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.
