Fiat Linea [2008-2011] User Reviews

The description of the features and the pictures of the car were truly inspiring. So I landed at a TATA - FIAT dealer to check the offering in real and also have a taste of it. The car is long and wide. I am 5'9" and for my build, I found that I can stretch my leg while on the front passenger seat with much space to spare for the passenger behind me. His knees were yet to touch the back of front seat. The width of the seats were good, three men could be seated at the back. The car I checked on was standing in sun for a while and was pretty hot (oven) when I entered but cooled up soon after start of the AC. The climate control did a good job and cooled the cabin in a short while; the rear AC vent helps in the act. I checked on the mirrors, they were rightly sized to allow proper viewing as well as the electronic control was good. Next I checked the stereo and found the Blaupunkt equipment to be delivering very good sound quality and the control at the steering made it enjoyable. The buttons were positioned at convenient positions. The display console shows many usual things including real time fuel usage display. The hand rest between front seats and the space beneath was good to keep toll tickets.  The handbrake is restricted by this hand rest and would need moving up when applying. However it is same for all cars  with a hand rest . The rear seat hand rest is equipped with cup holders. I would rather not like this utility as the plastic was very thin and looked brittle. Visually it seemed a bulky hand might damage the piece. I would rather like this hand rest tucked into the rear rest. However I noted a car that has its bonnet opener broken, the piece didn’t seem to be very strong on visual inspection. The colour composition of the doors, the dash and the fabric on the seat were in harmony but not extravagant. The alloy wheels looked beautiful.

The engine doesn’t transmit much vibration or sound to the cabin indicating the good quality of insulation, the horn when sounded doesn’t sound much into the cabin. While in neutral, it was difficult for me to know if the engine is running. The gear shifts were very smooth and the movement was short and sweet. The gear box responds well and so does the engine to the acceleration. Over 60 KMpH, the on acceleration with RPM below 1500, it takes a short while to respond, but it catches on very soon. On accelerating around 2500 RPM, the response is prompt but with a little grunt which disappears with the stabilization of the revs. The steering is light, the braking is good and the handling is wonderful. The road grip was very good and combined with the light steering effortless maneuvering of the vehicle was possible. I made a U tern of the vehicle at 3rd gear and there was no struggle. The engine and transmission is surely a gem of a creation. At 80 KMpH the car was going strong and was yet to approach any serious rev rate. I could go no further than 80 KMpH due to restrictions on the road but the car seemed capable of delivering high speed with control. While on the drive, the driver seat could be and was elevated when I changed seat with my wife. The driving experience indicated that this car would be a driver’s car.  My short drive was not good enough to test the fuel economy. I was told the same engine is being used in another car and there it delivers 14+ KMpL in city and 17+ KMpL on highways. This would need to be checked with users.

I asked the question on servicing and availability of the spares, I was shown a few older Fiats being serviced. On spares they commented that Fiat has taken cognizance of the fact and have made improvements in their spares supply chain and the company is serious to make a comeback into the market. This would also need validation.

Conclusion:  A big car with a right size and responsive engine and transmission. Features galore and great comfort for the price it comes (Rs.891000 on-road for me), it is time to plan some real long drives.

I initally wanted to buy a Cruze and that also a LT model because my friend had a bad experiances with the sunroof jamming and the keyless entry feature.

This all started after I took Cruzes test drives and was quite sure I wanted to buy it after quite a few talks with my friend who allready had a LTZ model I settled on the Cruze LT but when I used my friends Cruze in traffic it was a bad experiance ther mid range was not very good and overtaking fast trucks was hard work. In the test drive I drove in traffic less street and also without much speed control.

Matters went downhill from there the LT model did not have ACC and had a single line display for the car funtions. I had no plans on Linea did not consider it because it was a cheaper car so i did not think it had anything against Cruze but i was wrong.

My friend took me to FIAT's showroom in his Cruze and I took a testdrive of Linea with my friend following me in his car. Intally I was not impressed the Cruze's centre console looked much sporty and the plastics were a bit better "Not a lot". Linea took the city roads quite well and I was impressed that a 90PS car could give a better drive in city than a 150PS car could. Overtaking cars/trucks was easy in city due to better mid range and I was impressed with the handling also.

I will compare Linea to the Cruze in the below attrib's because given the dimensions and the fact that it was my other choice it would be a good write up.

