Sarmad Kadiri takes off in the new Linea T-Jet, Fiat’s latest turbo-charged phoenix
Photography Sanjay Raikar
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.
CAPTIONS:
The Linea T-Jet will come in a new ‘sunbeam beige’ colour
1 The interior has been improved with beige leather upholstery and soft-touch material has been used on the dash
2 The T-Jet badging sets the new Linea apart
3 The new 16” alloy wheels run on larger 205/55 R16 Goodyear Eagle NCT5
4 The T-Jet Linea produces a segment-leading 207 Nm of max torque
