[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by Ravi Krish

Hi NKrishnaP...I have read your ownership thread here and on TeamFiat in and out! Your BNW Linea is mouth watering and looks good to eat!

As for the Linea...yes i am quite sold on it.

Thanks for the information on the spare alloy...i didn't know the fifth wheel is a steel one. Will look into my account book again and see if i can stretch further to go for the Emotion Variant.

I am quite a fan of the BNW. Presently my i20 is a white one and i am finding it difficult to maintain it clean. There have been three people who had agreed to wash it everyday...but none of them stuck...all of them quit! keeping this in mind...I am looking at either Tyrian Wine or Minimal Grey as my options.

cheers!

White is far more easier to maintain in Bangalore (the city has become too dusty) than tuscan wine or any other dark color. Minimal grey will be the easiet to maintain followed by white.

Which dealer are you interacting with?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Ravi Krish

There have been three people who had agreed to wash it everyday...but none of them stuck...all of them quit! keeping this in mind...I am looking at either Tyrian Wine or Minimal Grey as my options.

cheers!

Its tuscan wine, in FIAT speak - and it is much harder to maintain than BNW. If thats your first preference over beauty, you should be looking at minimal grey/ sunbeam biege.

However - IMO - BNW is the best compromise. It offers stunning beauty as well as ease of maintaince (compared to the darker colours like Tuscan Wine, Hip Hop Black and Oceanic Blue).

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by Ravi Krish

Dear Suhaas307...I did try the Chevy Sail too. It has the 76 PS MJD too. I didn't like the boot space and also the looks of the car from the rear. The front looks quite appealing.

How is that possible?

The Sail sedan isn't due till the beginning of next year! As a practical option, it makes a lot of sense. But you're looking at the Linea and that is certainly a heart over head decision.

All the best! *thumbs up*

[Ravi Krish]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

How is that possible?

The Sail sedan isn't due till the beginning of next year! As a practical option, it makes a lot of sense. But you're looking at the Linea and that is certainly a heart over head decision.

All the best! *thumbs up*

Suhaas...I meant i test drove the 'UVA SAIL Hatch Back'...Sorry for the confusion. But i am none too impressed with it.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

How is that possible?

The Sail sedan isn't due till the beginning of next year! As a practical option, it makes a lot of sense. But you're looking at the Linea and that is certainly a heart over head decision.

All the best! *thumbs up*

Probalby he meant the Sail UVA and not the sedan. Any Fiat for that matter is heart over head decision and I am Victim of it

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Probalby he meant the Sail UVA and not the sedan. Any Fiat for that matter is heart over head decision and I am Victim of it

My bad

Yes, the Sail isn't a 'likeable' product as such. Ravi isn't the only one! Even though it does everything well, I wouldn't buy it because it does not suit my needs.

Actually, the only reason why a Fiat will be a heart over head decision is because of the dicey after-sales-service. In pretty much every respect, the Linea is a great number. It does have a few short-comings but it manages to carry appeal and provide the customer with everything he really needs. A good ride / handling package, solid build, reliable engine options, decent space, and looks that round it off nicely. So it has the potential to be the option chosen by the mind as much as the heart. It's just that Fiat needs to get its act together and fast!

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

My bad

Yes, the Sail isn't a 'likeable' product as such. Ravi isn't the only one! Even though it does everything well, I wouldn't buy it because it does not suit my needs.

Actually, the only reason why a Fiat will be a heart over head decision is because of the dicey after-sales-service. In pretty much every respect, the Linea is a great number. It does have a few short-comings but it manages to carry appeal and provide the customer with everything he really needs. A good ride / handling package, solid build, reliable engine options, decent space, and looks that round it off nicely. So it has the potential to be the option chosen by the mind as much as the heart. It's just that Fiat needs to get its act together and fast!

Agreed, the FIAT service back up is nothing to write home about in India again there are exceptions.

However, in Bangalore I have found the service to be on par with the other manufacturers. I have recent experiences with Maruti, Toyota, Fiat. All the three are more or less the same except for the fact that Toyota service experience is upmarket in terms of feel.

Anyways, since FIAT is moving towards the independent dealership and service outlet set up, its wait and watch game.

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by Ravi Krish

Hi NKrishnaP...I have read your ownership thread here and on TeamFiat in and out! Your BNW Linea is mouth watering and looks good to eat!

As for the Linea...yes i am quite sold on it.

As for the Linea...yes! it is my heart over my mind.

