The Fiat Linea test drive thread

mazherr · 26th January 2009, 04:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingspur

The Jetta has a DSG, the NHC had a CVT. The two are miles apart in terms of driving experience.

hmmm...i stand corrected, Im not sure of the difference, i do know they are both smooth "no shift" gear boxes, right ?

nehamit · 26th January 2009, 09:51

Linea was officially launched in Ahmedabad on 23-01-2009 and I had chance to speak to some of the top TATA and Fiat officials there. Petrol TD vehicles are reaching by 27-28 January almost at all places. Also, the much debated issue of poor performance in 1st and 2nd gears was clarified by them. The Fiat people are doing there best to meet the deman for emotion pack as they manufactured more of active and dynamic vehicle, but the market is right now divided in 70%-30% for emotion pack and other variants respectively.
Just to have better experience and to check the issue of poor performance in lower gears, I once again took TD on 24-01-2009 at 7PM in peak city traffic for a good 10Kms. It was bumper to bumper. And I am stunned by the performance of the 1.3 MJD. It rocks even in 2nd gear and I was able to speed it up to 60Kms/hr speed with 2100 rpm. No sluggishness was ever there and the it sounded like a sports car at that speed and rpm! And, it was fully loaded(5 adults inside).
So my verdict is - This is one of the best car to drive and there is no issue of poor performance in lower gears at all.

GTO · 26th January 2009, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by mazherr

hmmm...i stand corrected, Im not sure of the difference, i do know they are both smooth "no shift" gear boxes, right ?

Both are smooth, but the CVT has an inherent "rubber band" effect. The DSG is quite simply one of the best autoboxes available. And is quick too!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehamit

So my verdict is - This is one of the best car to drive and there is no issue of poor performance in lower gears at all.

The Linea is a fantastic sedan, no doubt. However, by no stretch of imagination is it one of the best cars to drive. Yup, it could do with more horses. However, owners will stay happy as long as the engine is fuel-efficient.

harry10 · 26th January 2009, 19:04

+1 to that. Linea is a very good product but not the best car to drive. I can name a few for that like Swift Vdi,Verna,Magnum,ANHC etc.

aseem · 26th January 2009, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehamit

. And I am stunned by the performance of the 1.3 MJD. It rocks even in 2nd gear and I was able to speed it up to 60Kms/hr speed with 2100 rpm. No sluggishness was ever there and the it sounded like a sports car at that speed and rpm! And, it was fully loaded(5 adults inside).

Sports Car???

If it sounded like a sports car at 2100 rpm, it will sound like a diesel locomotive about to pop at 4k rpm.

bottle · 26th January 2009, 22:08

^yeah it does, but i doubt the car was made to be high revving. When i took a test drive i found shifting at 3k was best for it. its meant more for city driving and does great for that

amit · 26th January 2009, 22:31

Quote:

No sluggishness was ever there and the it sounded like a sports car at that speed and rpm!

I agree too. I would call the performance in second gear upto 2500rpm reluctant rather then sluggish. The SX4 is sluggish in lower gears.

Fiat's generally have very good sounding engines. There are two kinds of engine noise. The good noise (Palio 1.6) and the bad noise (SX4)

NOTE: The Palio and SX4 are being talked about because these are the cars I own and have driven extensively. Let's not turn this into a Fiat v/s Suzuki thread. Thank you!

sandeep.mishra · 27th January 2009, 15:03

Hi All,

Any one can throw light on the LINEA Petrol engine to be introduced in terms of quality, driveability, fuel efficiency etc.

I went for a test drive to Sanya Motors in Delhi but they didnt have a petrol version. the Diesel was just about adequate and nothing out of the world. Added to that the sales staff present were not fully updated on the product neither was anyone forthecoming to accompany me for a test drive. They sent a office staff along with me who knew nothing. This leaves me wondering as to the quality of service they would extend, post ownership.

Sandeep

MadRash · 27th January 2009, 15:18

I went to Concord motors on last Saturday and had a short test drive.

