The FCB meet was a nice one with 45 Fiats/ Premier cars present at the meet.

BHPian Scarlet_Rider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Attended the FCB meeting last Sunday. Here are pictures from the meeting. It was great catching up with Arun and Karthik.

Continue checking out BHPian Scarlet_Rider's photos for more insights and information.

I feel that the mid-range grunt of the car has improved. The vehicle feels more addictive with more consistent torque delivery throughout the torque band.

BHPian sidindica recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Update | 5.4 years | 53500 kms | Stage 2

I always like to add things patiently and slowly, so as to keep interest in the car. Since this car is meant to be kept for a long time, maintenance, periodic replacement of parts and incremental upgrades is the best way to not get bored of it.

Changing the brakes

The car crossed 51,500 kms and the factory discs were nearing the end of their life, of course, this is not a car to be driven with light foot so it's always better to check and perform designated replacements along with pads. Replaced all 4 discs with OE replacement Brembo rotors (INR 12,500) and EBC Yellow stuff pads (INR 20k). Still feel this is the best balanced combination for my car.

Changing the tyres:

The earlier Pilot Sport 4s too were beginning to deteriorate so replaced them with a new set of PS4s (freshly available now) of 205/55 R16 size. Not cheap though at INR 11.4k/tyre.

Service with fluids change:

52,500 kms service was performed at Landmark, Okhla. Changed the oil (Selenia K), all filters (except air), brake oil, transmission oil with brakes being bled and serviced after my recent trip.

Going for Stage 2:

For a long time, I have been doing research on the pros and cons of adding a catless downpipe. Since all my parts on the car are international branded which are certified for this very car and platform, I had to take the same route with the downpipe. This was anyways my first car and first experiment with adding a catless downpipe, so TMC Motorsport UK launched their downpipe for IHI 60mm turbo (2.25" diameter) back in December 2023. Their appearance, build and overall quality looked top-class, so ordered the same in the beginning of April.

The parcel came, and here was what it looked like: Quality does come at a price, which costed approx INR 34k (cost of DP+shipping+duties).

Impressed with the high quality of construction of T304 grade SS, with proper weld marks and excellent finish, this was just what I was looking for. Installation was done at Fiat FNG (Jhalak) and it took 2 hours to do a neat installation by the mechs. As expected, this is a reversible bolt-on mod.

The OE heat shield (bottom one) cannot be fitted as there is no provision so I had to go with Kool Wraps Australia Sourced Heat wrapping strip (Photo below)

As expected, the O2 sensor error (P0420-CEL) appeared after 50 kms of driving, and I got it cleared by the scanner, though a proper map update by Wolf Moto is pending which will be done once they arrive next in Delhi.

I got coolant changed as well since summers are at their peak also.

Initial Impressions

The ECU took time to adapt to the DP and altered O2 parameters, once it adapted, the mid range grunt of the car improved, and the car felt more addictive with more consistent torque delivery throughout the torque band. Already the car was never meant to be driven with light foot, this will further add to the addiction. Haven't seen much difference in FE, have to do proper logging in days to come for this.

I think overall the car feels more complete, just like what it should be, not gunning for just straight line acceleration and numbers, but better driveability, torque, and catalogued high-quality build.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The throttle response is so good it really does feel like have a free Pedal Tune and I am still averaging about 10.5 kmpl in Bangalore city driving with all these performance mods.

BHPian keroo1099 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

10 year report card for my Tjet:

The Tjet turned 10 yesterday so it’s probably a good idea to record how the two of us have gotten along in this long-term relationship.

In short, it’s been utterly butterly reliable which is surprising considering the bad name that Fiat has garnered over its stay in India, and my usage of 55k which hasn’t done any favors to the car. The only regime I have scrupulously followed is a yearly oil change even though the fully synthetic oil I used can run longer. I initially started out using Xado’s fully synthetic 5W40 which was brilliant and kept the engine nice and smooth but last year had to switch to Addinol which I think is just as good. Both oils just made the engine stress-free and very quiet under load compared to the OE oil Fiat uses. My gearbox continues to use a Xado additive which has kept the shift action positive (for a Fiat) and the gearlever from mimicking a limp spaghetti.