Exterior Wonderful lines a work of art can be said for both Linea and Cruze. Linea had a artistic air about it, it has the lines that can make people gasp but only if one looks at it for some period of time. Cruze has a much more bolder and beaffy look it has a American face even if it was designed somewhere else. People will take time to notice Linea's beauty. People will take half a second to notice Cruze.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interior's for the Linea are a bit smaller than the Cruze when i say a bit smaller i mean the back head room and the door spaces. The Cruze lets me keep big bottles in my door space but Linea does not. The space in the driver part of the cabin is good as good as the Cruze and there is a foot dead pedal that the Cruze doe not have and it proves to be very comfy on trip's. Both Cruze and Linea have weak lumbar support but Linea's rear seats are super comfy. Features are similar on Cruze LT and Linea Emo Pk but things like Blue&Me are extra, Space in both are ok for the driver but rear seat legroom is less in Cruze and headroom is less in Linea.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine performance is low on Linea and its something that i dont like after i tried on Cruze but as i have allready noted the in city performance is great pointing to the great mid torque that the car can deliver. The performance is good keeping in mind that this is a 1.3 with a variable turbo same as the Cruze with its 2.0 and a variable turbo. FE is good and gearbox is a bit like rubber but Cruze's gearbox was not slick either still it was a bit better than the one in Linea. Engine is ok not great but good for city drives okish for highway, cruze is opp. its great on highway and bad on city

Ride Quality & Handling Linea has one of the best ride quality in the segment and compared to Cruze it stands out what i mean is that Cruze has a harder suspension setup than Linea and its a hard ride for mid level speeds but once speed is incresed to around 90kph the ride smooth's up a lot. Linea has wonderful handling the hatchback underpins dont really show themself's, Ride quality is quite good a mix of soft and hard a must on Indian roads.

Final Words Bought Linea Emo Pk instead of Cruze LT because it drives better in the city, gives better FE, is cheaper to repair, has similar dimension's, have similar brand value, resale value for Cruze would not be high nor do i expect Linea to be high, better braking time and lower distance covered 100-0kph than Cruze, Blue&Me and ACC were the final points in the deal.

Areas of improvement Back seat head room, Plastic quality, Engine power.

I have bought this amazing car exactly 9 Months back and I have clocked more than 7K. So this is the time to put some light on my experience with this car. Bad stuff first.... • Very less ground clearance. You have to be very careful while crossing the bumps. You cannot be in hurry to jump over it. There is one huge channel beneath the car. This is the part of skeletal structure. When I got few hits from bumps I saw the car putting up on the ramp. There was no major damage except scratches. But, certainly you have to be patient at bumps. • Slightly overweight. Some people say it is underpowered which I don’t agree. It has enough power to slap any car when it comes to pickup & speed. I have a diesel Emotion vehicle which has amazing pickup & performance. I have driven all other cars in this segment. The only car which cannot be beaten is Optra Magnum. So, Linea is slightly overweight. If you compare all cars in this segment, you will find all cars with less weight. • It has linear power & hence you will not get that punch of pickup. It grasps the speed gradually. Honestly, I did not find any other issues with the car. So good things now …. • There are plenty. This is a feature rich car. No any other car in this segment has such features. I will not mention all features but one of them is MyCar feature which puts you at ease. • Safety: o Very sturdy build quality. You can feel that when you sit inside. Compare this with any car like SX4. Verna, Fiesta, etc. o ABS & Airbags: It comes with airbags for both front seats. ABS is nowadays a standard feature. At least I assume that. o Superb stability at high speeds. I drove this car past 120 many a times. It gives you very comfortable confidence about the drive. Highly stable on high speeds. • Performance: Once you cross 70-80 Kmph, you will feel the power. It can put any other car way behind. I have driven this car to Ooty by 36 hair pin bend road. I was easily climbing up hill while other cars were running out of the breath. The only car which crossed me was Innova, obviously it has 2.5k CC engine. Also on Bangalore – Mysore road, I was cruising beyond 130 easily, that too, in weekend traffic. • Mileage: I am using this car since last 9 months & it is showing only upward trend in mileage. Nowadays, I am getting 13.6 in city traffic. My daily travel is from Bannerghatta road to Marthalli and back. So you can understand the traffic situation on this road. I have never got the mileage below 13. On highways, I got 22 kmpl. On hill area like Ooty, it delivered 18 kmpl. And yes, I drive the car only when AC is on. I don’t like to breathe polluted air. • Comfort: Very much comfortable for driver & pillion. I am 6ft tall & I get huge leg space & head room. When I drive, the person who sits behind me is also comfortable, so no nonsense talk. It is very spacious. Seats are very much comfortable. I changed it to leather upholstery which gives a rich feel. • As I said there are plenty of good things. It looks very nice & decent. It has very good suspensions, especially when you are at speed, you won’t feel the jerk. Handling is smooth. Visibility is also very good as compared to other cars. Huge boot space. You can carry your entire luggage without compromising on your seats. Gears are perfect. Some people say the transmission is not smooth. But I can change gears with one finger. It goes to the exactly right block where you want it to go. You can feel the blocks. • Many people say it is a diesel engine, it has loud noise & all that stuff. My experience is different. Many people were like “awwwwaaaaaa” when I told them it is a diesel vehicle. There is no engine noise in the cabin. Of course you have to pull the windows up. What more, there is no vibration on gear knob while driving the car. You can feel this vibration in any other diesel car. • Automatic climate control is very strong. It cools the cabin in no time. You can connect your iPOD or pen drive & enjoy the songs through 6 speakers. I have lot more to write but just wanted to be specific while writing. If anyone wants any feedback, I am happy to provide. Folks, this is a gem from the brand owner, FIAT. Even Punto is another “should have” car. If you want suggestions while choosing the car, write to me.

