Fiat Linea 125S Long Term Review – Second Report

Fiat Linea 125S Long Term Review

Long Term Test No. 133

Car Tested: Fiat Linea 125S
Kms Done: 2821 kms
Test Started at: 12,225 kms
Test Concluded at: 15,046 kms
Mileage: 8.35 km/l, 11.2 km/l (best), 5.5 km/l (worst)
Fuel Consumed: 337.84-litres
Fuel Cost: Rs. 26,689/-
Rs. per km: Rs. 9.46/-

The Fiat Punto’s practical & powerful cousin is here to justify its existence!

The Fiat Linea is a very well known name in the Indian car market. It has been over 10 years since the car entered our market and overtime as the population of this iconic name once grew, it has now started to see its demise. Few might argue that its probably because the competition outdid it, while some might say it’s because the Linea hasn’t changed over a decade and has nothing but minor tweaks to the original design. I’d beg to differ but as my time with this car passed and the kilometers piled up, I started to realize how badly this car needs an update.

I’m going to dive right into it and talk about the looks, I think this is a very handsome looking car. I get “Don’t fix what’s not broken” but somehow this handsome sedan has started to age, as it’s left with nothing but mere elegance. Carrying this familiar face around isn’t a bad thing given how rarely you’ll see it. In a jam pack of Honda Citys, venturing around Volkswagen Ventos and coming across Maruti Swift Dzires, the Linea manages to be the rarest and still one of the prettiest of them all. With its curvy design and tall stance, it really gets your attention as it’s out on the prowl. As I started to move around the car, I noticed the exhaust muffler sticking out and boy does it look out of place! It honestly looks nothing short of an aftermarket fit and ends up awkwardly sticking out of the curves.

The design doesn’t look as crisp as that of its competitors but is tasteful

The integrated turn indicators are a nice touch and make the car seem a little more up to date on the outside. The headlight illumination is quite decent with the throw being wide and far (by stock halogen standards), especially when you tag team it with the 2 high beams and fog lamps. The tail lights are quite nice and a good reminder of how tail light designs used to be before the whole LED facade took over. I must say the car has quite large profile tyres that look nice, thick and attractive, especially as it sticks out of the wheel arches, talk about sticking out of the curves (sit down and take note, exhaust). The ground clearance is quite high for a sedan and grants this car good command over Indian roads, as it crawls over bumps, ruts, and potholes with ease. I’ve traveled over bad patches of road with this beauty and it actually performed quite well.

Coming to the interior, it’s still pretty much the same design as the previous Linea with a touch or two of difference. It’s a simple interior, and while it will need some getting used to, it just generally feels old but not entirely dated. The cabin has a nice and airy feel to it, while space isn’t exactly the best. The front is quite a comfortable place to be but the rear ends up feeling quite cramped, especially for a tall person like me. It feels as though most of this car’s length goes into boot space and not in the legroom. The seats are quite supportive and have good cushioning, I could totally see myself doing long distance trips in this car. The interior really lacks in storage spaces as the door pockets seem narrow and quite useless when it comes to storing broader items like a bottle of water. The central console has some place for you to keep your wallet or even phone if I were to be optimistic, but in general, this cabin lacks room. The instrument cluster is quite clear, easy to read and get used to.