I didn’t really need to see the condition but changed all the belts and spark plugs at the 5-year mark as recommended. The one item that I changed earlier than normal is the brake rotors which started pitting because of my usage and even skimming the discs didn’t eliminate the brake shudder. From Boodmo I pro-actively ordered and DIY changed the plastic trim around the windshield that was discoloring and showing its age. The only other major scare I got was with the AC not cooling properly which thankfully required a couple of ‘O’ seal replacements and a gas top-up and not a wallet-hitting replacement. I have changed all the hose clamps to the more regular screw/nut SS type as I didn’t want to get stuck on the highway trying to get the proprietary clamp of a blown hose. Luckily all my plumbing hoses seem to be in good condition including all the silicone hoses to my aftermarket intercooler and none have required any tightening of the clamps. My original battery lasted 4 years and the replacement 55Ah Amaron (50Ah is stock) showed signs of acting up after 6 years so was replaced a few weeks back with an identical unit. The original wiper blades were replaced with a set of Bosch which were ok and those were later replaced with a set of Syndicate blades which seem to be as good as the originals at a fraction of the cost. Considering all the mods I have done with better lights (HID fogs in projectors) I have only replaced one blown brake light and this includes all the cabin and accent lights which are still OE. Talking about the interiors, none of the plastics have faded, no squeaks and rattles from anywhere (the door damping contributes a lot to this) which is amazing considering the number of times I have removed the door pads to tweak something behind, and the seats look and feel as good as new with no sag or wrinkling of the leather. The Isudar PX6 HU that I got about a couple of years ago continues to function as promised and along with my Infinity Ref speakers produces a sound that I am happy with and has made my Hertz amp redundant for now.

I had changed my tyres to Hankook’s when I bought the car and they were pretty good and lasted me about 30K. The Michelin PS4s that I have now are reaching the end of life on age and not tread wear, but still feel good with no micro cracks, very little tyre noise, and zero punctures to date. The low GC suspension setup that I fitted some years back is working fine and the used rear coils show no signs of sagging. This conversion is worth it if you value low-speed rides and high-speed handling.

The Gyeon ceramic coating done about 4-5 years ago is still holding but now needs some correction work for swirls other than that the paint has very little orange peel and more importantly no signs of rust as yet even with an occasional hard water wash. All I have done in this period is dust lightly with a Jopasu if dry dust, and use a two-hand method to wipe with a wet microfiber and dry with another, and once in 6 months clay the cat, that’s it, it’s worked like a charm for me. All the glass areas are coated with DIY AvalonKing ceramic coating which prevents water from sitting on the surface and just beading off which is a real blessing at night.

The engine on the Jet is bulletproof, and the Wolf remap along with the bigger intercooler and my DIY version of a cold air intake is working like a charm and has eliminated the low-speed lag which resulted in slipping the clutch over speed breakers. It feels like a much bigger beefier engine now and even my cousin who drives a Cayenne in the US thought it was a 2.0L turbo from the initial grunt even when fully loaded going up the ghats to Ooty. The throttle response is so good it really does feel like have a free Pedal Tune and I am still averaging about 10.5 kmpl in Bangalore city driving with all these performance mods. On the highways with CC set at 100 the max I have managed to get from Bangalore to Mysore is about 16 kmpl.

Most by now know that it is impossible/expensive to get parts for any Fiat so over time I have collected a few critical items and kept them in stock.

• Clutch kit with flywheel from LUK which was a hell of a lot cheaper than OE
• Febi Bilstein front strut mounts which a friend got from Germany
• A recommended set of front and rear brake pads, forget the make but not OE
• A set of Bosch spark plugs instead of the OE NGK

I am hoping and praying I can keep this car going for another 5 years and then decide if I can afford a suitable upgrade which is looking increasingly unlikely given the cost of new cars today.

PS: I completely forgot that I had changed all the engine mounts on the last service. It was a pure fluke that we discovered that two of the mounts Hydraulic and gearbox were completely shot but the car was still driving normally except for a mild vibration at idle. Decided to change all three posts and the car has become even smoother with nary a hint of vibration roughness.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Enthusiasts and their families drove over 100 km towards the Bangalore International Airport and beyond and all the classic cars performed perfectly.

BHPian arun1100 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

FCB's December meet witnessed around 25 Fiat and Premier cars participate. It was a great day to meet Fiatians with their family and Fiats.

Here are the pics from the meet day.

Check out arun1100's following posts for more pictures of the meet-up.

The car underwent detailing and the T-Jet logo has also been added at the rear.

