Was interested to compare the Grande Punto to the Corsa at the motorshow this weekend, seeing as they are very, very similar underneath.

However, I found that similarities end on the outside. The front door looks almost identical. The front quarter lights are the same and the view from the driver's seat out, is very similar. It seems the cars share a lot of architecture, up to and including the A post.

Inside it's a different story. The Corsa seems more cramped and claustrophobic and the dashboard is horrible. A friend likened it to the effect achieved by manufacturers of low cost hi-fi units when trying to ape the classy effects of the likes of Sony, etc.

There's no joy.

The Grande Punto is the better car, at least whilst not in motion. Shame Fiat didn't show up to the show as all it would take for people who say 'I'll never own a Fiat' to change their minds, would be for them to get in one.

I also checked out the 207 for comparitive purposes - don't get me started on that travesty....

lol they even turned round on top gear last night and said the 207 was just rubbish!

yeah the 206 was (is) soo much better, the only good thing about the 207 is the 1.6 turbo engine with 147bhp (iirc)

ive said it a million times but i'll say it again, new cars suck. very few cars produced since the millenium have got me excited, or even made me think i would want to own one.

bolllox to it, im going back to real cars in future, something with twin carbs and no cat.

I laughed out loud when they said the 207 was rubbish - what a relief! A few thousand sales lost. And what cheek, after justifying closing the Coventry plant by boasting how cheap it was to make the 207 in Slovakia, to charge £15k for an ordinary version.

That's criminally expensive, serving only to reinforce my opinion that anyone who buys one is a bona fide idiot who should be culled.