bound to be friction. It was time to do some practical reasoning with the Devil to streamline the requirements.

1) Safety was of prime importance – Airbags were a must
2) Ground Clearance needs to be good
3) Should be a driver’s car – The Poet’s addition- Since he was spending his hard earned money on the car, he might as well get something that would be fun to drive.
4) Good boot space would be a nice to have as prescribed by the Devil.

The news of the Ecosport launch had seeped in and the Poet went to check out the Ecosport. She had a fantastic rear but the front was upto different people’s taste. She was also good to drive, being a ford. The ecoboost engine sounded awesome and test drove it. The Ecosport was matching our requirements to the “T”. After taking the Devil’s permission, the Poet booked titanium plus one on the day it was launched.

The Poet and the Devil waited.

Then they waited again!

They still waited.

It was close to three months and then the vehicle had arrived at the dealer’s garage. The day after the Poet went to submit his documents, Ford got greedy and increased the prices by a humongous 45K for the vehicle . That was the last nail on the coffin. The Poet revaluated his priorities and wasn’t ready to spend 10+ lacs on an ecosport.

Now the Poet was on the lookout again. The Thar appealed to his manly instincts. But the Thar as a primary vehicle was rejected by many on this forum and was not especially a safe vehicle at highway speeds. It had to modified to make it a really comfortable one.

That’s when a friend of his advised him to try FIAT. He had never included FIAT in his requirements but he thought he might as well try it.

The Poet and the Devil chugged on the bullet to Pandit automotive in Pune and saw the Punto and the Linea. The sales person asked which one are u intending to buy? They replied that they will test drive both and decide later. He might have thought that they were one of the jack asses who just hop showrooms just to test drive the vehicle.

The Punto looked big for a hatch back and the Poet was worried about the size of the linea. It was a huge car. He was thinking in his mind that turning this thing would be similar to taking a turn on the scorpio getaway.

They got into the Punto Diesel and test drove it along a 2km stretch. The Devil was not happy with the vehicle because of the boot space.

Then they got into the Linea T-Jet. Got a straight bit of road and the Poet pressed the pedal onto the metal. The acceleration was orgasmic. The Devil was simply blown away. When she got out of the car she had “that” smile on her face and not to mention that the Poet had a wide grin on his face as well. The only problem with the Linea was its size and lack of head room for the rear passengers.

They parted ways with the sales guy, saying that they would come back in a couple of days and do the booking. Personally, the Poet wanted to book the Punto. It being lighter on the wallet as well as being a diesel.

But there was something about the Linea the poet couldn’t resist. It was like one of those women whom you meet in your life who embodies that often suppressed male fantasy about an elusive, mysterious, and whirlwind of a woman with substance and who always leaves you with more questions than answers. She had a confidence about her. She exuded a certain grace and panache. She might have a 6 year old design but the design is so gorgeous that it hides her age. Belleza seemed to be an apt Italian name to describe this exceptionally attractive but mature woman.

Two days later the cheque was handed over. A Linea TJet was booked.

One month later the Poet and the Devil get a call from the showroom in mid October heat that Car has arrived and is yours.

The Poet and Devil chugged along on gud gudu and it rains in freaking October. So they decide to name her Clara (as in the mallu movie "Dragonflies in the Spraying rain").

Thus Belleza Clara came into the life of the Poet and the Devil and the rest they say, is in the pictures.

Congrats Jay on owning the best car that one can buy in this price bracket.

Looking at your posts on another thread, you really are clocking some serious miles. :D When I purchased my T-jet in Feb, 2012, I estimated an average usage of 1000-1100 KMs/month. I realised my addiction towards Crusoe's (that's what I call my T-jet) ride when I clocked 10K within 5 months.

With you narrative skills, it will be criminal to not keep this thread updated. And, please put more pics of Clara. Look forward to your posts and pics. :thumbs up

Cheers,
Biraj

You write 'lajawab' mate! :)
Congrats on the T-jet. It is one of the best enthusiasts sedan in our market. Please posts some more pics. I am sure you are loving the sound from the engine more than the ICE setup in your car :D Drive safe Asit

Congrats Jay, A very good vehicle to own and drive.

Could you please post the interior pics and of the rear legroom and your feeling towards the comfort of seating 3 passengers in the rear.

Congrats on your new car. Fiat Linea is a great choice in the price bracket (less than Rs.10). The Blue Fiat Linea looks gorgeous. Also you managed to get Fiat Linea in all it's glory - Fiat India is planning to launch new Linea which visually not appealing as the current one.

By the way your narration skill is outstanding. Hope the "DEVIL" will not come across this thread. Hope Pune Team-BHPians can see this Italian beauty during our next meet.

