[puchoo]

Congrats!! Looking forward to reading a detailed review soon!

Originally Posted by desdemona

Hi Friends! The T-jet emotion sunbeam gold is here!

As happy enough current owners of a 1.4 Fire Linea Emotion and a Palio, we are all delighted by the obvious superiority of this new linea along EVERY dimension, including fit-finish, plastic quality, NVH, the big tyres, and of course design, and torque from the t-jet.

I am not manic about the odd niggle, so hopefully we will not be disapointed on that score either.

Thank yous to the Managers at Torque Motors Gurgaon, they did a good job. This dealer is improving steadily, I've noticed.

As for the future ownership experience: let's see, I am not worried!

[desdemona]

Hi Guys.

Pending a full-blown initial ownership report, some purely impressionistic, wantonly subjective (!) observations about our new Sunbeam Gold T-Jet Emotion.

It reeks of, it exudes quality, and premium-ness, and excellence in ways that our dear 2010 Linea 1.4 Fire (and all its competitors!) may struggle to accept! Delightful.

The turbo-lag is minimal, to me at least. Turbo effectuates at 1600 rpm or so, which is early enough for city traffic negotiations. And the turbo boost is linear, which just makes the low-gear, city driving a pleasure, at least here in Delhi-Gurgaon.

The engine feels like it wants to be unleashed, let go to surge forth. Thrilling: the prospect of open highway driving! I cannot wait.

More totally subjective impressions soon. Cheers!

[nikhil0405]

Originally Posted by jaswant

I have sent a PM regarding this. Use all ur negotiation skills & you should get some discount I am sure.
All the best.

Thanks Jaswant. Please do post your experience with the new Tjet.

I was really impressed with the Tjet, its handling and power. I heard from a few Tjet owners that the FE is not so good and that is what making me rethink.

I know many people say there is more to life than FE. But after a few months when the fuel bills start biting, the joy of owning such a beautiful car might start to wane.

Will decide soon.

[Amneo]

Hello Guys,



Wanted to report my Test Drive experience of the new Linea 2014 model.




History of cars in the Family -*



Ambassador*



Maruti 800*



Maruti Gypsy*



Fiat Uno*



Maruti Swift Diesel (150,000 kms and sold for 4.5 L ... Excellent Resale Value )*



I currently own a pre worshipped 2010 linea emotion Pack Diesel , a 2013 RXZ Diesel Duster and my Dad's got a diesel Ertiga .



The fiat linea was my first car that I bought . Love it to the core . A bit of sadness comes with the thought of selling that car . You First car is like your First Love . At least for me it's that way . So with the new update coming for the linea , people at home wanted to give away this car and get a new one . Went around to drive the new Honda City . It's a good car with thin doors and a loud engine ( maybe NVH was not taken care of ) ,it was louder than my old linea inside the cabin .*



Booked a test drive with Rdc Fiat, Anna Nagar to bring the Diesel emotion variant on Sunday .* Appointment accepted and set at 11:30 Am* . On Saturday I called up and confirmed the same . On Sunday morning at 12:30 pm I got impatient and called them up and was told the car has gone out for a test drive and they could not confirm where , so got hold of the no of the person bringing the car and called him up . He said the car is in some area and next would be my test drive . So waited till 2 . The car never came . After a nice nap ,at 5 I woke up and called to ask if it was 11:30 according to Fiat Standard Time . He giggled and answered that he is 5 mins away from my house .* Got ready and after the customary Grand Father advice that delays are accepted in India , but the customer has to be informed exactly what's happening and his customary sorry sirrr , many test drives today , I don't think there is not much use in educating these guys . Told my dad to first drive the car ,my dad was impressed by the ground clearance and he always used to say my old linea had no space for bottles , ground clearance and the high engine noise . All these have been solved .*



Next I wanted my wife to drive the car as we both share our drives often . My house is near the chennai bypass road , so we took the car to the highway and I sat at the back . The back seats are good , solid , but definitely the legroom is not sufficient for 3 to sit, there is a hump in the middle of the seat , which makes it even more uncomfortable *. This is in comparison to the new Honda city I test drove . Now coming back to the drive , I could see her smiling because of the soft clutch and the gear throw ( a definite improvement from my 2010 model ) . Half way down the road I started my drive and enjoyed the drive . The cruise control is a boon for the highways . I used it extensively and when you want to accelerate , it was much more fun . Completely impressed by the drive in the highway , wanted to drive it in our area where there are not much proper roads . The car handled the roads very well . It's best for our Indian road conditions as you can't expect butter smooth roads everywhere .*



After the customary going around the car and talking details , the SA blurted that this car is 96 bhp . I could not control my laughter and I said it is brilliant work by Fiat to introduce such a powerful engine and* they could have introduced the 1.6 with 140 bhp in india and become market leaders overnight . He said that this 1.6 is coming but only for an SUV that is to be launched next year . Just to clear the air , the engine and power has not changed .Well educated SA's .*Fiat -Train them a little bit at least .