Following are my comments

+vs

Looked good outside esp. the head light & the grill design
Boot space is huge
Interior plastic looked cheap
I never felt the car has any lag in pickup.
Engine was smooth and silent
Gear shift was not as smooth as Skoda's
Visibility was great thru the side window (due to the lower window)
head light height adjustment for both high & low beam was a good feature

-Ves

I tried to open the bonnet and with a little force, the lever came with my hand. I was able to fix it myself but it showed the quality
Doors closed with a 'thud' but I haven't felt the door as a heavy one
Drive seat is height adjustable but since the car is not too tall, the adjustment range was very little.
Seats lag thigh support
No space for water bottles
But the A pillar has a huge blind spot due to the triangular glass.
Very limited head room at both front & rear
Top end model comes with only one remote keyfob & an ordinary key
The back seat arm rest had no hook to pull it out.
for back seat, there is only one AC vent. what will happen in case of two rear passengers?)
A 1.2 engine for a 9 lakhs

Last word: I don't think this car is an extra-ordinary product when we have Fiesta, Verna, ANHC, SX4 etc in this range. One exception, the design is really fresh. People will like its aggressive (maserati) looks.

karanraheja · 27th January 2009, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadRash

+vs

Interior plastic looked cheap

So thats a positive??

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadRash

-Ves

Top end model comes with only one remote keyfob & an ordinary key
for back seat, there is only one AC vent. what will happen in case of two rear passengers?

1. Yup i think they should have been better off with offering remote key for the spare to.
2. Well atleast they offering an A/c vent in rear. So if there are 3 passengers in rear you expect 3 A/c vents??

finneyp · 27th January 2009, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadRash

+vs

I never felt the car has any lag in pickup.
Engine was smooth and silent

-Ves

A 1.2 engine for a 9 lakhs

Sounds like a contradiction.
When the engine has decent power & torque to drive on, why to look at the engine cc figures?
BTW it is 1.3 Multijet 90 BHP.

Quote:

Seats lag thigh support

I disagree here, I felt the seats had good thigh support.

Quote:

Very limited head room at both front & rear

Yes, but in the rear, for people more than 6' height.

Quote:

Top end model comes with only one remote keyfob & an ordinary key

I guess it is the same for all Cars in that segment.

Quote:

The back seat arm rest had no hook to pull it out.

Do you really need one?

Quote:

for back seat, there is only one AC vent. what will happen in case of two rear passengers?)

Atleast you have a Rear AC vent, which is not present in cars in that segment.

pb10gagan · 27th January 2009, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by mazherr

hmmm...i stand corrected, Im not sure of the difference, i do know they are both smooth "no shift" gear boxes, right ?

they are "fast shift" rather than "no shift".
DSG has two spokes one for odd and one for even. while shifting this reduces times to the order of milliseconds.
CVT does not have spokes like ordinary gears, instead it has pulley.
DSG is more like very quick shifting manual gearbox.
in CVT the concept of shifting takes another meaning altogether.

MadRash · 27th January 2009, 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by finneyp

Sounds like a contradiction.

finneyp:
To be frank I like the engine, Im not bothered about the power as far as I'm able to drive with ease. but I feel they should have provided the 1.6 engine for a sedan.

Regarding the other -ves I have listed, these are just my observations and are very small things. But these small things will add a lot of convenience to the passengers. A simple example - water bottle holder. Whether you drive with in city or in highways, its always good to carry a water bottle. where will you keep it?

BTW I'm not too tall. Im just 5'11".

bIte tHe bulLet · 28th January 2009, 09:27

hey guys,

i'm late to join the bandwagon but i'm here now nontheless!!!

our ageing but much loved palio 1.2 sport (driven primarily by the wife and driver now) is being looked at to be replaced. with that in mind, a silver mjd emotion pulled up outside office yesterday afternoon for a test drive.

with the wife firmly entrenched within the car (since she is the home minister and this was a replacement option as HER car!!!) we set out for a 15 minute drive.

my comments are many, but i shall restrict myself primarily to stuff that is personal to me.

my 1st impression of the car was that it is definitely larger than the city and the chevrolet and i'd go as far as to say that it visually occupies the same physical space as a jetta. what struck me also was that it appears to be really slim from the front and that was surprising because i was expecting it to be like a brawny little bruiser of a car! the step into the car is without doubt of a car atleast a step up in the price bracket... being a palio owner, i can SEE the difference in the way the insides of the car have been treated. it feels pretty much as rock solid as the palio did 7 years ago.

i'm half an inch short of six feet and it took me 15 secs to find a driving position i liked. seat back, seat down - boom position done. i was really surprised because of all thats been written about it being uncomfortable and impossible to find a comfortable position... also, the seats are a HUGE step up from the palio in terms of support and moulding.

