Fiat has launched, or rather relaunched, the Linea T-Jet in India.
First introduced in 2010, the T-Jet was a better performing and more efficient but costlier variant of Linea. The T-Jet was positioned as the flagship car of the Fiat lineup, and was available only in the Emotion trim. Rising petrol prices, the higher price of the T-Jet and Fiat’s poor after sales service meant that sales of the car was pretty low, even though there were many people who were impressed by its engine and handling. In 2012, when Fiat launched the refreshed versions of the Punto and the Linea, the T-Jet was left out.
The first indications that Fiat was going to relaunch the T-Jet came in April, when the Fiat website began showing the Linea T-Jet. The Linea brochure on the site also featured the T-Jet on it, available with the Dynamic and Emotion trim. Two months later, the Fiat Linea T-Jet is finally here!
Prices
Fiat Linea T-Jet Active : Rs. 7.60 Lakh
Fiat Linea T-Jet Dynamic : Rs. 8.40 Lakh
Fiat Linea T-Jet Emotion : Rs. 8.80 Lakh
All prices are ex-showroom Delhi
Speaking on the launch of the 2013 Linea T-Jet, Mr. Nagesh Basavanhalli, President and Managing Director-FIAT Chrysler Operations India said, “With the launch of 2013 Linea T-Jet, an expanding dealer network and upcoming marketing initiatives, we will be in a strong position to capitalize on this (Indian passenger car market) growth. With the differences in the prices of petrol and diesel neutralizing, we are witnessing a rise in the consumption of petrol cars once again. The 2013 Linea T-Jet ….. offers a perfect blend of sophisticated style, guaranteed performance, class leading comfort, outstanding ride and handling with unbeatable toughness.”
The 2013 Linea T-Jet, for now, will only be available at exclusive Fiat showrooms in 8 metro cities : Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai. Fiat will gradually sell the T-Jet in other cities too.
Styling
At first glance, there is nothing new on the outside that can help you differentiate between the T-Jet and the other variants of the Linea, apart from the T-Jet sticker on the boot and the grille. That is not a bad thing at all, because the Linea is a beautiful car. The understated but gorgeous design has not been touched, the trim levels are differentiated by the different sized wheels (15 inch on the Active and Dynamic, 16 inch on the Emotion) and chrome strips on the bumpers and doors are availbale on the Emotion trim. The Linea T-Jet will be available with five paint options: Oceanic Blue, Tuscan Wine, Minimal Grey, New Pearl White and Hip Hop Black.
The design inside too has not been touched, the Linea T-Jet gets the dual tone interior treatment, along with the silver-ish centre console with the integrated audio system. The steering wheel design, the dashboard, the doors, gear-shifter all look the same.
Engine and Transmission
The Linea T-Jet gets the same engine it had when it was launched in 2010, a 1.4 litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged (this bit is important), petrol engine which produces 112 BHP of power at 5000 rpm and a very diesel-engine-like 207 Nm of torque at a low 2200 rpm. As you can imagine after seeing these figures, the T-Jet flies on the road! The strong torque helps initial acceleration, while the top end power helps higher speeds on open roads. It is fuel efficient as well, with an ARAI figure of 15.7 KMPL.
The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that comes standard on all Linea variants. The transmission was a major grouch on the earlier T-Jet, hope Fiat has rectified the problem on this one.
Handling
The Linea is a sweet handling car, with a nicely balanced chassis and sporty but supple suspension. The T-Jet gets the same package and adds wider 205 section 15 inch (Active, Dynamic) and 16 inch (Emotion) tyres. The T-Jet also gets disc brakes on all four corners across the variants, which is great for handling. The Linea T-jet has a lot of ground clearance (185mm on the Active and Dynamic and 190mm on the Emotion), but these shouldn’r spoil the the handling characteristics of the car too much.
Safety
The Linea T-Jet is faster but safer at the same time.
Standard features include:
- Disc Brakes on all four wheels
- Anti-lock Brake System with Electronic Brake Distribution
The Dynamic and Emotion variant get:
- Dual front air-bags
- Fire prevention system
Equipment:
For the price, the Linea T-Jet is pretty well specced.
Standard features include:
- Electric ORVMs
- Automatic headlamps
- Rain sensing wipers
- Integrated music system with front and rear speakers
The Dynamic variant gets the above features and:
- Automatic climate control
- Fiat’s proprietary ‘Blue & Me’ infotainment system with steering mounted controls
- Rear A/C vents
- Front centre arm rest
- Height adjustable front seat belts
The Emotion variant gets these and on top of that also gets:
- Leather seats
- Leather dashboard inserts with chrome accents
The car will be offered with a warranty of 1,00,000 KM or 3 years, whichever is earlier.
