[chethan.ram]

Originally Posted by acestormtrooper

Awesome abhi_tjet!

I have fallen in Love with Fiat totally. Its a complete drivers car.

Rahul, Ravi and Anil from Wings Auto are too good at maintaining the car. I have known Rahul since he was at Pandit Auto at the Tilak Road Branch and I was an Intern at the Sahakar Nagar Workshop.

I had a 2009 Punto Emotion Pack on which I had clocked around 2,10,000 Kms and was completely PERFECT! But then, due to my job, had to purchase a new car. Did not want to let go of the Punto but then my pocket did not permit me to maintain two cars. I was considering the Punto Evo then, but unfortunately in 2017, the CTC scheme did not provide for a Fiat car, due to which I was somewhat forced to go in for a Swift.

I literally cried the day i let go of my blue baby!

This was the last picture which i had clicked when the guy at the exchange place took her away.

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A friend of mine then bought the car immediately. He still has it and does not want to part with it at all!

Then in Oct 2019, My swift met with a bad accident, where an auto rickshaw driver slept off on the wheel and rammed into me from the rear. This was at around 5am and I was heading for my office at Chakan, Pune. The impact was so bad that the driver seat mountings broke and the car was totaled. Thankfully, he did not have any major injuries and I too was safe.

After this incident, I did not want to purchase any car other than Fiat! I was searching for a Linea all over the country. Fortunately, an ex-colleague came to a rescue who had just joined FCA. (perks of being from the Automobile Manufacturing Industry) I asked him if any company owned cars are available. He checked up and one Fiat Linea MJD 2017 model which was registered with FCA and was up for sale.

Completed all the formalities and I instantly got this beauty home!

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It had just clocked around 3000 Kms. Drove it and was in love with her.

Got the tyres replaced as the car was idle in the factory / with the company representative and they had gotten real hard. Installed 4 Pirelli Cinturato P6 and then she just flew on the highway!

I've made a solemn promise to myself, I will never sell this car come what may.

Very happy to see this thread in the forum.

Also a big thanks to BrakingBad

This car "HAS AN ENGINE!"

That is some transition for you. I can imagine how you must have felt driving the Swift after driving the Fiat for 200000 lakh kms. That’s a fantastic move going for Linea again. With just 3000 kms on the odo you don’t have to think for at least another 10 years. Punto and Linea are two of the best looking cars according to me.

In fact, a friend of mine bought a sparingly used T-Jet. He is absolutely in love with it. Along with my Punto, I now get to drive the T-Jet quite often.

[devansn]

Great review @abhi_tjet! The car looks awesome! Especially in the blue. These Fiats have timeless designs.

Saw another post on team bhp from someone who was considering to sell his Ford because they shut shop. Here I am, who replaced my 11 year old Punto with a 5 year old Linea T Jet recently - couple of years after Fiat shut shop. In a nutshell, hope you can keep this car forever...

[whencut86]

Wonderfully penned down! Brings back some great memories for anyone who has owned or who currently owns a Linea. I bought the 2014 facelifted version of the Linea TJet in Magnesio Grey in 2015. Been 6 years and I still smile when the turbo kicks in when driving. I used to own a Brio and then switched to Linea. One terrific car to own and drive and no doubts about it. When I purchased the car, among this segment, the Linea was the only car with terrific ride and handling, sorted suspension for our roads, solid build quality, brilliant turbo petrol engine, weighted steering with superb feedback, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, cruise control and some nice add-ons like sunglass holder, vanity lights, rear curtain.

There is no car in this budget which can give as much satisfaction a Linea T-Jet does. There is no car south of 30-35 lakhs which can beat the Linea today. Will keep the Linea for as many years as possible.

[DRIV3R]

Hi Abhi, wonderful ownership thread to remind everyone of this awesome machine.