steering is crisp and it responds quickly and accurately. i was surprised at how light the clutch felt and the car does seem to shrink around you in the city. the gearshift is not like earlier fiats with long throws and just not very nice. though they lack a short crisp throw like in the japanese cars, it is a vast improvement from the past - i found hitting 5th gear a bit of an issue a couple of times, but i put it down to lack of familiarity with the box rather than an issue per se.

loads of people have said that it is a noisy car and have written peons on how they could hear the engine sound above 3000 rpm etc etc etc.... my only comment to that is that (with all due respect to all the above people...) this is probably the 1st time they have encountered a diesel engine. to put it in perspective - it is QUITER than the swift VDI/LDI, definitely quieter than the palio mjd / indica vista / fiesta and is certainly at par with the likes of the laura etc - if not better. as a matter of fact, when my driver asked what size engine it had, and i replied that it was a 1.3 diesel - his comment was and i quote, "magar yeh to hamare palio ki tarah sunai deta hai" - for those of you in the south unfamiliar with hindi - "but this sounds just like our palio"! of course there is diesel clatter, but i also drive a 2.2 safari and THAT is noisy compared to the linea - 'nuf said!!!!

but - before you guys have a go at me saying that i'm biased and blinkered - here are the bits that bothered me.

the drive is fine as long as the a/c is not switched on while in 1st/2nd gear. the moment the a/c went on - there was a noticeable drop in engine pull (pretty much exactly what used to happen in the old zen when you'd put the a/c on). the engine is underpowered and that we all know. i was not prepared for it and so it threw me completely. once it got out of 1800-2200 rpm band, it was fine and most of the lethargy vanished, but you can be sure that overtaking on highways is going to be an emotional affair with the a/c on! i remember switching the a/c off in the (petrol) palio when i needed to overtake a typical haryana roadways bus who doesn't want to give you an inch on the highway. exactly the same will happen with the diesel linea. she is not a sports car - she is a sedan meant to be driven in the city - that is what she will be good at doing. period.

with the overall top notch quality of the interiors, the bits that stick out like a sore thumb are the plastic surround behind the rear armrest, the cup holders in the rear arm rest and plastics used within the little insignificant bits... the front armrest definitely intrudes into your space while driving and will mostly be pushed up for normal everyday use. dare i say that even the central column with the climate control etc looked a tad cheaper than you'd expect, given how the rest of the car feels. you can tell that to keep costs down, scrimping has been done - but to get a car like the linea at the price point we have it at - such things NEED to be overlooked. i bought a safari with the quality of plastics WAAAAAYYYYY below what is on offer here!

sound system - only heard the radio on it and while being driven - i was pleasantly surprised at the quality, speakers seem to sprout from everywhere; there are tweeters even in the rear door fyi. sitting at the back, headroom is comparable to the palio we have. leg room is a little bit less - i'm flummoxed by how that is possible in what is essentially a much larger car. but my take on that is this - it ain't a merc. so if you really want 3 inches between you and the drivers seat - spend an extra 2 lakh and get yourself a corolla.

boot space is crazy big but the narrow opening and the protruding struts eat into the usable space available for larger bags / golf bags etc. but the space exists - how you best use it is upto personal taste and everyday usability/practicality.

the best thing about the whole exercise was that even my wife who couldn't care less as to whether the car has 3 wheels or 4...whether it was petrol or diesel... had this to say, "yeah (admiration).. it's nice".
translate to regular layman terms - "bloody hell this is freaking awesome!!!" - and this after there is an s and a c class in the immediate family...

bottom line - do i put my money where my mouth is? answer to that:

tring tring...

hello. vivek auto...
er, hi... my name is avinash and you brought a car over for a test drive yesterday...
(confused) yes sir....???
can you come pick up a check to book it..
(excited and pepped up...) of course sir - which model and are you getting it financed?
the diesel flamenco red emotion pk and i'll bring my own finance thanks..
yes sir...yes sir...no problem...three bags full sir...

now - 6 weeks of wait.

~finis~

p.s. - if THAT was restricted comments, can you imagine what a ruddy full blown review would be like????

kvish · 28th January 2009, 09:32

congrats! It is really an awesome package. Finally the TDs are turning into bookings. Way to go!