I hope I end up buying it and i get to keep it for a long period. Having owned a Fiat Palio earllier, I have tasted TATA-FIAT A.S.S...but i believe they have come a long way now to warrant my renewed faith in them. With FIAT coming up with their own service network (Finally)...the ownership should be interesting.

It is very heartening to see people showing their faith on Fiat.
@Ravi : Linea is a fantastic choise but go for the Emotion variant as Krishna has already suggested. Going for a Fiat is surely a heart over head decision. Inspite of the niggles that one may face with this car, everytime you take her out for a spin (specially on the highways) you'll certainly enjoy the drive.

Also, Bangalore probably has the best Fiat service at present, so you need not worry about that.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Actually, the only reason why a Fiat will be a heart over head decision is because of the dicey after-sales-service.

There are many other factors too - I feel which are more important than service. If service was such a big concern for buyers - Skoda would have had to pack their bags earlier.

Resale Value - The moment you drive a FIAT out of the showroom, you loose lakhs , just like that. And this is mainly due to -

General Brand Image - Would you want to hear your friends and relatives tell - 'Oh wow! A honda/ VW etc' or 'Why did you buy a FIAT man? Waste of money!'. This I believe is partly due to -

Lack of a halo car - Like what Octavia did for Skoda, and Duster is currently doing the job for Renault! FIAT had their chance with the 1100 - yes. It made the brand in India. And sadly - people still associate FIAT with Padmini. They had a second chance with the Palio - but they couldn't get it right. Punto and Linea unfortunately came a bit too late into the party.

Hope they focus on performance and get attention of enthusiasts (Now a lot of them stay away due to the not so great performance as well). Get engines like T-Jet/ 1.6 MJD into mainstream production (Like TSi engines from VW). Imagine a line-up of T-Jet engined FIAT cars in India. That should make atleast the enthusiasts sit up and take notice. One drive should be enough for people to have a lasting impression on the brand. Atleast - that would be a good start. As for the common people - FIAT will need to wait a long longer for the right product to strike a chord in the market, and the brand image to spread by word of mouth adverts.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

There are many other factors too - I feel which are more important than service. If service was such a big concern for buyers - Skoda would have had to pack their bags earlier.

Resale Value

+1

But these days, almost every car depreciates and the value falls like a ton of bricks. Unless you go in for a particular car. Earlier, Hondas used to hold their value but when petrol prices went up, second-hand Hondas became cheaper over night!

Other than a few cars from the Hyundai and Maruti stable, nearly every car in the market will command similar resale, give or take a few $$$

Fiat may be slightly lower, but it's the price you pay for owning a special car.

When one accepts the fact that resale isn't everything when buying a car (given than they aren't investments to begin with) more people will be open to the variety on offer.

But that's just my opinion. I;m aware that some people have different priorities.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

There are many other factors too - I feel which are more important than service. If service was such a big concern for buyers - Skoda would have had to pack their bags earlier.

Resale Value - The moment you drive a FIAT out of the showroom, you loose lakhs , just like that. And this is mainly due to -

General Brand Image - Would you want to hear your friends and relatives tell - 'Oh wow! A honda/ VW etc' or 'Why did you buy a FIAT man? Waste of money!'. This I believe is partly due to -

Originally Posted by suhaas307

+1
But these days, almost every car depreciates and the value falls like a ton of bricks. Unless you go in for a particular car. Earlier, Hondas used to hold their value but when petrol prices went up, second-hand Hondas became cheaper over night!

Other than a few cars from the Hyundai and Maruti stable, nearly every car in the market will command similar resale, give or take a few $$$

Fiat may be slightly lower, but it's the price you pay for owning a special car.

When one accepts the fact that resale isn't everything when buying a car (given than they aren't investments to begin with) more people will be open to the variety on offer.

But that's just my opinion. I;m aware that some people have different priorities.

Good points above. IMO brands like Fiat (or even Skoda probably) will never be mass market brands. Even in matured markets, they are not volume sellers (even though the reviews on recent models from these brands vastly positive). I personally prefer low volume sellers, but with a proper service backup.

A person I know was weighing up his options in this segment (diesels around 10 lakhs). He is very well-informed about cars, and wanted a European sedan. But the elimination process went like this – Ford Fiesta and Linea out because absolutely no brand value (read respect among friends and family), really liked the Rapid, but apparently Skoda was no more considered as premium in Kerala, and finally went with the only premium option he could think of in the category – the Vento. Not that the selection was bad, but the key parameter for the selection was perceived brand value + influence from friends/family/society on what is considered as premium.