BHPian sidindica recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Update | Nearing 5 years | 46000 km

6 months have passed by, and just 3000 kms have been added. Whether good or bad, I have no perceived notions about it. When more cars come into the house, running is distributed now and hence, the raven chugs along as expected. Just underwent a detail and added the T jet logo at the rear. And signed off with these pics clicked below.

And yeah… we continue to live only once.... with little or no OEM support.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With a max budget of Rs 15 lakh, I was looking at cars like the Hyundai Exter AMT and the Renault Kiger CVT.

BHPian PatchyBoy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I owned a first-batch Linea T-Jet (MY 2010). I took care of her like a child. Clocked 1.3 L Kms on that & she never failed me. What a gem of a car!! With age catching up and spine-related issues, my DIY days were behind me. After moving to Goa, I simply couldn't care for her any longer. There are no authorized service centres or trustworthy & knowledgeable FNGs for the Fiat here. With a heavy heart, decided to sell her.

The day before she was sold

Final goodbye

Started looking for a replacement. Was torn between new or used. Did not want to take out a loan & also did not want to plonk a big pile of cash for a car. My drives have reduced a lot & I only needed a car to take us for the occasional outings, shopping & hospital visits. Only requirement, it has to be some kind of AT. My budget was 15 L max. I was looking at cars like the new Exter AMT & the Kiger CVT. Then a very close friend from Kolkata came home for a vacation. Was chatting with him about the car. He spontaneously decided that I should have his VW Virtus GT. One year old. Done 12000 km.

Asking price

The plan was for me to drive (with the missus, of course) to Bangalore, hand over the T-Jet to the buyer, fly to Kolkata & drive the Virtus back to Goa. But once we got to Bangalore, my wife had a fall & hurt herself. My friend immediately decided to drive down to Bangalore & hand the Virtus over to me. Two days later, he was in Bangalore with the car.

Drove the car from Bangalore to Goa yesterday. Here are my first long-drive impressions of the car -

• Good highway car with plenty of power on tap, especially in sports mode
• Very comfortable seating. I drove for more than 12 hours & got home with almost no fatigue
• Cabin is definitely noisier than the T-Jet. So is the engine.
• No dedicated phone buttons on the steering wheel. Outgoing calls only possible with voice commands. The OK button on the RHS doubles up as an answer or hang-up button
• Reads out messages aloud, including WA & Signal messages. Downside - you have to touch the HU screen to read the message. This is a feature of Android Auto
• The wireless phone charger sucks. The phone heats up badly. The charging is also very slow. I have decided that I am going to simply connect a cable to the conveniently nearby USB port & not use wireless charging at all

• Good handling, but the Jet was in a class of its own in that department
• AC was good enough for me. Ventilated seats are nice too
• Music system is definitely better than OE T-Jet. I am no audiophile, but the kind of music I listen to sounded better in the Virtus
• Bottle holders in the door pads & useable cupholders near the handbrake - finally
• Armrest has a deep storage pocket, but is way too far back for me to use - even when pushed as far ahead as it will go
• Contrary to what I initially thought, after driving a bit in Bangalore city, the suspension is actually slightly softer than the Jet. Over-inflated tyres were the culprit. Oddly, the recommended pressure is a huge range - from 32 to 41 psi, depending on the load in the car
• First time driving an AT in the ghats, so I wasn't very confident when descending. However, the Virtus stayed in D3 mostly & did not just start rolling down like a loose rock
• Zero swelling of my feet after driving the whole day. The legs were really thankful for the DSG

Was surprised by how frugal the car is (this is from Nelamangala to Hubli - 100% 4/6 lane highway) -

All-in-all - A good filler for the Jet. Cannot be considered a replacement, though. The Jet's shoes are way too big for this one to fill

PS: KA govt guys ought to be loaded in a KSRTC basic bus & driven up & down the roads between the border & Ramnagar - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

PPS: Will drive to the KA border & back one of these days, in the daytime, just to experience the Virtus in the ghats in a relaxed way

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The donor engine was in perfect condition with no internal noises and I was assured of its flawless reliability for the next 3-4 years at least.

BHPian sidindica recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Major Update | 17.5 years | 76000 kms | Rebirth of the Cygnus

17 years is a long time to keep a car like this running. People change houses, generations change, technologies change, mindsets change, three generations of cars get changed, markets change, markups change. But, there are few of us who like to remain old school and keep 'em machines running, simply because it's the emotions we see on them. New cars are here, but all of them are carputers. I am not a fan of carputers at all. But, what do we do when a car has aged like this? Dump it or see a change of heart?

