Fiat Linea

   

      The Fiat Linea has always been a good looking car. It may not be as flamboyant as Verna but is surely an elegant looking car. The new facelifted model carries the lines further with neat cosmetic changes on the exterior like new fascia which includes restyled front grill, bumper and new fog lamp clusters. At the rear, the boot gets a big chrome strip and the number plate has been moved onto the bootlid. The side profile remains same except for new alloy wheels.


                            

     The body is robust and feels it will last forever. It's got 185mm of ground clearance which is best in it's class so you don't have to worry about scraping the bottom at speed breakers.
   
This is the only car in it's segment to have automatic switch on/off headlamps based on outside light conditions and even auto rain sense wipers.

      Step inside and you will be impressed by it's stylish cabin. Fiat has given a host of new features which has freshened up interior feel. The dashboard has dual tone black and beige theme which feels soft and nice to touch. There is also a new orange mood ambient lighting through the dash and door pads which gives a premium feel. The slick center console gets a storage box at the top which is made of dampening material to cut unwanted rattle noise of loose things you place inside.
The stereo panel is finished in piano black and does the job with Aux and USB port decently.

      Linea now comes with cruise control and auto climate control which is a welcoming feature.
The instrument cluster is bold and has tons of features like customizable options. You can change the color intensity of the display and also the alarm buzzer volume which buzzes up when the car hits certain speed which is preset.
      It has also got digital odometer, external temperature indicator, mileage distance to empty indicator, front passenger airbag deactivation.

      The steering is nice to hold and has volume control and blue me buttons. You can adjust the height now as the reach adjust has not made it to new car.
There are some negatives however- the buttons are tiny and difficult to operate and plastic quality around steering is compromised.

       The linea's front seat are supportive and comfortable and the emotion variant gets perforated leather which can be quiet a task in keeping it clean.
Coming to the rear, it's got a A/C vent for passengers. The seats are really comfortable and have got excellent thigh support and knee room, it can seat 5 people in decent comfort but still nowhere to the City.

      What's not impressive is the performance, despite having 1.3litre 90bhp multijet engine mated to 5 speed gearbox it feels snappy below 2000rpm and you don't get sudden surge of power when you push the pedal hard, but what you do get is everyday easily useable power delivery. In test it took 14.7secs to do 0-100kmph which is acceptable if you ask me.

     On the move Linea impress with it's excellent ride quality and handling characteristics. Push it hard in corner and won't disappoint you. The tyres offer phenomenal grip too.

      Safety: It offers 2 airbags and has ABS and EBD too.

      The new changes have made world of difference to the new linea. With ever growing dealer capacity it is making it's mark in the market quietly. The prices are competitive too.
There are total 6 shades to choose from.
If you want a no nonsense sedan then Linea is definitely worth considering.

   

                       

A Big thanks to Rohan of Rohan Motors, the authorized dealer of Fiat in Bijapur for giving us the car.

Ford EcoSport-Test Review

          Come-on tell me what all do what to want in a car?  Handling, comfort, ride quality, efficiency, cabin features, parking ease of a car along with ground clearance, practicality, road-presence of a SUV!

This is why we have seen immense popularity of Compact SUV segment in India. These cars are not to command roads but a degree of safety & Ford EcoSport is one such fine example.

          Ford has given everything to make it a complete package & still priced very competitively. No wonder it has set sales chart on fire & now command a 6 month long waiting period. 


          The EcoSport is available in both diesel & petrol engine options, a brand new 1.0litre petrol Ecoboost engine & a 89ps 1.5 litre turbo-diesel engine.

Design: -

The EcoSport is just a millimetre short of 4-metre mark giving it full benefits of under 4-metre-length car tax benefit

The overall design is very tight & compact. On the front you get a pair of sleek & futuristic looking headlamps & that high bonnet gives the car a purposeful stance. From side it the looks small. The back is where EcoSport gives a proper impression of an SUV thanks to the tailgate mounted spare wheel.
The EcoSport is based on B2E's Fiesta platform. It has got independent MacPherson struts in front & non-independent torsion beam rear axle.  

It has 200mm of grond clearance, approach angle of 25 degrees & Ford claim it can wade through 550mm of water which is pretty handy.

Interiors:-

The Fiesta based dashboard is stylish. It sits very high & is deep. The 'chest-out' centre console is very appealing to look but equally tough find the right button without looking at it. It's got USB slot, AUX & CD slot. Above it is a small info screen which has got dull graphics & catches reflection but I think it is better than others.The dark color cabin makes it feel small than actually it is. The steering wheel is nice to hold & gets telescopic adjustment.

Top end variants get push start button  There are plenty of storage spaces, there is a nice rubberised cubbyhole ahead of gear-lever to keep your phone, 3 bottle/can holders around handbrake & it got big door pockets. In total you get 9 bottle/can holders. You also get USB/AUX & 12v charging ports placed near handbrake. Glove box got a dual level & the bottom compartment has got an air-con duct to keep your cans cool.
The instrument console looks very sporty. The dials are easy to read & is lit with blue light. It gets only one trip meter which sho Tuld be ok for you.

The car has not been provided with grab handle above doors, the passenger gets nothing to hold onto which might turn annoying & tiring.
The audio system is very good. It also gets 'speed volume compensation' which automatically increases the volume when the speed increases to kill the engine noise.

The front seats are supportive & comfortable enough for long runs. Those with heavy built may find it bit tight but are plenty of options to make seat adjustments & find your perfect driving position. It's got lumbar support too & driver gets armrest too.

Coming to back you get enough legroom & headroom but it feels very narrow & will be very tight for 3 passengers, which I suggest is best avoided.

EcoSport has got a decent 362 litres boot which is acceptable. The tailgate is smartly scooped inside to accommodate large bags.You can split fold seats to get 700 litres space but it is still not enough to swallow decent sized study table. That's a serious letdown.

Engine Performance:-
I drove the more popular 1.5litre diesel which makes only 90bhp which feels a bit underpowered for my liking but it's got 21kgm of torque to pull through when needed. The engine is responsive but you don't get the any turbo kick when pushed.
The gearbox feels very smooth to use & shifts easy. 
It took over 16 secs to hit the 100kmph mark from standstill & it can reach upto 170kmph.

Handling:- 
Like other Fords it's a joy to drive. It gives you a commanding view of road ahead.
The steering is lite but feels well connected to road. It is absolutely effortless to drive in city but equally tough to park due to limited rear visibility. 
It's a good cruiser on highway & you will enjoy pushing it hard.

Efficiency:-
We got 14.5 kmpl in city & 19kmpl on long highway stretches, which is very much acceptable keeping in mind this not a hatchback.

Final verdict:- It is a very smart package & it's got everything to appeal your tastes. It's fun to drive, it's easy to maintain. Ford has also packed it with many equipment & many first in-class features. 
Moreover it's cleverly priced with many models as cheap as hatchbacks(petrol versions).
This is one car I would surely recommend. 

Note: The visibility offered by headlamps were not satisfactory hence the bulbs were upgraded to 'Philips Xtreme vision' at the cost Rs/-1,200 which now offer better visibility.
I advice owners to install a rear parking camera as rear visibility is very poor.
The wheel cover on the back of the vehicle is a optional accessory & cost's a whopping Rs/-22,000.


P.S.- Special thanks to Dr. Sandeep Harshangi for letting his new drive for the review.