Good Experience of owning a Fiat Linea T Jet+. Review on Fiat Linea T Jet

After doing a lot of analysis and test driving  the cars in the range of Rs. 8 to Rs.10 lakh. I decided to buy the Linea T Jet+.  Here are some of the findings about the car-

Engine: It is simply superb. 1368cc engine produces 114 HP and 20.7 Nm torque- a record for petrol engine of such a volume in India. It is the technological prowess of Fiat that enables them to bring out a product like this. Its peak power output is at 5000rpm.

If one constantly presses the accelerator  from slow speed, it gives a feeling of an aeroplane taking off.  It produces a suddenly burst of power and smoothly but rapidly accelerates. You don't get one to match this at this price in India currently.

Such power and torque is possible from a relatively low volume engine due to the turbo charging of the engine by using the exhaust gas pressure. Fiat has improved the horse power from 89.5 to 114 this way. The torque improvement in the T jet engine is phenomenal from 115Nm in the normal petrol linea to 207Nm in the Turbo petrol i.e.T Jet. This is also informed to be the trend for racing cars.

The engine is silent till about 1500 rpm. After 1500 rpm a little engine sound is heard. As the rpm exceeds 2000 it only wants to speed. Its turbo power comes in. It is a driver's delight to be at the wheel. You can beat virtually any car/SUV of category below Rs 13-14 lakh. I have tested the car up to 150 kmph so far- that it easily pulled. It has much more power left. That I shall test after the initial running in. Another beauty of the engine is it pulls in the fourth gear on a plane road from as low as 30 kmph smoothly.

Ride and handling:

It is very good. The car can be driven in curves with high level of confidence. Two things- its torqe is high. That enables it to go on in many situation without shifting the gear. Its Chessis appears to be well designed to take a sudden turn without loosing balance. Wide tyres do their job as well. Fiat has set the suspension setting just appropriate for the car.

Body:

It is solidly built and anybody can get that feeling from its look and its unladen weight of 1230KG.

Style:

Once seen, one falls in love. Such is the look. It is unique on the road. Nothing more to write.

Brake:

In the T Jet + model it is disk brakes in all the four wheels. No worry about breaking. Extremely sharp breaks. One has to be careful if some old vehicle is in close following. ABS and EBD further enhances the confidence. It is superb.

Tyre:

Its 16 inch alloy with a 205mm wide tubeless tyre( with one spare). What more one would want? Wide tyres with excellent brakes gives the driver enough confidence about stability. It also bridges small potholes in a nice way.

Interior Fit and Finish:

This is not bad but I would say, could have been better. Especially some of the plastic strips. For my case, it was not the prime consideration in the decision to buy the car since this is a very small component of the package. Cost cutting in this small component is no economics. Buyers wil happily pay a few thousands for an improved quality of the remaining lower quality plastic.

AC:

Powerfull AC. The AC in the TJet+ is very powerfull and also has climate control switch. Set the temperature and do other things. It will take care. It is also informed that the AC has been more powerfull in the other versins as well compared to the one in the original Linea .

It also has an excellent music system(with CD, Radio and USB drive), leather seats, Blue and Me  communication, follow me home lighting, rear AC vents, front air bags and some other things that only make your ownership experience better. The car comes fitted with almost everything required in a new car and one can start driving without any extra fitting. Special mention must be made about the key- its an innovative design. Further, you need to service the car after 15000KM or 1 year whichever is earlier.(practically once in a year for me). Add to this the 4 years free warranty.

I do not believe that anybody will be unhappy with the car after buying it, although there are many other choices for this price. But they have many shortcomings. Some of them also cleverly cheat the customer with a smile! This car is for the people who are bold, who appreciate beauty , who is after performance and who do not want to be with the CITY crowd but beat them at every battle!

Verdict : Its a highly competent car that is designed to last long with high level of safety and performance. It is a high torque low rpm car that is pleasant to drive, comfortable to travel and a "thing of beauty that I hope to be a joy for a long time". Admiration and performance is really guaranteed!

Note: Views expressed in the above review is completely personal and is only intended to help prospective buyers looking for sincere opinion about the Fiat Linea T Jet+.