Well, what to say, I took the latter route.

There was a time when small cars with big engines ruled. Big shameless gas guzzlers. Today, all we get to see is a myriad of dinky 3-cylinder turbo mayhems which are all show and no go. What if your future generations ask for no engines? Well, unfortunately, we are headed that way. And yeah, missing the growl of 7000+ revolutions was not something I will look at at least in the short term.

Over the past few weeks, the car was exhibiting many small issues, age related. There was water ingress on the rear right floorboard, the suspension was making noises, and the engine tappets were creating a racket. Primarily I have a habit of redlining it as well… but yeah… YOLO.

Again, the car made a visit to Jhalak Noida, and since I have no less than 3 donor engines at my disposal, after my consultation with Palio 1.6 experts down south, I decided to change the main engine itself (the engine body with head, tapper cover, block). Exchanging it was working out to be way cheaper as well so decided to get it done. The 1.6 torque has self-adjusting hydraulic tappets which don't need manual valve clearance check, but there is no definite clarity or expertise on whether at all this can be done or by manually setting the tappets as well.

But the bigger problem was traced to the cowl area from where the water was leaking. There were 3 drain areas on the car which were clogged and the corrosion points were beginning to emerge (these are known Palio issues only neglected). I got the interiors fully stripped, the engine out and painstakingly the problem areas were rectified once and for all by the usage of welding, body sealant and anti-rust coating.

The AC heater core and cooling coil were the next to be replaced. Age took a toll on them and they rusted from the bottom part.

Finally, the suspension arm was changed, axle boots were replaced and the underbelly noise was sorted.

And then the new engine core. The donor engine was in perfect condition, with no internal noises and I was assured of its flawless reliability for the next 3-4 years at least. The inlet points were cleaned, injectors, plug, plug wires, throttle body, intake manifold were all transferred from my engine to the new one. New engine oil (shell helix 15w40) with oil filter, new paraflu coolent (red) was poured in, test drives were taken and finally, the car was back in fine shape. Few clips, nuts and bolts were changed or relocated to their actual places so that factory catalogued specs of the car were maintained.

But yeah… this does come at a price. Wallet damages of INR 50k.

Note the red sport logo. Got from ebay via Lithuania (Fiat spare part).

Underneath the front bumper is Linea's bumper underrun protector.

I have not driven the car much… like just 200 odd kms. There is a difference of night and day. The addiction of the sound, the torque, the power, the speed, the handling. The overall package today, from the good old era, is still unbeaten, as I continue to fly the baton. A baton now which I call as the Cygnus.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Gorgeous machine, Sidindica. Looks stunning for its age. This is perhaps the best Palio 1.6 in the country and that red + white combo is just sizzling hot.

Don't Delhi cops give you a hard time if you drive it there? Or is it in another city?

Here's what BHPian ex-innova-guy had to say about the matter:

What a gorgeous red beauty! I just can’t get over the colour and the rims make it look even more smashing.

I still remember my friend’s Palio in the 2000s which had a distinctive shade of Yellow and iirc there was just 1 Palio in our society out of 500 odd cars and that car clearly stood out.

Wishing you many miles and happy smiles with this beauty!

Here's what BHPian GForceEnjoyer had to say about the matter:

I love how beautifully maintained your car is, and the amount of effort you're willing to put into it. As someone who also has a 17-year-old car with a 1.6 petrol engine in their garage, hats off! Wishing you many, many more happy years with your beauty.

Also, I see that your car has Haldwani licence plates, so is not registered in NCR, but do Delhi police not have any issues with you driving your car there? Curious to know about this.

Here's what BHPian Fiatfan had to say about the matter:

Superbly maintained car, hats off to you for your efforts in keeping it in top shape, btw the alloy size in your car should be 15" If am right. I too had a 15" alloys in my Palio multi-jet which will be turning 15 years in coming Nov, I had to replace it with the original 13" rims since the control arms and suspension parts were getting strained more on our infamous Bangalore roads.

Wish you many more years of keeping this gorgeous beauty running on our roads.

Thanks for the write up, btw how's your Punto Abarth doing, are you still having it with you?

