|
 The first time i laid my eyes on this Italian beauty a year-and-a-half ago , I fell in love with it instantly and imagined myself driving an all-black Linea with a fine chrome trim around the tinted windows. And even though the ride and handling were up to the mark , I remained disappointed. I was not the only one. Maybe too much is expected of Fiat , as the brand inspires passion , style and similar things normally associated with such a renowned Italian brand.
Contrary to popular belief , the company engineers weren’t just sitting around , sipping cappuccinos all this while , but were scrupulously taking note of all the feedback and working to resolve them. About a year-and-a-half later , Fiat have come up with a new variant of the Linea that promises to leave all the irritants behind and offer a lot more in the bargain. Now here is a check-list of the issues that I had and let’s see if all of these have been taken care of in the new Linea T-Jet.
Right at the top of the list lies inadequate power. Such a great looking car deserves to have an equally appealing engine. The older mill did 0-to-100 km/h in 13.9 seconds and produced a bleak 94.2 PS and 121 Nm , which were a let-down for most enthusiasts. Powered by the T-Jet , the Linea can now produce 114 PS at 5 , 000 rpm and a segment-leading 207 Nm at 2 , 200 rpm. That’s a whopping 50  Nm more torque than its competitors , though it still remains a bit less powerful than some. With theses characteristics the T-Jet will ensure hassle-free City driving and will also make overtaking a lot easier even in higher gears with its steady flow of torque.
It still sports the same 1 , 368-cc engine block , but the engineers have incorporated several new technologies to enhance performance and efficiency. For instance , it has the segment-first turbo-charged petrol engine , a light-weight aluminium cylinder head and improved valve train. When put to test , the T-Jet
feels very responsive and more refined than the Linea’s previous petrol engine. Served with a good helping of grunt it feels much quicker and should shave off a couple of seconds from the older petrol motor’s 0-100 km/h timing. The power issue has been answered and how!
Since we were not testing the car under ideal conditions or equipment , we’ll have to wait until we get the car for a proper road test. Now the sedan boasts to be Euro 5-compliant and the ARAI figures claim a fuel economy of 14.6 kpl , which also makes it an efficient car.
We never had any issues with the Linea’s ride or handling and , thankfully , those remain unchanged. The T-Jet rides higher , thanks to the nice 16” alloy wheels that run on large 205/55 R16 Goodyear Eagle NCT5 tyres. The new  rubber makes the car look even more alluring , but , in hindsight , causes it to under-steer a little. Chucking the rear drum-brakes , the Linea now gets four discs , which is another first.
Other design changes include a new sporty roof antenna , a chrome exhaust tip and the obvious T-Jet name tag. Fiat will offer this variant in a special ‘golden beige’ or ‘sunbeam beige’ shades along with the regular colours of the Linea.
The other concern with the older Linea was its interior quality , which has been taken care of. The cabin gets a roomier feel with the introduction of beige leather upholstery. The dashboard gets a nice soft touch rubber and , overall , the fit-and-finish looks better than in the previous Linea.
During the Aircon Shootout we featured earlier this summer , Fiat failed to impress their competition , but they have fixed that issue by upgrading the air-conditioning system with a new rotary compressor and reworked fan speeds that promise to keep you cool.
The new Linea T-Jet will initially be launched only in New Delhi , Mumbai and Pune. Fiat have not disclosed its price as yet , but we have a hunch that it will hover in the range of Rs 10 lakh , OTR , Pune.
The Italian auto major seem to have taken the market feedback positively and have resolved almost all the issues in the one-and-a-half-year-old sedan. The new Linea T-Jet is a lot more fun to drive , even better in looks with bigger wheels and feels like a better car that promises to thrill and chill. The company is also improving their after-sales support and service , which is a must.
Now only time will tell whether the new Linea can rise from the ashes of its earlier avatar.
More photos:
|
Contrary to popular belief , the company engineers weren’t just sitting around , sipping cappuccinos all this while , but were scrupulously taking note of all the feedback and working to resolve them. About a year-and-a-half later , Fiat have come up with a new variant of the Linea that promises to leave all the irritants behind and offer a lot more in the bargain. Now here is a check-list of the issues that I had and let’s see if all of these have been taken care of in the new Linea T-Jet.
Right at the top of the list lies inadequate power. Such a great looking car deserves to have an equally appealing engine. The older mill did 0-to-100 km/h in 13.9 seconds and produced a bleak 94.2 PS and 121 Nm , which were a let-down for most enthusiasts. Powered by the T-Jet , the Linea can now produce 114 PS at 5 , 000 rpm and a segment-leading 207 Nm at 2 , 200 rpm. That’s a whopping 50
Nm more torque than its competitors , though it still remains a bit less powerful than some. With theses characteristics the T-Jet will ensure hassle-free City driving and will also make overtaking a lot easier even in higher gears with its steady flow of torque.
It still sports the same 1 , 368-cc engine block , but the engineers have incorporated several new technologies to enhance performance and efficiency. For instance , it has the segment-first turbo-charged petrol engine , a light-weight aluminium cylinder head and improved valve train. When put to test , the T-Jet
feels very responsive and more refined than the Linea’s previous petrol engine. Served with a good helping of grunt it feels much quicker and should shave off a couple of seconds from the older petrol motor’s 0-100 km/h timing. The power issue has been answered and how!
Since we were not testing the car under ideal conditions or equipment , we’ll have to wait until we get the car for a proper road test. Now the sedan boasts to be Euro 5-compliant and the ARAI figures claim a fuel economy of 14.6 kpl , which also makes it an efficient car.
We never had any issues with the Linea’s ride or handling and , thankfully , those remain unchanged. The T-Jet rides higher , thanks to the nice 16” alloy wheels that run on large 205/55 R16 Goodyear Eagle NCT5 tyres. The new
rubber makes the car look even more alluring , but , in hindsight , causes it to under-steer a little. Chucking the rear drum-brakes , the Linea now gets four discs , which is another first.
Other design changes include a new sporty roof antenna , a chrome exhaust tip and the obvious T-Jet name tag. Fiat will offer this variant in a special ‘golden beige’ or ‘sunbeam beige’ shades along with the regular colours of the Linea.
The other concern with the older Linea was its interior quality , which has been taken care of. The cabin gets a roomier feel with the introduction of beige leather upholstery. The dashboard gets a nice soft touch rubber and , overall , the fit-and-finish looks better than in the previous Linea.
During the Aircon Shootout we featured earlier this summer , Fiat failed to impress their competition , but they have fixed that issue by upgrading the air-conditioning system with a new rotary compressor and reworked fan speeds that promise to keep you cool.
The new Linea T-Jet will initially be launched only in New Delhi , Mumbai and Pune. Fiat have not disclosed its price as yet , but we have a hunch that it will hover in the range of Rs 10 lakh , OTR , Pune.
The Italian auto major seem to have taken the market feedback positively and have resolved almost all the issues in the one-and-a-half-year-old sedan. The new Linea T-Jet is a lot more fun to drive , even better in looks with bigger wheels and feels like a better car that promises to thrill and chill. The company is also improving their after-sales support and service , which is a must.
Now only time will tell whether the new Linea can rise from the ashes of its earlier avatar.
More photos:
Content courtesy:
I am frist buyer in hyderabad, it is nice car
very much intrested in going for a test drive AFTER I CAME 2 KNOW ABOUT THE ACCLERATION PART AND THE TIMING WOULD LIKE 2 KNOW HOW IT SUCCEDS
MURALI... CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME THE ACTUAL PRICE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CAR.........