I have been following this forum for quite some time now. I took delivery of Emotion Pk 1.3 MjD 2 days ago. This forum helped me in making that decision and I am very grateful to all the contributors.
I have not driven the vehicle so much (only 105 Km) so that I can give you a meaningful review of the car about its performance and all. I promise as the time passes by I will update all of you through this forum.
Now talking about 105 Km I have driven so far-
* The looks of the car is absolutely great (admiration guaranteed as promised in the ad)
* If you are driving in a city like Lucknow, you have to be changing gear all the time.  This is because the turbocharger cuts in at 2000 rpm and the vehicle does not pickup. I have never driven a diesel vehicle before may be that is the problem.
* The feature of Full Auto on AC system is fabulous which controls the blower and the compressor as per the differential in the set point and the present temperature.
* The tool set what Fiat is giving is pathetic. Should have some more tools in the car. This may be because the engineer in me thinks that some small things can be fixed by the car owner.
* The braking with ABS is new experience for me and it is fabulous. It is raining heavily in Lucknow now a days and with the kind of traffic in the city it is very handy.
* I do not know that having the suspension so hard is good or bad. But I do not feel too much of jerk when the car is going over potholes which are in abundance in the city.
* The instant mileage meter sometimes shows a mileage of 21 Km/L but I highly doubt it. The trip meter at present indicates 20 Km/L. I had the tank full on the delivery day and looking forward to do some calculations of my own when I go back to the filling station.

I look forward to the experienced people to make some comments so that I can run this car efficiently and cost effectively. It is a privilege to have this kind of experience on the forum.
Will write updates regularly as time passes by.
Cheers
Umesh

Friends I noticed something which needs clarification from the stalwarts. While driving I had the instant mileage on the display, I was driving in 4th gear, I released the accelerator pedal for a moment and then again came back to same level. The instant mileage meter started showing from 12 Km/L to 18 Km/L.
My overall average mileage has improved from 4.7 to 9.5 Km/L.

After 9000 km an update is warranted. I am in love with this car. I was on a road trip of 2500 km last week. The car gave me pleasure beyond my expectations. Only thing which I can complain about at this point of time is the ground clearance. The roads in India and speed breakers on them are serious threat. Had few scares but overall I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. The mileage overall for this trip was 17km/l which I can't complain about. The AC was always on during this trip and it was set to maintain 16 deg C.

More updates will follow as I go along with my roadmate.

