Team-BHP - Fiat linea- Test Drive report

i had my eyes on this Italian beauty for almost an year, and i was going through various sites trying to get a initial feedback of this amazing looking car, before i decided to go for a test drive, i was never interested in the petrol variant of Linea, it is the mighty diesel that i was eying for, so i decided to call sanya automobiles in delhi and asked them for a test drive which they promptly agreed, their executive was very keen to show me the vehicle the same day( i like the way he was trying to convince me) it was something that was never expected out of TATA-FIAT guys as they are known for their laid back attitude and all those not so good things...anyways the Silver color Emotion pk variant arrived at my door step the very next day here are some pointers which i noticed.

Looks:

well we all know and agree that she is the most good looking car in its segment with fresh looks thanks to some serious Italian designing, the fron headlights looks smashing from all angles...fog lamps are probably the best in its class, when u see her from a side angel she looks like a proper sedan and has that big car looks to justify the sedan looks with very neat body lines which blend nicely till the rear of the car, i love the crome lines all around the body which really feels like a high end car, the rear of the car is also very nicely done with a set of beautiful rear lamps, all in all she is a true beauty when we talk about looks.

Space and comfort:

you can expect a decent space inside the car, well i am a 6 footer and this cabin space is something which always stays on my radar, i would never want to sit inside a car with a cramped feeling, but with linea this is not the case she has a decent space for the front passengers and for the rear ones as well, although there is not much headroom in the car which should have been there, you will feel like you head is touching the roof all the times, probably will have to set the driver's seat to get it right, rear space is decent though i would not say its great but can live with it, cars like Manza is the clear leader in rear space, my father who also happens to be 6 footer was sitting behind me and the space was just decent...nothing great, the boot of the car is amazing you have 500 ltrs of space available at your disposal, and it is just amazing...you can pack all your stuff in there...so i was pretty impressed with the boot of the car, overall i would say that the space offered by the car is good.

Driving and handling:

here comes the most important part of the car...i had gone through some articles which says she is underpowered and the power plant in place is too small for her, i wonder why we dont say the same things for Manza and dzire which share the same heart for that matter, agreed she is heavier then dzize (thanks to some real solid frame for safety) but dzire runs on fixed turbo wherein linea is having a variable turbo which gives her more power and decent torque... the moment slot her in first gear you can listen to the MJD engine roaring, the gear shift is smooth and the gear box is also clen with no false gears it slots easily and effortlessly, the engine noise is easily audible in the cabin if you have switched off the AC and do not have the music player on duty, it is very loud if you floor you foot too hard on the accelarator, the trick is to drive her in right gears and she will not disappoint you she has a nice acceleration and is better then come of the cars in its category, i think she has the right power and gear ratio which makes her a great city car, handling is something which makes it a great car, it feels great on the road and feels planted all the times the suspension is so smooth that it just glides over the potholes and bad road easily, the steering is bit hard but does have a great feel when you hold it, offers great control on road...!! feels comfortable while driving.

+ve's

1. Great looks
2. Feels like a big car
3. Amazing handling
4. great engine
5. Inner cabin space is good

-ve's

1. the ground clearance is not good
2. Not sure about the After sales services

verdict: all in all a great car with amazing looks which drives well have a great handling on read, i think fiat has got it right this time with the tag line
Admiration guaranteed.

Thanks
Abhi