Fiat must allow the winner to win

If only Fiat could stop outsourcing service, Grande Punto will take the gold, and the silver medal will have to be cancelled.

I have now driven over 500 km with my GP 1.3 DD. Since I love the car, everything in this second review will appear to biased, to which you - as the reader - have every right to object. But the reason for writing any review is to show bias, whether for or against.

Okay, first the looks. You loved the Boeing 747. You always wanted to own to own, but the government would't let you own one - even if you could afford one. Fiat has answered all the objections with the GP. The GP looks like a majestic bird sitting on the ground - when fired up, it will smoothly accelerate and take off. Please note I am not flattering Fiat - I am only trying to flatter.

Second, the mileage. What use is a majestic bird if it corrodes the linings of your pocket ? The Boeing 747 could never do 15 km to the litre before first service. My GP is doing it. So neither me nor you should complain.

The interiors are goofed up. For some reason, Fiat does not appreciate people to smoke a cigarette inside a car, whereas statistics suggest that at half the people in Europe have smoked a cigarette at least once inside a car. Everything else is fine. Although this point belongs more to exteriors than to interiors, I even like the fact that I have to bang the door hard to ensure it is shut. (I prefer to shut the door rather than close the door - something to do with stamp of authority, psychologists might say). At almost 6 feet tall (my mother always wanted me to be tall), I find legroom to be ample, both in front as well as in the back. I am not sure whether this is relevant, but GP looks - maybe even is - at least a foot longer than Ritz (Suzuki's Design For The Perfect Nightmare) and a couple of inches longer than i20 (Yet Another Hyundai Mediocrity).

For some reason, I always find it difficult in my GP to shift from fourth gear to fifth. If anybody could post me a tip, I shall be grateful. I might even send a DD of USD 1 million.

Last, but not least - particularly in the case of Fiat, we should tackle the point of service. When Fiat first visited India (classified under 'Tourism'), they convinced everyone that after purchasing a good car, one needs to bang his head against the wall till one is dead. The situation is better during the second visit - head injuries are being taken seriously. But since the doctor is not in-house, patients often only get pain-killers instead of first aid. So I must repeat : If only Fiat could stop outsourcing service, Grande Punto will take the gold, and the silver medal will have to be cancelled.