Brgds

umesh

Since last 2 years I was surfing through different websites and almost read through 100 user reviews on Fiat Linea and every one had a good opinion.  We booked a Diesel, Flamenco Red, Emotion Pk.  While booking they informed a 20 days booking period.  But as they didn’t have Flamenco red in stock we opted for Vocal white.  It looked very majestic and like a beautiful White Stallion in a stable.. 
Admiration Guaranteed: - The slogan ‘Admiration Guaranteed’ is very rightly put for the looks of this beauty machine.  The bad thing is it really attracted a lot of envy. The interior is exotic and very lively.  You don’t feel like coming out once you are inside.  My 5 year old son is all the time inside the car and now knows almost as much as me about the car.  The front seat passengers have enough leg & seating space even if the seats are pulled well in front.  The front arm rest in the centre is very useful for the driver.  Only negative part is the hand brake is just beneath the arm rest. But again you don’t use the hand brake all the time.  The dials and the dashboard are beautiful and assembled neatly..  The digital display provides a lot of information including time, date, outside temperature, and also the kms run.  The plastic doesn’t look that cheap compared to the other cars in this segment including NH City.  The finishing inside is very neat and done very well. The dual colour interiors give it a rich look. 
:  1.3 Multijet engines would be a small engine for a car of this size, but it has enough power to drive this car efficiently.  In the first gear you have to pass 2500 rpm to get a steady start, but once you are moving the gears constantly the speed picks up and the drive is also extremely smooth.  The pick up may be lesser compared to other cars, but this is a family car and I am not in for any race too.  This gives out a steady pick up and I personally feel that’s what is needed in a family car.  The best thing I loved while driving this in slow traffic places is that you can drive even in the 5th gear at the speed of 30-35 kms and still the car wouldn’t jerk.  When you need to get speed after clearing the traffic, you need to push the pedal slowly and it will gain speed steadily, the good thing is you don’t have to change any gears, its like driving an auto-transmission car.
As I have driven only 400 kms I have not yet really checked the mileage but my display showed 17km /l while on highways.  When I checked with the sales executive he said it would increase after the 1st service.
The driving control is excellent and even on sharp bends you don’t feel the car swirling even a bit.  I tried out some sharp ‘S’ curves on some Trichur roads at 90 kms speed and it was taken very smoothly by the car.  There was no skidding or screeching sound and the tires gripped the road very well. 
The ride is very smooth and even on uneven roads you don’t feel the jerks as the Linea suspension bears it all.  We had gone for a long trip 150 kms with my aparents at the back and after returning they were as fresh as when we left from here.  My father remarked that he felt as if we were sailing in a boat and with the continuous air condition from the rear a/c vents, it felt as if the cool sea breeze was flowing into them. 
The technology installed in this car is the best among any other cars.  The ‘Blue&me’ system is very useful for people who are constantly over phone all the time.  This system is very user friendly and you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out how it functions.  Once you pair your Mobile with the ‘Blue&me’ everytime you get in the car with your mobile’s Bluetooth ‘ON’, it will automatically connect to the car’s system.  You have first to download your phonebook to make any calls by name if not, you can also tell the car to ‘DIAL’ and then read out the telephone number .  Another feature is if you receive an SMS from any of your phone book contacts, then car will ask you if you need the SMS to be read out, say ‘YES’ and it will read out the SMS irrespective of the language.  I tried out a couple of Malayalam ‘SMS’ and it read out these SMS very clearly with an English accent. 

Finally the maintenance.  As the service has to be done only in 15000 kms the maintenance schedule is very long and hence I feel till that time  it would be a ‘ Fill it, Shut it and Forget it’ sort of an affair. 
Fiat cars were always known for their reliability but it is the looks and the service that let them down in India.  But this car is ‘Bold & Beautiful’ and the I believe Tata service would also cater to all the needs in future.  I learnt from the dealers that many people who had booked for SX4, Dzire, NHonda City already cancelled their bookings and booked for Fiat Linea and most of them already taken delivery of their cars compared to the 6-8 months waiting p

I was looking to buy a diesel sedan and my dad had narrowed to Verna in Nov 2008. I was not keen on Verna because I felt it was not a value for money car and dint want to go for a Hyundai car paying 10 lac. I delayed my buy and was looking for options and hoping some manufacturer will come up with a car for this segment which people were craving for.

Finally the news of Linea came out and I took dad to test drive Verna and Linea the same day. I just fell in love with the first look of the Linea. My dad was no different. We immediately paid the advance and I was told I will be the first few owners of this car :)

Got the delivery on 13th the Friday of Feb 2009. Unlucky for some but proved lucky for me :)

Till about 6 months I was been looked upon where ever i went, people at the signal, at home, relatives, friends, all were eager to know more about the car. Indians are conservative and buy only after someone tells them to buy (famous word of mouth) or has been in the market and proved itself.

I enjoyed the attention, but at the same time a thought was running in my background, what if I will remain the only few who own this car :)

Fortunately the great car and value for money Linea is, it did not break my belief. It sold well and today quite a few of my friends are proud owners.

Exterior The major USP of the car is its classy look. Unlike others hatch back converted sedan which look ugly and has the "overnight-butt-attached" feel, Linea truely looks like a sedan and no trace of any hatch back with its classy and elegant lines.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Descent usage of plastic and well laid out dash gives an upper class feel. I own a Toyota Innova, at first I rated Innova very high and Linea dint really overtake those feelings. But the beauty of Linea is that, it grows on you day by day. Soon after a year of driving i prefer the Linea for the sheer joy and comfort. I still love the innova though.

Quite spacious inside, I am 6' 2" and still can drive with relavent comfort with a rear passengar. When i am driving alone, I push back the driving seat completely back though.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The only negative aspect that was in my mind was the compromise I was making on the engine CC. Just 1.3L sounded a compromise which I had to make to give way for its gorgeous looks. But I am not disappointed at all, though being small in size it has enough power to keep it going. On highways its is very stable and i have clocked 160+. It does 140 quite effortlessly, getting to 160 take a little time.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is dampened by the low ground clearance, on bad roads and bumps you have to literllay slow down to under 10 kmph. This would be the BIGGEST negative of the car. But the low ground clearance means less body roll and great road grip. This is what makes highway driving a pleasent one, I just zip past other cars with great confidence.

Final Words Buy one if you are looking for a genuine diesel sedan!

Areas of improvement Ground clearance and service (spares).