Now after this I told him about exchanging the old car . He said he will send the valuators to come and see me the next day. Me being me wanted to check out the Tjet , even though the whole Diesel loving family gave me a stare , I told him to bring the TJET .*



So the evaluator came and I left my driver with him and took the new TJET with the very knowledgeable SA . I have not driven ANY petrol car except for my cousins Alto or my Friends Petrol Swift , this too not more than 20 to 30 kms max . Everything in life life has been Diesel . Crank the engine and slot in 1st and you are going on a magical drive of your life . It was the best car I had driven till date . Taking it to highway and the car was a rocket . You can feel the adrenaline rush when you press the car for more and it asks you to push it further more . The SA asked if I wanted to see Cruise control , I was like are you mad , why would I need cruise control when I can enjoy driving the car . It's a beauty . I have read all around that you will step out of a TJET with a smile . Well I had a huge Grin which my wife did not like. The moment I entered the house everyone were like you buy a car if it's diesel . No petrol as of now .*



Now coming to the part of choice between the new city diesel and new Linea .*

Things against the linea :*

1.Bad Resale Value .

2 . Unknown future of service .

3. Bad Rear Legspace.

4.Low Power Engine .

Things against the Honda City

1. A loud Engine , very bad NVH and Cost Cutting*

2. Flimsy build quality . (Thin doors )*

3 . Low Ground Clearance (165mm) no guard at the bottom too .

4. Thin tyres , no alloys *for an equivalent priced version.

I am yet to decide if I will buy the Tjet or the Mjet .*

But I am for sure I will buy only a Fiat .

Honda is offering 2 years -40000 kms and an extended warranty for adding 2 years and 40,000 kms . Total 4 years 80000 kms .



Fiat is offering 3 years 100,000 kms and extended to 2 years 50,000 kms . Total 5 years 150,000 kms .*



My personal choice is with Fiat . Let's see how my old linea sells in the market and hopeful to buy a New linea for sure .

Just one bit of advice , even if you are not going to buy the petrol Tjet, take a test drive . It will change the image of Fiat from your head completely .*
All the opinions written here is not from an expert . Just a normal guy who just loves his cars .

Thanks for patiently reading through this , everything was typed on my iphone onto the mobile app.*

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by nikhil0405

Thanks Jaswant. Please do post your experience with the new Tjet.

I was really impressed with the Tjet, its handling and power. I heard from a few Tjet owners that the FE is not so good and that is what making me rethink.

I know many people say there is more to life than FE. But after a few months when the fuel bills start biting, the joy of owning such a beautiful car might start to wane.

Will decide soon.

The t-jet, like all turbo-ed engines, is sensitive to driving style. If driven in tune with the turbo's rhythm it will return good mileage, even in the city with A/C, let alone on the highway. It will simultaneously give you far greater driveability....and ultimately, driving pleasure. It all depends on adapting your driving style to its character.

The mileage hit relative to say the City is not due to the engine, but due to the heft and weight of the car's build, a price totally worth paying IMO.

If mileage is an utmost priority I'd buy the MJD Linea eyes closed. But the t-jet strikes a really good balance between efficiency and power, I feel.

[nikhil0405]

Originally Posted by desdemona

The t-jet, like all turbo-ed engines, is sensitive to driving style. If driven in tune with the turbo's rhythm it will return good mileage, even in the city with A/C, let alone on the highway. It will simultaneously give you far greater driveability....and ultimately, driving pleasure. It all depends on adapting your driving style to its character.

The mileage hit relative to say the City is not due to the engine, but due to the heft and weight of the car's build, a price totally worth paying IMO.

If mileage is an utmost priority I'd buy the MJD Linea eyes closed. But the t-jet strikes a really good balance between efficiency and power, I feel.