This dude can write. Wow. And you have my best car in my favourite colour. Must be happy man. Take good care of her. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

This is one car that makes you feel for it, even if it isn't yours. On my way back home this evening, in the distance, I could see a lot of white smoke. Without being able to tell what it was, I assumed it was a rick burning kerosene. As I got closer, I was shocked that it was silver Linea. Could not tell if it was a petrol or diesel. It was smoking to the extent of a mosquito fogging machine. It was so bad. Thick white smoke. I turned off my air conditioning as I got close to the car. I wanted to stop, get out of the car and tell the dude driving the Linea to pull over and figure out whats going on. It hurt to see a Linea in such bad shape. This is the bond you build with a Fiat. It is rare that you would with any other car.

Well done on your new ride.

Awesome Jay! Congrats on your T-Jet. I have booked T-Jet Emotion and am waiting for the delivery. From Palio 1.2 to T-Jet will be quite a jump for me.

Clara is rain, rain is Clara. Thoovanatumbikal is a wonderful movie and your car is a wonderful ride.

How was the presales experience with Pandit Auto? I remember you were a bit worried about the manufacturing date of the car being alloted first.

I bought my Punto from the same place and must admit that the overall experience was blemish-free.

Looking forward to more photos and many more updates to this thread.

Cheers!

Drive safe.

Thanks Biraj.. Yeah I did a 4000 km round trip from Pune to Kerala recently. Hence the high mileage. Am not expecting any big trips soon. But yeah the Tjet is addictive!

THanks. Yeah, like the sound of the turbo more than the ICE!!

THanks. Will put up a few pics of the interior shortly.


Thanks. The DEVIL knows about it but she doesnot mind it! :D Yes we could catch up for the next team bhp meet.

Thanks Bro!

THanks Sandeep

Thanks Deepakhon

Thanks Vibbs..Yeah..I was initially hesitant to take the car because of the manufacturing date. But i got it on email from FIAT plus dealer that this car was straight from the factory!

The experience with Pandit Auto was good though the loan was a bit delayed (not their fault because of some audit going on at the bank) and registration too (because the RTO was on long holiday)

Note of thanks
This review is going to drive you nuts for sometime and then it will all start to make sense.

The Poet would like to thank the following people for their role in the contribution to help buy the Linea.

• Chitrangadha Singh – “Where Beauty meets Quality”. The most gorgeous lady in bollywood. Looks great. Has great poise, a distinguished sense of style and oozes class.
• Kim Kardashian – The best posterior in the business. Period.
• Sunny Leone – The Sound
• Jean Claude Van Damme – One of the biggest action stars ever. If the Volvo advertisement of his split doesn’t impress you, then nothing will. Epitome of Stretch and agility.
• Captain Vijaykanth – The Bullet Proof Man of India. If you don’t believe me, watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cc7jYVFLqc
• Florence Griffith Joyner – Called ‘Flo Jo”. One of the fastest women in the world in the late 80s. Still the current holder of the ladies 100m and 200m.

Linea Review

The other day Poet was browsing through the newspaper when he saw his favorite actress Chitrangadha’s advertisement for the Gillette shaver. That beautiful and captivating smile got him thinking!

May be she was getting a wee bit old, may be it was because of print quality of “The Dames of India”, may be it was in the Poet’s mind!

May be he could tweak Chitrangadha a bit to make her better.
Wouldn’t it be sexy if she had a great posterior like Kim kardashian?
Wouldn’t it be orgasmic if she could sound like Sunny Leone?
Wouldn’t it be hyper if she could stretch and be agile like Van Damme?
Wouldn’t it be too good if she had the bullet proof ability of Vijayakanth?
Wouldn’t it delight you if she could run as fast as Flo Jo too?

Now that would be some deal!

Chitrangadha with the posterior of Kim, sounding like Leone, moves like Van Damme, bullet proof build like Vijayakanth and could run like Flo Jo.

That Chitrangadha is what you would call the “FIAT LINEA TJET”.

Welcome to the Poet’s review on the Tjet.

This is based on a 5000 km driving experience of the Tjet on some extremely smooth and winding roads, dull and boring straight national highways, rough roads, really bad pot-holed roads and no roads as well.

The Goodies:

• Stunning looks – It’s the Chitrangada of all cars under 20L! Period! You will be hooked (pun intended). The only other car worth a mention is the Chevrolet Cruz which might be the Hugh Jackman in this segment.

• 
  
  
  
  
• Bullet Proof build quality – If you ever get hit it by car while walking on the road, hope that it’s not a Linea. The Linea at 1230 kilos is one hell of a heavy car. We have certain short strips of rubber used to slow down the vehicles when they go around the office. The Honda city rattles over those strips whereas the Linea makes a small purr and consumes the strips like cigarette buds under the shoes. The doors are heavy and the boot is extra heavy. Closing the door can be a pain as most of the times it requires a bang it approach to shut the door completely.
  
• The Raunchy moan- The sound at around 2000 rpm when the turbo kicks in has to be experienced personally. It feels like a true blue sports car. Its slightly loud as well.
  
