Nov 19, 2012 04:46 PM
59363 Views
(Updated Dec 18, 2012 01:21 PM)
I have tried to keep this review as short and as honest as possible.
Please feel free to post your questions/suggestions in the comments section (Claiming as no auto-expert but I believe, after driving Linea for half a lakh kms, that I know my car )
Part 1
'WHY DID I BUY THIS CAR?'
For the looks. I am a visual designer by profession and the most important factor for me while looking out for a car was how it looks. So I went out and bought a Black Fiat Linea.
Spending 9+ lakhs just for the looks? :) True for me! I found no other car in this class, lower and a bit higher soo appealing. The design is matured, well balanced, clean, minimalistic, timeless and very classy - especially the side profile.
My other options to consider at that time was - All new Honda City, Volkswagen Vento and Ford Fiesta (Old one), Verna Transform
Heard a lot about the handling and ride quality but Ford was immediately out from the list for its dated boring looks
Vento, liked the minimalistic approach in the design, but lost out by a great margin when compared with Linea.
Honda city - Always loved and will be loving Honda engines - so refined and smooth. But again, not a fan of funky designs. And front profile looked out of the balance to me
Verna Transform – Do I need to say something?
(These statements are not to degrade any other brands at all for I realize that, when it comes to good and bad, there are no absolutes. So these are strictly my personal opinion.)
Part 2
'LIVING WITH LINEA'
The positives and negatives of owning a Fiat Linea, point by point -
Positives -
Again looks - Wash her, polish her and take her outside.. You will still see drooling mouths :)
Handling and control - Class benchmark. Have no expert experience here but the confident she inspires while taking cuts and turns! Man… sometimes I gets Goosebumps :) !
Steering (look and feel) - Beautifully crafted and well balanced hydraulic unit. Heavy for some users but blessing for people who love to drive.
Brakes - Awesome. Does the job perfectly.
Ride comfort - Again very good. Also changing the tyre to Michelin primacy was the best ever decision I took for Linea. The ride became super soft and braking improved marginally. Very happy for that decision.
Build quality - Well built. Feels safe inside regardless of the speed
Negatives -
First and the biggest of all - Not enough power to satisfy my needs :( - The engine is smooth, linear, and has enough power to drive comfortable in the city but when it comes to highways - she cries and screams. And overtaking on high speeds - forget it if you are expecting a safe journey. That doesn’t means she is a snail :). Not at all!... have even taken her till 167 kmph :D
Low ground clearance - Will touch almost all the humps (Now that’s bad for an Indian vehicle!)
Conclusion
"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever". Enough said.
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Planning for an ECU remap and air intake upgrade - for that extra flow of power.
Already upgraded the audio set up as the stock ones were literally horrible :). Had to kill the Blue and Me functionality altogether as I did changed the Head Unit as well :D.
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