Being a FIAT fan myself, we have 3 Fiats at home, barring couple others from other manufacturers and goes without saying that these Fiats are special. We struggle to identify a replacement even with double the budget, even today. Very minimal cost of upkeep, unmatched ride quality and comfort, solid build, driving pleasure etc., makes it an unbeatable combination, atleast for the current crop of owners. Yes the ergonomics are not sorted, and the gearshift feel is quirky, but those never bother us.

I own the exact same car from similar vintage and shade, and absolutely love it. The T Jet’s engine is bullet proof, packs a punch though it carries a lot of heft, and has matching performance from the brakes. The brakes are amazing on this car, from pedal feel, modulation and stopping power. Have had my own panic situations and here is one of them that was recorded from both in cabin and outside (from my friends car; friend was leading).

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ml#post4542953 (Your near-miss experiences on the road)

The following post has the other PoV video.

The boot space is also very good, and the hinges are proper premium, since they are external and don’t cut into your luggage if your boot is full. In most other sedans, we need to factor the hinge movement as well, as that becomes an unusable space.

This car is a keeper, and would suggest not to sell her even if you have to travel abroad long term on work.

Signing off with couple pictures of my car.

[arun_josie]

Very nice review with some nice pics thereWishing you many more happy and safe miles!

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

On that note, let me take a pause here and I will keep adding my experiences as I clock more kilometres. This being my first car, I have no intention of selling it any time soon.

It is very difficult to find a replacement too.

[theabstractmind]

Originally Posted by acestormtrooper

Awesome abhi_tjet!

I have fallen in Love with Fiat totally.

This car "HAS AN ENGINE!"

What a beauty! Haven't seen one more beautiful than this! Wish you very happy smiles and can fully relate to falling in love with a Fiat.

[hsingh]

Great and awesome read! The build quality of the car is still unmatched imho, I recently got the Safari Persona, but Linea is still my favourite.

Ohhh, I miss Linea now, sadly they don't have them in the UK. Now, I desperately want to buy a Punto here. ��*♂️

[emmenhr]

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

Some unique bits which shows that FIAT didn’t indulged in cost cutting as such.

Sun visor with mirror and lights. Button to open boot can be seen on dashboard.
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Rear sun curtain. Rear camera can be seen as well
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Foldable grab handles and Premium roof liner
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Full Boot cover(FIAT branded), hydraulics for boot and under bonnet insulation.
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A functional driver side hand rest.
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All 4 window auto down feature, backlit, auto up for Driver side along with leather upholstery in door pads.
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Speed Limiter in MID to warn you which can be customised from My car menu. separate buttons for front/rear fog light. No fumbling needed
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Auto HeadLight and Wipers(frameless)
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However, they seems never got the pulse of market and were aloof to the market voice, didn’t improved much which ultimately led to the downfall.

On that note, let me take a pause here and I will keep adding my experiences as I clock more kilometres. This being my first car, I have no intention of selling it any time soon.

abhi_tjet - Great review. Fiats build amazing cars and still dont know why they could not build up great service centres. I had brought a Fiat Punto Emotion 1.3 in December 2010 and just sold it 20 days back. Amazing car and never gave any issues all these years. The only niggle was the IRVM. An year back, it just broke and it was an hassle getting a replacement. Bangalore service guys quoted Rs. 13000!!!! Used it for an year with out the IRVM and a few months back got one from BODMO at Rs. 700.
Sadly, since I stay abroad and the car was not being driven much, I parted ways.
If FIAT came back, I would still line up to buy their car!!!!
Cheers

[Night Raven]

I have been following this thread for the last couple of days. It makes me feel emotional and proud to see the handful of happy fellow Fiat owners.

For me Linea was always love at first sight. In 2015 when i was ready to buy my first car, Linea was the natural choice. But she was slightly out of my budget and thinking practically I didn’t need a big car. So I settled for the younger brother, the Punto Evo. We have been together for nearly 7 years and 95000 kms and I only have good memories with this car. I have been driving the Punto every day (even during lockdowns, perks of being a doctor) and quite frankly my day feels incomplete without that drive. No fancy gadgets or touch screens or driver assists. There is even a significant learning curve to get comfortable with the car. Once you are past all that, you start appreciating the fact that these cars have their fundamentals solid. The ride, handling, high speed stability, braking performance, that gem of a steering. The engine that can drive you to the moon and back. It amazes me that a two decade old platform and model can still put some of the more modern cars to shame when it comes to these basics. Speaks volumes about the depth of engineering.

