Sounds like the Fiat salesman has got abit too used to selling the 500! Fiat have been lucky with the 500, but whilst the new Panda is a good car, for the equipment available as standard, some models look too expensive, particularly the TwinAir & Multijet. I totally think that Blue&Me, 60/40 split rear seats, height adjustable drivers seat, side airbags and a spare wheel should be standard on the Lounge model (spare wheel across the range) - the amount of options that come-up for it on the configurator is enough to make you think you're pricing up a VW & is particularly stingy given how much kit they packed into the old Panda Eleganza (including height adjustable drivers seat and climate control). I don't blame you for walking away.
Did you go for the Ypsilon SE or Limited? The current offers on them make them look very good value, especially when compared to the Panda & 500 which don't look such a luxury product in comparison. I keep looking at the Ypsilon but can't decide if they look girly or not. In some colours i think they do and in others i think they look totally different. Then i look at the price & think 'do i care'! What colour did you go for?
Good to see them shifting a few anyway - i've seen a couple of (positive) owner reviews for them and several people posting pics/comments re purchase of one on Chryslers Facebook page, so the current offers must be making people take notice
Interesting you say it drives the same as the Panda, as the likes of Auto Express would have you believe the Panda is a 4 star car & the Ypsilon merely 2 star! I've thought for a while that they write utter rubbish, though.