Well that's very justified of you' date=' Sir...

..I however, perhaps due to my ineptitude, couldn't get the link to work or grab the pdf using 'save target as'.

Oh bugger![/quote']

Try it now - it might have been me being the inept one!!!

P.S. Beware, it's quite big... (56k warning, perhaps!)

You are a star! Thanks!

I had been contemplating getting a grande punto over the fabia as thought they looked different and pretty rare at the moment but saw one whilst driving on teh motorway the other morn and from behind it didnt look special at all and when looking at it in my rearview mirror it just looked like a cute pathetic car and this was the sporting model so i instantly got rid of the mad thought abotu a fiat and am 100% decided to go for the fabia. In the magazine i thought they looked good but not in real life! The article is spot on and thanks for posting it, saves my student overdraft getting bigger:O

Thanks to ap0gee for sticking that online.

I don't understand why some people are saying the punto looks good, it's just as horrid as it's ever been IMO. Give me the chunky Czech any day!

In the article I thought the Punto looked nice from the rear quarter. I don't like the front at all though, looks like a cheap copy of the Maserati 3200GT

As for the Polo, I prefer the pre-facelift shape.

In the article I thought the Punto looked nice from the rear quarter. I don't like the front at all though' date=' looks like a cheap copy of the Maserati 3200GT

As for the Polo, I prefer the pre-facelift shape.[/quote']

I thought it looked even worse from the rear. It seemed to have a certain similarity to the new Focus in my opinion - don't like those lights!

All these different opnions eh!?!?!? It must be what keeps things interesting I guess!!!

I stand by my original thoughts on the Grande Punto, although I've been proved wrong in some of my opinions on cars lately, so what follows may well be unjustified!

The first word(s) that came into my mind looking at the interior was 'Ann Summers'. Maybe I'm just a dirty perv with sex on the brain' date=' but those raised orange spots / light blue ridges (depending on what picture you're looking at) on the seats do seem to have an air of, er, marital aid about them! I'm sure they're just trying to produce something to appeal to da kidz, but it's not for me...

Also, I dont think matching the console surround and door cards to the seats was a good idea in any of the three interior combinations shown in the gallery. But seeing how they obviously decided they [i']had[/i] to do it, they should at least have made the trim on the doors match up with line of colour going across the dash (i.e. colour coding the bit just below the bottom of the window, rather than the bit below the armrest :thumbdwn: (as per the lash-up job below)

Much better IMHO...

To be fair, at first glance I thought I liked the exterior, but then I realised that from behind it looks like the offspring of a Mk1 Focus and a Mk2 Corsa, so no points for originality from me.

+ =

Considering the seemingly favourable reports as regards build quality, I think my reaction would be (in schoolteacher mode!)

Interior: C- for attainment, but B+ for effort

Exterior: B+ for attainment, D for effort

Build quality: B(?) for attainment, B+(?) for effort.

Then again, I'm not so sure on the Fabia II either from what I've seen, so maybe the Punto Grande could be a 'grower'...?

Fabia is a bit old for these tests now.Nice to see it won but wish it would stay out of them now.

Otherwise there will be lots of 'starting to look dated' comments....

Hang on! That vRS in that write-up has an engine cover on! :eek: Is this standard equipment? :confused:

Are you being serious :confused: :eek:

If you are then yes. Every vRS has an engine cover.

Right.The neighbours have an 06 Fiat Punto sitting on their drive now.

Stunning little car.If people are telling the truth re the engine (see Alfa thread) it should be brilliant.Certainly nicer than the pugs/clio's etc

Question is about the New vRS... will it be a TDI (Preferably a 2.0 PD140), or are they going to go back to petrol power :(

Did they say anything about the stuttering?

Did they say anything about the stuttering?

I noticed it was a '55 plate, so could be a Euro III engine. Presumably even Skoda aren't stupid enough to give a stuttering Euro IV to the press?

autoexpress last week said the new fabia vRS will be a diesel... didn't say which derivative though.....

autoexpress last week said the new fabia vRS will[/i'] be a diesel... didn't say which derivative though.....

Might well be both... from what I've read on the net 1.4TSI and 2.0 TDI (140) look like the choices. DSG will be an option too

good to see the old girl still winning in her last few months.... shows the car as a real success. Lets hope the new one will do as well (although judging by pics iv seen dont think it will :thumbdwn: ) watch and see i guess.

Might well be both... from what I've read on the net 1.4TSI and 2.0 TDI (140) look like the choices. DSG will be an option too

What about the new 170bhp diesel out of the Seat Leon, that'd be fast

What about the new 170bhp diesel out of the Seat Leon, that'd be fast

Unfortunalty Skoda aren't the 'sports' marque of the VAG group so wouldn't get a competing engine from SEAT. PD 140 will be most obvious choice...

Not too much of a performance difference then?

Might well be both... from what I've read on the net 1.4TSI and 2.0 TDI (140) look like the choices. DSG will be an option too

If thats the case, I may sod the fuel economy and plump for the fancy 1.4.... its 170 bhp right? would be an interesting drive being both supercharged and turbocharged.....

If thats the case, I may sod the fuel economy and plump for the fancy 1.4.... its 170 bhp right? would be an interesting drive being both supercharged and[/i'] turbocharged.....

I sincerely hope that they end up sticking the 170bhp version of the new 2.0tdi engine in there. That would be awesome!:eek: