23rd February 2009, 15:51
| #31 | |
| BHPian  | [quote=Prash;1184497]
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I'm not sure a brand new Diesel car would sound different than a Demo car! One of the reasons why Roms felt it as underpowered could be since he drives a 1.6 Palio, 100 BHP and as he has driven a Swift Vdi! | |
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25th February 2009, 12:01
| #32 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: 0.1933333, 32.58333
Posts: 357
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25th February 2009, 12:11
| #33 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A
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25th February 2009, 14:01
| #34 |
| BHPian  | |
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26th February 2009, 01:09
| #35 | |||
| BHPian  | Quote:
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Sorry for not keeping you guys updated. The car has run around 1700 kms now. I d  rove up to my wife's place in Kasaragod and did a few short trips in the nearby districts. Th ride quality, as I've said before, is just brilliant. People who have ridden in the back seat say it's quite comfortable. Clearly no cases of motion sickness there. Some of my family members had a tough time 'keeping things in' when they occupied the back seat of my Accent CRDi. The acceleration and lightness of the car coupled with the dips and curves of North Kerala's roads often resulted in impromtu stops. I haven't had any such issues in the Linea. Probably because the acceleration of the car is a bit more subdued and the Fiat feels more planted to the ground. From the driver's point of view, the CRDi's pace is not missed...much. I have always liked the heavy feeling of european cars and the Linea is no exception. I feel much more confident throwing the Fiat into a corner than the Accent. Handling is really good and so are the OE tyres. That said, I will be upgrading to 16 inchers soon, mostly for GC than anything else. The question on any self-respecting (south?)Indian's lips, FE. Initially I was getting around 8-9 kmpl, now it has come upto 11-12 kmpl. This is just an average figure, city/highway mixed cycle. I haven't driven in the typical mileage test style, that would just show what the car is capable of. Any new driver will struggle to find a comfortable driving position in the Linea. The steering does not adjust for reach, but tilts (barely) and the driver's seat adjustment feels awkward. I am used to it now so long drives don't pose any problems. I am used to having the light switches on the left, as some cars in the UK are also configured like the Linea. But it gets annoying when you have to drive some other car with the switches on the otherside. It's just a minor inconvenience. There are two small lights on the front roof lamp console that illuminate the gear lever at night. I think that's a nice touch, as are the vanity mirror lights. The interior feels very classy, though the quality of materials used could be much better. The dashboard has already started squeaking faintly, a complaint normally seen in cars much older and with a lot more kms on the odometer. There is also a distinct creaking noise originating from the LH B-pillar. I have come across these complaints many times during my career, so I know the cause and the solution. But as the car is under warranty, I won't pull up my sleeves. To be fair, I'm not required to, am I? These are not very critical issues, as far as I am concerned, but I'm sure there will t-bhpians who believe otherwise. Nevertheless, I have taken this up with the dealer and am waiting for them to comeback to me on what they intend to do about it. The car is not due for it's 1st service till it nears the 3000 kms mark. I don't plan to go to Kochi anytime before then, but I might do if the sounds get anymore audible. It's at times like these when you wish Fiat would appoint a new dealer in Calicut. I am not going to assume that the Linea is not a good product just becase of these issues. It could well be a rare case with my car. No doubt, the Linea is a whole lot of car for the money, but good quality and service in expected in return. I will give the dealer & Fiat some leeway on this, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to be taking things lightly. Will keep you guys posted. Last edited by coloneljasi : 26th February 2009 at 01:18. | |||
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26th February 2009, 01:47
| #36 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bangy Boy!
Posts: 1,555
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| "Bog Standard" ..  ... Been al loooong time since I heard that!!Welcome back ColJ!.. and Congratulations are in order - it sure is a beautiful automobile , and colour!! Do be more than a little wary about the dealer though! |
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26th February 2009, 13:24
| #37 |
| BHPian | I've finally managed to upload some photos of the Fiat.       |
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26th February 2009, 14:01
| #38 |
| Senior - BHPian  | Looks good. Congrats on ur purchase  |
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26th February 2009, 14:47
| #39 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: New Hartford,NY
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26th February 2009, 15:04
| #40 |
| Senior - BHPian  | |
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26th February 2009, 18:13
| #41 |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: thane
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26th February 2009, 20:31
| #42 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   | |
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26th February 2009, 23:58
| #43 |
| BHPian | Some more photographs....     The cool orange night lamps  The centre console  Note: The odo currently shows 1865 kms, this photo is over a week old....  |
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27th February 2009, 00:16
| #44 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mumbai
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27th February 2009, 09:48
| #45 |
| Distinguished - BHPian | |
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