• Agile Dynamics – One of the best thing about the car is the steering. Its precise on the corners. The brakes are excellent. Reminds the poet of his brakes on the Ninja which are killer. Four disc brakes all around means that the stopping power is extraordinary. An excellent driver's car!
  
• Acceleration like Flo Jo: It’s the most addictive thing about this car. First gear tops at 48. Second gear at 90. Third at 140. Your head will go back when you press the pedal onto metal on this car. This coupled with the raunchy turbo will give you goose bumps. You wont realize the speed unless you look at the speedo or the disappearing vehicles in the rear view mirror. The third gear is the best gear in the car. Can pull the car from mid 20s to late 130's with ease! This car would have been a 10 second car if the second gear would have been slightly taller.
  
• Boot: Its huge at 500 litres but good looking. Looks good on the car too unlike some sedans we have in the market.
  
  
  
  
• Stilts: The car has a huge ground clearance at 190mm. Very unlikely you will rub it anywhere unless you climb over a divider.

The Baddies:

• Bottle Holders: This is a very athletic car. There is no fat for you to hold around which means there is no space for you goof around. This means that the bottle holders are small. You cannot put bottles on the side of the door, nor in front of the gear. There is no under the seat tray as well. There are two coffee cup holders in front of the gear but they are too pint sized. There are two medium ones on the hand support at the back. Hope there is some aftermarket bottle holder for the Linea. The glove box too is real small. You cant put a decent sized tablet in the glove box.

• Driver’s Seat: This car should have come with racing seats as an option at least. The side support on the seat is missing and if you are carving bends like Schumacher be prepared to make some adjustments in body position to adjust against against the g force on the corners.
  
• Turning Radius: Is quite high since the length of the car is high. Had a wee bit problem when going down at the phoenix mall in Pune. Not a major problem though but you have to keep this is in the back of your mind when executing turns.
  
• Fuel Efficiency: Firstly it’s a petrol and spirited driving can yield you 8-9 kmpl or even lesser. The efficiency is determined by how hard you accelerate. Mild acceleration and maintaining speeds of 80-100 on the highways can actually give you in the range of 16+.
  
• Interiors: If there is anything that is remarkedly inferior in this car it’s the interior dash board. It looks real plane jane. The Honda city is miles ahead and looks business class. The orange lighting of the dash board thou looks good. The leather seats though are real comfy and looks plush.
  
  
• Lights: The dim light throw is not that great and you may not be able to see much if its totally dark. The bright thou is good. Changing the bulbs may be a good idea and am on the look out for one as well.

Some more pics:

Beautiful Tail lamps


Doors wide open


Door Panels


The footwell with a dead pedal on the side. One problem is that your foot may touch the steering rod. Seat adjustment and foot positioning can help you over come it.


The beige seats. The Poet loves it. Might be a lil difficult to maintain it though. Since it is leather, a leather cleaner should be sufficient to remove any dirt on it. Its imported Italian leather apparently.


The hand rest for the driver. This is comfy. Poet's cousin brother, "The Cricketer" was sold on this feature. During spirited driving you may have to put this up as this may interfere with the hand brake pull if you decide to use it suddenly.


Back Seat space is decent. The head room is not for very tall people though.


Back seat is quite comfy as per the Devil. The poet hasn't had a chance to sit on it so far. Notice the arm rest cum cup holder in the middle. Great feature to have.


Rear seat leg space with the driver's seat maximum behind.


Don't you love the looks of the front grill


Look from top. The suction pad is a go pro one.


The tyres are huge. 205 is real big and replacing them can be expensive at almost 8K per tyre. If you are not fond of this and leather seats and alloy wheels and some other functions, go for the dynamic version. It comes shod with 195 tyres and they should be easy to live with at 4.5K per tyre. the dynamic version comes with Airbags+ABS+EBD as well and is some 50-60K off the emotion variant.

]

Those are the Poet's three musketeers. Clara would have been a hip hop black as well if it wasnt for you know who. Yes, the Devil!


So you have a car which looks like Chitrangadha, with the posterior of Kim, sounds like Leone, moves like Van Damme, bullet proof build like Vijayakanth and could run like Flo Jo and all are more worried that she drinks like the Great Khali. Ah, these Indians!

Here is a video of Clara chasing a KTM up the hills of Lavasa.
Note: All was done in good spirit!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcQBJ...ature=youtu.be

Congrats JayKis. I just love that shade on the Linea, and the TJet is definitely a driver's car. Recently had a drive in one and loved it. clap:

:eek:

Did i miss something? The report says 2013!

Thanks Crazy Driver. Yeah that shade is good. It was my wife's choice thou. Great car as well. Very confidence inspiring on corners.

Yeah its a 2013 report which went under the knife for not confirming to the forum rules. Was sitting in the bunker on holiday and thought will revive the old flame!!

Here is a short video of her chasing a KTM 390 up the hill of Lavasa.
http://youtu.be/jcQBJP2SVr0