All the best.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

One enthusiast says that he will be glad if both brands succeed, whereas another one thinks that Stellantis should instead use its resources to make Jeep & Citroen stronger.

BHPian RedMaw recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Stellantis weighs Fiat relaunch in India

Stellantis, the world’s third largest carmaker by volume, is considering re-introducing Fiat and a clutch of other marquee brands including the Alfa Romeo into the Indian market even as its immediate priority is to firmly establish Jeep and Citroen brands.

Economic Times Report Link

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Stellantis already has two brands in India - the iconic Jeep marque (with some great but old cars) and the newbie Citroen (with some great cars).

Both these brands are struggling & have their own challenges.

Fiat already has a terrible reputation & was taken to the funeral, after 5 long stays in the ICU (once with a big surgeon called Tata). Alfa Romeo is a sexy brand, but investing in another brand isn't wise when you are already struggling with two.

It takes a lot of work to build brands, cars, plan pricing, variants, marketing strategies etc. Renault-Nissan were similarly struggling & brought in Datsun. Management had no bandwidth, the strategies were clean-bowled and the brand was RIP.

IMHO, Stellantis should instead use its resources to make Jeep & Citroen stronger. The luxury car market is anyway tiny in India for anyone other than the 3 - 4 big luxury brands, so why bother?

Jeep Compass Petrol not on sale in a market that's moved to petrols. Diesel AT was delayed, when the market was hot for Diesel ATs. Citroen got its variants & pricing totally wrong and has 3 straight flops (C5, C3, C3 Electric). Please explain to me who has the time for launching yet another brand at Stellantis India.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say about the matter:

I'll be glad if they succeed. Indeed Fiat is a lovely brand. As is Alfa Romeo. What a great thing it will be if Alfa comes to India. But I do hope they don’t dilute themselves in terms of quality and essential features.

Problem is will they have anything at all for the mass market which ultimately drives everyone’s bread and butter?

Here's what BHPian ron178 had to say about the matter:

They have some very nice affordable cars like the Cronos and Pulse, but those are native Fiat platforms. I suspect they would want to launch new Fiat products for India and Brazil/Argentina based on the CMP platform and those will inevitably be stripped down - speaking of which - shouldn't they focus on fixing Citroën and Jeep before dipping their toes elsewhere?

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say about the matter:

When Toyota and Maruti Suzuki can operate with such close cooperation and synergy, why can't the brands owned by Stallantis operate as one group? It's pretty stupid not to combine Jeep, Citroën, FIAT, etc. under one roof so that they can have a much better network and diverse portfolio of cars - will give the buyers so much more choice and confidence.

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say about the matter:

I am not sure Alfa Romeo and India are a likely successful partnership. Alfa Romeo tried several times to break into the US market and always failed miserably for a variety of reasons.

I don’t understand the Fiat/Alfa Romeo strategy at all. They have hardly any cars, nothing really new in the pipeline and are struggling in their home markets in Europe.

To think you can capture market share in India with a tiny line up of cars made in Europe is simply utterly naive. Many Western companies have found out that although the Indian market, whatever you want to sell, is potentially huge, making actual money in India is not for the faint of heart!

Alfa Romeo's after-sales service in Europe is almost non-existent. Dealers have no parts in stock even for brand new cars. That is, if you can find a dealer in the first place.

Remarkably, Alfa Romeo has a very loyal fanbase. Truth be told, most of them drive second-hand Alfa’s. In Europe, there is a thriving second-hand market for Alfas including many excellent workshops that specialise in Alfas. They also have access to a by and large pretty good aftermarket spare parts circuit.

As long as you don’t need to rely on the official AR dealer you are good. Although the newer AR are pretty reliable, I have my doubt about how they would hold out in a market such as India. They are pretty cars. And as with most pretty things in life, it likely means they are finicky and high maintenance!

Yes, both Fiat and Alfa Romeo do make nice cars. Not many, but at least they do stand out from the crowd!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It is always the first choice of each family member for city duties while the Toyota Innova Crysta is preferred for its practicality on highways & effortless, fast & comfortable cruising.

BHPian daretodream recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My Tuscan Wine Fiat Linea 1.3 Multi-Jet Diesel (MJD) Emotion variant (Top end) bought in Jun-2012 has completed 11 years and is currently at 88000 KMs on the odometer.

Instead of an ownership thread, sharing a few pointers from a long-term review perspective in a FAQ format:

How much did it cost then? Can you show photos of then and now?