Thanks desdemona. Agreed. The last thing I would want after owning this car is to drive worrying about my driving style affecting the FE.
The diesel car that was a joy to drive was the Skoda Rapid. But I am not considering it after reading the famed "horror stories".
I will book the diesel Linea as soon as Fiat gives it the 1.6 Mjet engine. Until then no Fiat diesel for me.
On a side note, after TD the Tjet I forgot about the test drive of the Mjet

[_raVan_]

Originally Posted by nikhil0405

Thanks desdemona. Agreed. The last thing I would want after owning this car is to drive worrying about my driving style affecting the FE.
The diesel car that was a joy to drive was the Skoda Rapid. But I am not considering it after reading the famed "horror stories".
I will book the diesel Linea as soon as Fiat gives it the 1.6 Mjet engine. Until then no Fiat diesel for me.
On a side note, after TD the Tjet I forgot about the test drive of the Mjet

Maybe you would want to try the Polo GT TDI. I suppose its the only performance diesel car below 10L INR.

Also, with the retuned suspension coming from Hyundai itself, maybe you can try the 1.6 CRDi Verna.

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by nikhil0405

But after a few months when the fuel bills start biting, the joy of owning such a beautiful car might start to wane.

Will decide soon.

In such case I would seriously recommend not to go for the Tjet. You might turn out to be another dissatisfied customer cursing the car and Fiat, whenever you use it.

Instead choose a good diesel car and enjoy the mileage.

If you go through the Tjet ownership threads you'll find several members are getting good mileage from the car but it depends totally on your driving style and how you use (or rather abuse) the car. If you really enjoy driving then go for the Tjet, otherwise don't.

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by nikhil0405

The last thing I would want after owning this car is to drive worrying about my driving style affecting the FE.
I will book the diesel Linea as soon as Fiat gives it the 1.6 Mjet engine. Until then no Fiat diesel for me.
On a side note, after TD the Tjet I forgot about the test drive of the Mjet

Like the rest of us you want to eat the mileage laddu AND have the torque rosogulla too?!

But seriously now: I had a similar reluctance to move to, to have to adapt to a turbo-ed car, and yet I find that working with the t-jet is easily done: it is not as laggy as most of the diesels, the turbo boost builds up in a linear manner. The gears 2 and 3 deliver a wide torque spread, and so: fewer gear changes in city traffic, and therefore, I bet, BETTER mileage than on my 2010 1.4 Fire petrol Linea. Early days yet, of course.

The 1.6/1.5 mjd is coming next year for sure, but hopefully this year on the Avventura and Linea? But it'll be AT LEAST a lakh costlier than the t-jet. We already have an eye on the diesel Avventura, to replace our Palio.

Cheers.

[SSD2122]

Hi Folks,

After going through some wonderfully informative and detailed ownership reports, official reviews, my search of @ 6 to 8 months has ended. Decided to follow my heart - booked the new Fiat Linea 2014 tjet emotion, magnesio grey color.

Given my driving style, wanting a driver's car with priority on all safety features, I test drove the top variants (sadly even now all safety features are available mostly in top variants) of vento, verna, scala, linea etc. Had gone to check honda city when it was launched however no petrol variant was available for test drive so just had a look at the top variant.

2 test drives of linea tjet and the official review by GTO as well as individual tjet ownership reports flashed before my eyes. Then and there a decision was made and Tjet it was!

[nikhil0405]

Originally Posted by _raVan_

Maybe you would want to try the Polo GT TDI. I suppose its the only performance diesel car below 10L INR.

Also, with the retuned suspension coming from Hyundai itself, maybe you can try the 1.6 CRDi Verna.

Thanks ravan. Will check whether the Verna suspension has been improved.

Originally Posted by Sommos

In such case I would seriously recommend not to go for the Tjet. You might turn out to be another dissatisfied customer cursing the car and Fiat, whenever you use it.

Instead choose a good diesel car and enjoy the mileage.

If you go through the Tjet ownership threads you'll find several members are getting good mileage from the car but it depends totally on your driving style and how you use (or rather abuse) the car. If you really enjoy driving then go for the Tjet, otherwise don't.

Thanks for your advice Sommos. I would not blame Fiat. Like someone mentioned there is a tradeoff. But how much is the question. I loved the Tjet BTW and might just as well end up owning it.

Originally Posted by desdemona

Like the rest of us you want to eat the mileage laddu AND have the torque rosogulla too?!