When I bought the Punto I had thought of keeping it for 5 years. Now at the end of 7 years, I don’t find anything interesting enough to replace it. Whatever feels like an upgrade is far beyond reach also. Still if any itch is left, all that takes is a long highway drive. Makes me fall in love with the Punto all over again.

Signing off with a recent picture of my beloved Punto.



Ps: I think I am going to get in to trouble if my wife reads this. It’s been a long time since I wrote anything like this for her

[Ashwin Morey]

It is so great to see a new review of an old horse and bonus points if the review is of something that you own it as well

I have had the privilege of owning 2 Linea T-jets, the older one and then the current one which is the refreshed T-Jet that i bought in 2015 (Magnesio Grey).

This is an ageless beauty, like mentioned by others, I can keep staring at this beauty and it never ceases to please you. When the turbo kicks in, you still feel exhilarating and the hydraulic steering is worth drooling over. Not to mention that it is from the older era which means it is a manual, has more mechanicals than electronics and there are buttons rather than touch points

I didn't know that ex-Pandit Auto guys have a service center in Pune, perhaps if some details are provided it would be good. I have however visited Auto-Mechanix and those guys are good.

[abhi_tjet]

Originally Posted by Ashwin Morey

I didn't know that ex-Pandit Auto guys have a service center in Pune, perhaps if some details are provided it would be good. I have however visited Auto-Mechanix and those guys are good.

Hey Ashwin! Thanks for the compliments.
Below is the plus codes for Wings auto care. Paste it on google maps.
GQRG+XG Pune, Maharashtra

It’s behind the Tata authorised commercial vehicle service centre near Rangla Punjab on Pune -Bangalore bypass.

[meples]

@abhi_tjet absolutely gorgeous colour! The Linea in Oceanic Blue looks stunning. Can't take my eyes off her And the funny thing is, I too drive a Linea Tjet. I have respect for owners of well-maintained Fiats. It's not easy.

Mine, after a wash at 3M.

[gopikb]

Abhi, a great car and the way you have maintained it, absolutely stunning. Sometimes, I do think of writing a Long term ownership review of my Punto and Linea. But then FIAT is not in India anymore and whatever post I make is not going to help anyone. So I just junked that idea.

But I am glad you started the thread and I was happy to see so many people who have similar thought with regard to the ownership of FIATs. This is a very refreshing to see I am not alone in this world and great to read all your posts.

A picture of my FIAT twins just for the record. As pointed out by others, I would hold on to them as long as they remain trouble free.

[harshithkashyap]

This is a fantastic thread and thanks for reviving the Fiat/Linea thread back with this wonderful ownership experience.

That's a really well maintained TJet and the color still looks stunning. I recently got myself a preowned TJet and it's been an absolute pleasure driving this.

Looking at a couple of minor features you've listed, it seems to be introduced with the later models. Mine is a 2011 model, 2012 registered TJet Plus and it looks like Fiat introduced the Auto Headlamps and Rain sensing wipers from your model. The USB slot also only charges the phone instead of music playback.

I still can stare at it for hours admiring its elegance. No bad angles for this beauty.

This is so true.

I'm already spoiled by TJet with it's amazing build quality and the power it offers. It's been really fun driving this. I hope to maintain and keep my TJet for many more years!

Here's my TJet after a 1000+kms long trip and a clean wash

[chethan.ram]

Originally Posted by harshithkashyap

Here's my TJet after a 1000+kms long trip and a clean wash

She is a beauty, I must say. Having driven her, it is very hard to tell that she is 9 years old. That's the beauty of FIATs.