It had cost me 11.37 Lakhs on road in Jun'12

Picture from Jun'2012:

After pooja

Picture from Jan'2023:

Yup, we have a larger family now. More on that later

Odometer just crossed 88K KMs. It's nothing compared to the distance other well-known FIAT owners on this forum have covered (2L+ KMs).

How has been the usage/running over the past 11 years?

• First 3 years - a lot of highway runs (Bangalore-Chennai-Bangalore) and I averaged ~14K KMs annually. This is because my family was in Chennai.
• Next 6 years: Once my family shifted to Bangalore, my running reduced to ~8K KMs per year.
• Next 2 years: Since 2022, the usage reduced to ~3K KMs per year as we got a 2021 Crysta 2.4AT Z into our garage for highway duties.

So, over the 11-year ownership period, I have averaged ~8K KMs/year.

Below graph shows the usage of annual running and cumulative running.

How has been the service cost over the past 11 years?

• As with taxes, and inflation, the annual service cost has increased over the 11 years.
• The annual service cost averaged ~13K for 1st-4th years, ~23K for 5th to 8th years, and ~30K for 9th-11th years.
• Of course, it has not been a linear increase each year. There are troughs and peaks as the maintenance schedule for some years(15K, 45K) are lighter than other years (30K and 60K service).

The graph below shows the annual service cost and cumulative service cost.

Okay, so how has the service cost per km been?

• What I share below is very unique to me and should not be generalized.
• My running in the last 2 years is ~3K KM/year but the annual service charge for the last 2 years is ~INR 35K. So, this skewness in the last 2 years of my ownership has changed the overall ownership numbers.

The graph below shows the service cost per kilometer for each year and cumulative.

How has been the availability of spares after FIAT shut operations?

In my 11 years of ownership, for 9 years I used FIAT authorized service center in Bangalore (KHT- 3 years, Vecto-2 years and MPS-3 years).

I skipped 1 year in 2020 due to Covid and had low running.

In 2018, I used a BHPian's garage and then reverted to Authorized Service Center due to the lack of confidence inspiring work despite high word-of-mouth marketing.

I have not had any concerns about the availability of spares through FIAT Authorized Service Centers. Whenever my car goes for servicing, I request to share that keep old spare parts in the same boxes post replacement during servicing.

I observed that spare parts are, in general, fresh supplies (not ageing/very old inventory. Some of the important spare parts are imported across multiple countries (Turkey, France, Germany).

For example, I did my recent servicing on 7th July. I am attaching a few pictures of spare parts which have import/packaging date, which are decently recent.

Pictures from my 2023 servicing done on 07-Jul-2023:

Belt Stretcher - Packed on 24-Jun

Filtering Element- Packed on 24-Jun

Trans Belt - Imported from France; Packed on 21-Jun

Timing Chain - Imported from Germany; Packed on 03-Apr

Sealing Gasket - Imported from Turkey; Packed on 02-May

Pad - Made in India; Packed on 23-Feb

Cabin Filter - Packed on 03-Sep-2022; Made in India

I do not have images from 2022, however, I had got the wiper blades changed and they were also from fresh stock

Can you summarize all your annual servicing details in a table?

Sure, please find below:

What about the discretionary costs towards Tender Loving Care (TLC) for your car? What about Fuel?

Here you go-

What is your dirty laundry (things which you do not like and need fixing) with Linea?

• In 2018, When I did servicing with a BHPian's well-known garage, they changed glow plugs. I am unsure of the quality because they went kaput within a year and despite all efforts from them and FIAT ASS, they are stuck and can't be taken out. The only way is to open the cylinder head to take them out. However, I am living with it as Bangalore weather is not so cold to need glow plugs. However, this error keeps flashing each time I start the car.
• BlueandMe used to a drain battery. So, it is permanently disconnected. So, I miss the ability to take calls on Bluetooth. It takes me back by 2 decades.
• There are some scratches on the right rear wheel arch which I need to tend to.
• The bulb holder for the Front Right headlight low beam has an issue due to which that bulb's focus is very close to the car (like within 12-15 meters from bumper). Service center says that we need to change the headlight assembly. I told them to leave it as-is thinking headlight assembly would be very costly as my usage is very low.
• I changed the tyres to Michelin Primacy in 2015 (at 3 year mark when I crossed 45K KMs). Since then I am on the same tyres and Odo is at 88K KMs. So, I have done 43K KMs on Michelin but it is 8 years now. While tread marks are great, I know the rubber is old. I am yet to take a call on this as it is a significant cost. Please refer to the last FAQs 9 and 10.
• Last 2 years, the maintenance cost has increased very significantly. I never had any breakdowns but over the past 2-3 years, each time car went for service, many parts needed change (old age of components) which added to the overall service cost. These parts are across timing belt, water pump, suspension, mounts etc.

