Fiat Linea 125S Long Term Review – First Report

With the Linea, it’s more smiles per gallon than miles per gallon

The interiors are however a little deceptive. The seats are very comfortable and the dual-tone finish looks and feels nice. But the steering is too close to the driver. There is not much room for the driver as the distance from the chest to the steering wheel is too less. The height adjustable seat is a great solution for it and the vision at the front is also very nice. The touchscreen infotainment system is also the best of all the Fiat cars as it does not lag much or have any sort of problems. However, the steering mounted buttons don’t feel any useful.

It took almost 3 days to get used to the AC controls. And for the first 10 days, the dual blade wipers were very useful due to the extended October rains. But, I later found out that the Linea 125S was top of the line and it had cruise control. The switch is placed in such a place that my hand would never go to it. The cubby hole in front of the gear lever was barely useful for some change or chocolates. Coming to the rear, the comfort was good while the legroom and headroom was enough to keep my family or co-travelers happy. The beige and black combo kept it premium while the curtain type window shade for the rear windshield also added to the premium car feel.

This car boasted ridiculous amount of boot space and it helped me a lot during this Diwali season. However, the rear doors were an issue as even with the child lock turned-off they wouldn’t open from the inside. Anyone who’s driving the car or sitting ahead had to act like a chauffeur, get out first and then open the door for the rear passengers. It was amusing yet solemn at the same time. Even with the trunk being full and five healthy passengers on-board, it never felt less for the ground clearance. But the dynamics could have been more engaging if it still had lesser ground clearance like the older Linea.

Driving this car has been an expensive affair but it’s the crazy power that the engine produces that keeps the drive interesting. Even though it torque steers a lot, the random first and second gear launches from the signal always add to a little fun. The gearbox however is a complete bust, quick shift and it wouldn’t follow. The brakes lacked a little bite but the car never lost control even under heavy braking, which is quite frequent on the Linea 125S. The Linea for me is like a fox underneath a sheep’s clothing. Smooth and subtle from the outside yet fierce and powerful from the inside. The Fiat Linea 125S is a definite enthusiast’s sedan.

Further Reading –

Fiat Linea 125S Test Drive Review
Fiat Linea MultiJet Long Term Review