On a side note, I think cars like the Linea T-Jet will hold good value a few years down the lane. It’s like some of those movies which did not get much appreciation when released, but deemed as a classic few years down the lane.

[Ravi Krish]

@ nkrishnap, @ Sommos, @ Rufus...I decided to go with the Linea Emotion. here's what transpired...

It seems that the cars manufactured after May-June are NOT loaded with the 5th Alloy (across variants including Emotion). I quickly asked the dealer if he has a car in the order of color preference given below manufactured before June...

1. White
2. Tuscan White
3. Minimal Grey
4. Oceanic Blue...

He came back to me and said he has the Tuscan Wine and Oceanic Blue.

I decided to go with the Tuscan Wine (With the 5th Alloy) instead of waiting for the white which would be obviously manufactured after May and come sans the 5th Alloy!

So...Tuscan Wine, Linea Emotion it is then!

Thanks Guys for your inputs and giving me confidence that this is indeed a good decision.

I hope things will go well with the Linea. I had bought a used Palio 1.2 Elx in 2007 (2002 model) which had run for about 30K KMS and drove it for about 30K myself. I sold it in 2010 as it started giving me a lot of trouble in the end. That said...It was one car that my wife loved! She still feels that was better than our i20!

So...hopefully...everything going well, I should bring the new Linea home next week

cheers!

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by Ravi Krish

@ nkrishnap, @ Sommos, @ Rufus...I decided to go with the Linea Emotion. here's what transpired...

It seems that the cars manufactured after May-June are NOT loaded with the 5th Alloy (across variants including Emotion). I quickly asked the dealer if he has a car in the order of color preference given below manufactured before June...

1. White
2. Tuscan White
3. Minimal Grey
4. Oceanic Blue...

He came back to me and said he has the Tuscan Wine and Oceanic Blue.

I decided to go with the Tuscan Wine (With the 5th Alloy) instead of waiting for the white which would be obviously manufactured after May and come sans the 5th Alloy!

So...Tuscan Wine, Linea Emotion it is then!

Thanks Guys for your inputs and giving me confidence that this is indeed a good decision.

I hope things will go well with the Linea. I had bought a used Palio 1.2 Elx in 2007 (2002 model) which had run for about 30K KMS and drove it for about 30K myself. I sold it in 2010 as it started giving me a lot of trouble in the end. That said...It was one car that my wife loved! She still feels that was better than our i20!

So...hopefully...everything going well, I should bring the new Linea home next week

cheers!

Congrats Ravi on the Tuscan Wine Linea. I got this news a little while back from the dealer that you had finally settled for the Emotion Variant in Tuscan wine.

Please do a PDI and take home the Linea.

No news if the third headrest and the spare wheel as alloys is stopped.

[Rufus_M]

Originally Posted by Ravi Krish

@ nkrishnap, @ Sommos, @ Rufus...I decided to go with the Linea Emotion. here's what transpired...

It seems that the cars manufactured after May-June are NOT loaded with the 5th Alloy (across variants including Emotion). I quickly asked the dealer if he has a car in the order of color preference given below manufactured before June...

1. White
2. Tuscan White
3. Minimal Grey
4. Oceanic Blue...

He came back to me and said he has the Tuscan Wine and Oceanic Blue.

I decided to go with the Tuscan Wine (With the 5th Alloy) instead of waiting for the white which would be obviously manufactured after May and come sans the 5th Alloy!

So...Tuscan Wine, Linea Emotion it is then!

Thanks Guys for your inputs and giving me confidence that this is indeed a good decision.

I hope things will go well with the Linea. I had bought a used Palio 1.2 Elx in 2007 (2002 model) which had run for about 30K KMS and drove it for about 30K myself. I sold it in 2010 as it started giving me a lot of trouble in the end. That said...It was one car that my wife loved! She still feels that was better than our i20!

So...hopefully...everything going well, I should bring the new Linea home next week

cheers!

Congratulations Ravi Krish!!

Happy that you've decided to bring the Linea home :-). The ride & handling is miles ahead of i20. The Tuscan Wine color is very seductive when kept clean :-D. Hope to see your ownership thread soon.

Cheers!

[KINI]

Guys,I booked a Vento TDI HL today.Colour is Shadow Blue.Delivery expected by early Jan 2013.Thanks for all your help.

Cheers