Alright, so, 11 years and 2 months done with your Linea? What is your Outlook?

My office commute has shrunk post Covid due to WFH option. On days when I must go to the office, I use my Scooter (Suzuki Access 125) as I have to travel from Bellandur to Rajajinagar. I do take Linea at times depending on the weather - rains or too hot or too cold.

I got Linea when I was in my early 30s. Now I am in my early 40s. I and my family have grown with the car. My family has grown from 2 to 4 in the last decade and our kids have also grown. Son is 10 now and daughter is 5. So, we found travelling with other family members (Mother In Law, other relatives) difficult with our children sitting in their laps- meaning both the children and adults are not comfortable any more during long highway rides. So, in 2021, we decided to get a 7-seater.

The decision was to be made between getting an SUV or a MUV. We evaluated Fortuner, Endeavour, Carnival and Crysta. While I wanted Fortuner or Endeavour, everyone else in the family wanted Crysta post back to back test rides across all these models. So, In Aug'21, we brought home facelifted Innova Crysta 2.4AT ZX (Pearl White) under my wife's company lease and it has taken over the highway duties since then.

Crysta was a large upgrade in all possible ways - especially the engine(1.3L to 2.4L), power(~100bhp to 143bhp), torque(209NM to 343NM), seats(5 to 7), electronics (BlueandMe to Apple CarPlay with many other electronics aids), safety (2 Airbags to 7 Airbags), Transmission(MT to AT), light (Halogen to LEDs).. you get the jist - every possible way.

Family's head is with Innova and the heart is with Linea. So, Linea is ALWAYS preferred by each member of the family for city duties while Crysta is preferred for practicality for highways and that effortless fast comfortable cruising. Given a choice, even from a driving pleasure perspective, I would prefer Crysta even when travelling alone because of the Torque, Power, AT, and road presence (other vehicles give way). It is at a different level altogether.

However, there is something classic and romantic about Linea which is missing in Crysta. Maybe because it's our first car or we are just non-rational human beings getting attached to material possessions.

So, coming back to the question - what is the ownership outlook on Linea?

The car has the excellent build quality of a tank, the ride quality of a train and superb handling, steering feedback and braking- I doubt I will get the same mix of these factors in sedans today available in the market. I must admit that I have not checked out the offerings in the market.

I will continue to own Linea at least until 2024. With some major maintenance and a large number of parts replaced in the last 2-3 years, I feel Linea is relatively new from the mechanicals perspective.

Next year this time as the lease gets over, we will transfer Crysta from the company name to our name. At that point, we will be eligible for a new lease. That time we will have all options open- from not buying any car and continuing with Linea to getting a luxury car. On one hand, the heart says you live only once, go for a luxury car. On another hand, head says cars will be a depreciation disaster and continue using Linea, our first love.

So, we are not getting ahead of ourselves at the moment- we are enjoying and loving our Tuscan Wine Fiat Linea.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Stellantis is not only re-evaluating the Fiat brand for India but is also considering other brands including Alfa Romeo.

Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep and Citroen, is looking to relaunch the Fiat brand in India.

During an interaction with the media, Billy Hayes, Senior Vice President of Stellantis, revealed that the company is not only re-evaluating the Fiat brand for India but is also considering other brands including Alfa Romeo. Hayes also clarified that Jeep and Citroen will remain the group's primary focus. He added that there were no concrete plans yet, however, bringing Fiat back to India has come up in various discussions.

Fiat used to sell models like the Grande Punto, Abarth Punto, Avventura and Linea in India, before pulling out of the market due to low sales volumes. In the past, we've had models like the Uno, Palio, Siena and the Palio Adventure.

Stellantis is now gearing up to enter the hotly contested mid-size SUV segment with the Citroen C3 Aircross. It will compete with the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and the like. Under the Jeep brand, the company offers the Compass and Meridian SUVs.

Source: ET