But seriously now: I had a similar reluctance to move to, to have to adapt to a turbo-ed car, and yet I find that working with the t-jet is easily done: it is not as laggy as most of the diesels, the turbo boost builds up in a linear manner. The gears 2 and 3 deliver a wide torque spread, and so: fewer gear changes in city traffic, and therefore, I bet, BETTER mileage than on my 2010 1.4 Fire petrol Linea. Early days yet, of course.

The 1.6/1.5 mjd is coming next year for sure, but hopefully this year on the Avventura and Linea? But it'll be AT LEAST a lakh costlier than the t-jet. We already have an eye on the diesel Avventura, to replace our Palio.

Cheers.

Best of both the worlds

Originally Posted by SSD2122

Hi Folks,

After going through some wonderfully informative and detailed ownership reports, official reviews, my search of @ 6 to 8 months has ended. Decided to follow my heart - booked the new Fiat Linea 2014 tjet emotion, magnesio grey color.

Given my driving style, wanting a driver's car with priority on all safety features, I test drove the top variants (sadly even now all safety features are available mostly in top variants) of vento, verna, scala, linea etc. Had gone to check honda city when it was launched however no petrol variant was available for test drive so just had a look at the top variant.

2 test drives of linea tjet and the official review by GTO as well as individual tjet ownership reports flashed before my eyes. Then and there a decision was made and Tjet it was!

Congrats SSD2122. Looking forward to your ownership thread.

[SSD2122]

Thanks nikhil0405. Would get the delivery early next month.

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by SSD2122

Would get the delivery early next month.

Cheers buddy, good stuff! Do keep us posted.

On a terse but fine note for new and future owners of the new Linea:

The latest Autocar/WhatCar? test shows that the T-jet with its big wide tyres, and all-four disk brakes stops from 80 to 0 a full 2.5 metres earlier than a 2014 petrol Honda City.

A lot, too much, wouldn't you say?

[SSD2122]

Originally Posted by desdemona

Cheers buddy, good stuff! Do keep us posted.

On a terse but fine note for new and future owners of the new Linea:

The latest Autocar/WhatCar? test shows that the T-jet with its big wide tyres, and all-four disk brakes stops from 80 to 0 a full 2.5 metres earlier than a 2014 petrol Honda City.

A lot, too much, wouldn't you say?

Hey thanks desdemona and congrats on your sun-beam Tjet too!

Your quick observations vis-a-vis previous gen Linea would be quite helpful for future buyers. I am looking forward on getting my hands on the Tjet - the NH4 highway beckons me at the earliest. :-)

On your note to owners of Linea - braking and safety were some of the prime factors for me given our road conditions and with Linea having excellent braking with safety features it is one hell of a car to buy.

May the Tjet tribe increase!

[desdemona]

Hi guys, here again with another couple of satisfying notes on the new Linea.
As a continuing and thoroughly satisfied owner of a 2010 1.4 fire Linea, it is so heartening to see Fiat address so many small, trivial but much commented on lacunae in the car.

The gear shifter, arguably too notchy earlier, is just-right in feel and throw now.

The tyres my car came shod with were decent all rounders, long lasting, but were noisy. Goodyear Gt3-s. The new Linea's 16 inch, 205 wide NCT5-s feel very noticeably better on all parameters, but especially on grip and noise. Best in class OEM tyres, if I am not wrong. Caveat: am hardly a tyre expert. I'd welcome a bit more info on these tyres from those better informed on the subject.

Like so many others, I always felt the old, chronometer-styled dials of the old Linea were a design highlight of the car's interiors, second only to the steering wheel. And yet I am happy to have had them replaced by the new, 'sporty', 'young' instrument binnacle. The new ones have a greater sense of drama about them, standout and attract one's attention and look fabulous when backlit at night. And yet they're subtle, including the hoods for the dials.

And then of course the reddish-orange backlighting and the new ambient band of light on the passenger side of the dash imbues the cabin with a sense of visual warmth, if that makes sense. Not heat, or brightness or garishness. Beautiful.

The reworked dash is a triumph of groovy, subtle, resonant Italian design, just as much as the exterior styling of my old 2010 Linea was. Very much more than an update, then, from Fiat of the Linea's interiors. They are now truly beautiful, rather than just functional or funky. Of course, the leather seats are exceptional in quality and comfort, but that is not news to older owners.

I hope I haven't just been indulging in consumerist narcissism in this post! If I have: blame Fiat' new Linea.

C u guys!