26th January 2009, 09:51	#227
nehamit BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 121 Thanked: 3 Times	Linea was officially launched in Ahmedabad on 23-01-2009 and I had chance to speak to some of the top TATA and Fiat officials there. Petrol TD vehicles are reaching by 27-28 January almost at all places. Also, the much debated issue of poor performance in 1st and 2nd gears was clarified by them. The Fiat people are doing there best to meet the deman for emotion pack as they manufactured more of active and dynamic vehicle, but the market is right now divided in 70%-30% for emotion pack and other variants respectively. Just to have better experience and to check the issue of poor performance in lower gears, I once again took TD on 24-01-2009 at 7PM in peak city traffic for a good 10Kms. It was bumper to bumper. And I am stunned by the performance of the 1.3 MJD. It rocks even in 2nd gear and I was able to speed it up to 60Kms/hr speed with 2100 rpm. No sluggishness was ever there and the it sounded like a sports car at that speed and rpm! And, it was fully loaded(5 adults inside). So my verdict is - This is one of the best car to drive and there is no issue of poor performance in lower gears at all.
	() Thanks

26th January 2009, 19:04	#229
harry10 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Faridabad/Delhi Posts: 2,713 Thanked: 3,628 Times View My Garage	+1 to that. Linea is a very good product but not the best car to drive. I can name a few for that like Swift Vdi,Verna,Magnum,ANHC etc.
	() Thanks

26th January 2009, 22:08	#231
bottle Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,634 Thanked: 274 Times View My Garage	^yeah it does, but i doubt the car was made to be high revving. When i took a test drive i found shifting at 3k was best for it. its meant more for city driving and does great for that
	() Thanks

27th January 2009, 15:03	#233
sandeep.mishra BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 88 Thanked: 4 Times	Hi All, Any one can throw light on the LINEA Petrol engine to be introduced in terms of quality, driveability, fuel efficiency etc. I went for a test drive to Sanya Motors in Delhi but they didnt have a petrol version. the Diesel was just about adequate and nothing out of the world. Added to that the sales staff present were not fully updated on the product neither was anyone forthecoming to accompany me for a test drive. They sent a office staff along with me who knew nothing. This leaves me wondering as to the quality of service they would extend, post ownership. Sandeep
	() Thanks

27th January 2009, 15:18	#234
MadRash BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Madras Posts: 243 Thanked: 3 Times	I went to Concord motors on last Saturday and had a short test drive. Following are my comments +vs Looked good outside esp. the head light & the grill design Boot space is huge Interior plastic looked cheap I never felt the car has any lag in pickup. Engine was smooth and silent Gear shift was not as smooth as Skoda's Visibility was great thru the side window (due to the lower window) head light height adjustment for both high & low beam was a good feature -Ves I tried to open the bonnet and with a little force, the lever came with my hand. I was able to fix it myself but it showed the quality Doors closed with a 'thud' but I haven't felt the door as a heavy one Drive seat is height adjustable but since the car is not too tall, the adjustment range was very little. Seats lag thigh support No space for water bottles But the A pillar has a huge blind spot due to the triangular glass. Very limited head room at both front & rear Top end model comes with only one remote keyfob & an ordinary key The back seat arm rest had no hook to pull it out. for back seat, there is only one AC vent. what will happen in case of two rear passengers?) A 1.2 engine for a 9 lakhs Last word: I don't think this car is an extra-ordinary product when we have Fiesta, Verna, ANHC, SX4 etc in this range. One exception, the design is really fresh. People will like its aggressive (maserati) looks. Last edited by MadRash : 27th January 2009 at 15:28.
	() Thanks

