The roads were empty and the Linea T-jet was cruising at warp speed, in fact by the time I got to Chandigarh it was only 11:45pm – you do the math. The car was really comfortable on the highway and there was no need for me to use the programmable speed limit alarm, mainly because speed, itself, was my intention. I had to make a few 2-second stops to ask for directions and soon I was on my way and just about to climb the stairway to heaven. Another interesting fact about Italian cars is that the need for superior design does not stop with their engines. Have you ever been to Italy? Have you seen how tiny and curvy and hilly the streets are? This is reason enough why Italian engineers need to design cars which can corner and brake well, and this further means that the suspension needs to be spot on. The Linea has an excellent suspension setup – it rides very confidently. And once I got onto the slopes and curvy mountainous roads I could not think of a better car I had driven in the hills except for Skoda’s Yeti. The Linea was phenomenal on those mountain roads and even though the roads were not smooth or well laid out, the car handled every twist and turn effortlessly – my chariot had been graced with an ardent swiftness bestowed by the brilliance of the Italian Gods. I really pelted up and down through valley and forge covering ground with great pace. The only problem however was a horrific one – the brakes. It may include ABS with EBD, but the brakes are not to my liking – it feels mushy. Sometimes you really need to press down hard for them to even respond, and as soon as I figured this out I did think about slowing down. ‘Think.’
I finally reached Bilaspur which meant I had another 120 km left until I reached my first destination. A quick stop at a bus stand and I was on my way again. It was now nearing 4:00am and the morning light was slowly and surely creeping in. I had been driving in the hills for about 3 hours but I was unable to witness the grandeur of the landscape and the scenery, so I had no idea what was in store for me when the sun would rise. The Linea was at its beautiful best. The engine worked magic of its torque – all 207Nm of it, and that is a mighty fine figure I say. The acceleration was nice and smooth and the car moved forward with such ease up those steep mountain roads that I was really impressed. I know Fiat has had a bad reputation in Europe for being a ‘slightly’ unreliable auto manufacturer but there was really nothing I could find worthy of catastrophic defect. The car was simply ‘amazing’.
What was even more amazing than the Linea’s performance was the sunrise. It was 5:30am and the dawn had shattered the darkness. I had just crossed Mandi and the view with which I was met was truly a gift from the Gods. I had made it! The air was cool and fresh, the scenery was glorious and my heart was overwhelmed by the joy within. I figured the mixture of Red Bull and over excitement would probably lead to heart failure so I calmed my nerves and cruised towards Kullu. My chariot had whisked me 520km away from hell without error and I was appreciative. The cottage I was to stay in was located in a little slice of paradise named Forgal. I had to park the Linea in the village market and trek about 10 km up a steep rocky path to get there. The Linea comes with something called ‘anti-theft engine immobilizer with rolling code’ – which is basically an immobilizer – so, I felt pretty safe leaving the car alone.
The trek up to the cottage was torturous. I had just spent 10 hours driving non-stop and now I had to climb up a frikin mountain. It was brutal on my back and my legs, but when I reached the top the view was extra special. This was heaven and this was the moment I had being waiting for. After staring into the open horizon filled with snowy mountains for the entire day I had a good sleep and woke up the next day early feeling rejuvenated. The trek back down to the car was easy and very enjoyable. My next destination would be Kasol and Manikaran. I had to drive back down to Bhuntar and then head north east. The roads from Bhuntar towards Kasol were really horrible and you could see the effect of the harsh winter which the region witnessed. Again the Linea had no problems whatsoever and it simply glided over the deep pot holes and large bumps on the dirt track.
When I reached Kasol I felt like I was in Israel. All the signs were written in Hebrew and the descendants of Moses were literally scattered all over the place. They literally had taken over and because of them what was once a little secret Eden in Himachal had turned into an epicenter of hippies and vagabonds. What I couldn’t understand though was that if there were so many Israelis why were there so many German Bakeries and why did all the restaurants serve Schnitzels? Maybe it was a secret message, if you catch my drift.
Moving forward, I had a delicious lunch at an Italian joint that could surprisingly compete with any of the famous eateries in Delhi and then headed for Manikaran. Unfortunately, the roads were really bad further up and I didn’t want to test the Linea in those kind of conditions because I knew it would never take that kind of beating. I decided to spend the night in Kasol and head back to my cottage early next morning. That night it had rained furiously and I was hoping the roads would not get any worse than what they were. Fortunately enough, they were bearable. I spent the next three days nestled in my tiny cottage surrounded by apple orchids and snow-capped peaks. If there really is a heaven, then I was truly in it. The Linea had also served its purpose well. It is a spacious car with plenty of room and luxurious Italian interiors. It looks good and it’s ride quality is sensational. Without that turbo-charged engine I don’t see how I could tolerate driving up those hills. So if you are interested in the Linea you better make sure you get the T-jet otherwise you’d just be driving a good looking Italian car with nothing else to offer.
When the time came for me to leave I couldn’t handle it. And accepting the universal truth that all good things must come to an end I made my way back to Delhi as slowly as possible. Just as I had climbed the stairway to heaven in my trusty chariot, I had to descend back down to the land of mere mortals and intoxicating heat and bitter dust. Such is our roller coaster of life. But that stairway to heaven exists and will continue to exist, the question is when will you take it?
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