28th January 2009, 09:27	#239
bIte tHe bulLet BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 441 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	the linea hey guys, i'm late to join the bandwagon but i'm here now nontheless!!! our ageing but much loved palio 1.2 sport (driven primarily by the wife and driver now) is being looked at to be replaced. with that in mind, a silver mjd emotion pulled up outside office yesterday afternoon for a test drive. with the wife firmly entrenched within the car (since she is the home minister and this was a replacement option as HER car!!!) we set out for a 15 minute drive. my comments are many, but i shall restrict myself primarily to stuff that is personal to me. my 1st impression of the car was that it is definitely larger than the city and the chevrolet and i'd go as far as to say that it visually occupies the same physical space as a jetta. what struck me also was that it appears to be really slim from the front and that was surprising because i was expecting it to be like a brawny little bruiser of a car! the step into the car is without doubt of a car atleast a step up in the price bracket... being a palio owner, i can SEE the difference in the way the insides of the car have been treated. it feels pretty much as rock solid as the palio did 7 years ago. i'm half an inch short of six feet and it took me 15 secs to find a driving position i liked. seat back, seat down - boom position done. i was really surprised because of all thats been written about it being uncomfortable and impossible to find a comfortable position... also, the seats are a HUGE step up from the palio in terms of support and moulding. steering is crisp and it responds quickly and accurately. i was surprised at how light the clutch felt and the car does seem to shrink around you in the city. the gearshift is not like earlier fiats with long throws and just not very nice. though they lack a short crisp throw like in the japanese cars, it is a vast improvement from the past - i found hitting 5th gear a bit of an issue a couple of times, but i put it down to lack of familiarity with the box rather than an issue per se. loads of people have said that it is a noisy car and have written peons on how they could hear the engine sound above 3000 rpm etc etc etc.... my only comment to that is that (with all due respect to all the above people...) this is probably the 1st time they have encountered a diesel engine. to put it in perspective - it is QUITER than the swift VDI/LDI, definitely quieter than the palio mjd / indica vista / fiesta and is certainly at par with the likes of the laura etc - if not better. as a matter of fact, when my driver asked what size engine it had, and i replied that it was a 1.3 diesel - his comment was and i quote, "magar yeh to hamare palio ki tarah sunai deta hai" - for those of you in the south unfamiliar with hindi - "but this sounds just like our palio"! of course there is diesel clatter, but i also drive a 2.2 safari and THAT is noisy compared to the linea - 'nuf said!!!! but - before you guys have a go at me saying that i'm biased and blinkered - here are the bits that bothered me. the drive is fine as long as the a/c is not switched on while in 1st/2nd gear. the moment the a/c went on - there was a noticeable drop in engine pull (pretty much exactly what used to happen in the old zen when you'd put the a/c on). the engine is underpowered and that we all know. i was not prepared for it and so it threw me completely. once it got out of 1800-2200 rpm band, it was fine and most of the lethargy vanished, but you can be sure that overtaking on highways is going to be an emotional affair with the a/c on! i remember switching the a/c off in the (petrol) palio when i needed to overtake a typical haryana roadways bus who doesn't want to give you an inch on the highway. exactly the same will happen with the diesel linea. she is not a sports car - she is a sedan meant to be driven in the city - that is what she will be good at doing. period. with the overall top notch quality of the interiors, the bits that stick out like a sore thumb are the plastic surround behind the rear armrest, the cup holders in the rear arm rest and plastics used within the little insignificant bits... the front armrest definitely intrudes into your space while driving and will mostly be pushed up for normal everyday use. dare i say that even the central column with the climate control etc looked a tad cheaper than you'd expect, given how the rest of the car feels. you can tell that to keep costs down, scrimping has been done - but to get a car like the linea at the price point we have it at - such things NEED to be overlooked. i bought a safari with the quality of plastics WAAAAAYYYYY below what is on offer here! sound system - only heard the radio on it and while being driven - i was pleasantly surprised at the quality, speakers seem to sprout from everywhere; there are tweeters even in the rear door fyi. sitting at the back, headroom is comparable to the palio we have. leg room is a little bit less - i'm flummoxed by how that is possible in what is essentially a much larger car. but my take on that is this - it ain't a merc. so if you really want 3 inches between you and the drivers seat - spend an extra 2 lakh and get yourself a corolla. boot space is crazy big but the narrow opening and the protruding struts eat into the usable space available for larger bags / golf bags etc. but the space exists - how you best use it is upto personal taste and everyday usability/practicality. the best thing about the whole exercise was that even my wife who couldn't care less as to whether the car has 3 wheels or 4...whether it was petrol or diesel... had this to say, "yeah (admiration).. it's nice". translate to regular layman terms - "bloody hell this is freaking awesome!!!" - and this after there is an s and a c class in the immediate family... bottom line - do i put my money where my mouth is? answer to that: tring tring... hello. vivek auto... er, hi... my name is avinash and you brought a car over for a test drive yesterday... (confused) yes sir....??? can you come pick up a check to book it.. (excited and pepped up...) of course sir - which model and are you getting it financed? the diesel flamenco red emotion pk and i'll bring my own finance thanks.. yes sir...yes sir...no problem...three bags full sir... now - 6 weeks of wait. ~finis~ p.s. - if THAT was restricted comments, can you imagine what a ruddy full blown review would be like???? Last edited by bIte tHe bulLet : 28th January 2009 at 09:41. Reason: just realised how long the review was!!! mods 3rd smiley appeared inadvertantly - i shall use one less in my next post. SORRY
	() Thanks

28th January 2009, 09:32	#240
kvish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 627 Thanked: 195 Times	congrats! It is really an awesome package. Finally the TDs are turning into bookings. Way to go!
	() Thanks