595 1.4 T-Jet 180 Competizione Auto 2dr

Disappointing build quality spoils a fun car!

I'll preface this by saying I am a long time Alfa Romeo and Fiat owner. I have had among others a 2003 Alfa Spider 3.0, Alfa 147 JTDm, Fiat 500S 1.4 and 2017 Fiat Panda TwinAir Lounge. I've owned an Alfa or Fiat in some form or another since 2006 however they've always been bought as either demo/nearly new or second hand. I recently relocated to Dubai and decided to lease myself a brand new Campovolo Grey 595 Competitizione Convertible with the MTA gearbox. In January I initially approached the dealer for either a blue or white with the red stripes hardtop. They told me these weren't available due to no stock but changed their mind a few days later and said they had a white one with the red stripe available. It turned out to actually be a white car with black stripes and not what I wanted. They weren't sure when they would receive new stock so I moved onto a demo Volvo XC40 T5 Inscription hybrid, a beautiful car but more what my wife wanted.

Just before I was about to sign for the Volvo they turned up the Campovolo Grey car, so I decided to cancel the Volvo (the finance for which had already been approved and the car ready to collect). When I eventually collected the Abarth it was missing the Beats sound system I was assured it would have. I was rather disappointed but decided after all the trouble with the previous Abarth's and the Volvo plus the so-called chip shortage induced stock shortage I would make do without this feature.

I was initially pleased with the car. The performance was as I expected and I was even enjoying the much criticized MTA gearbox (no manual available in the UAE) which I honestly feel suits the raw and sporty nature of the car. Even though the Campovolo Grey colour wasn't my choice it suited the car with the matching grey top and dark brown leather interior. What was not so pleasing was the pre-scratched by the dealer dashboard and no Android Auto despite it showing as a feature in the brochure. to date the car has only done about 1500km (about 900 miles) and already the rear brakes are whining. At first I thought it was a rear wheel bearing but when I gently pull up the handbrake the pitch changes. There doesn't appear to be a stone or any kind of grit stuck against the pads. The a/c fan also vibrates the entire car when it kicks in on a hot day which is not ideal in Dubai's summer heat. The paintwork is also rather poor. It marks incredibly easily despite me cleaning the car with the Meguiars lambs wool mitt and expensive Meguiars car shampoo. There are also bit's of dirt in the paintwork across the whole car. Keep in mind this is a brand new car which I viewed while still in its shipping wrapping before agreeing to take it.

In terms of driving enjoyment the car is what I expected. The performance is excellent, especially its handling and roadholding. The car corners flat and stable even at high speeds. In sport mode it is delightfully noisy and is generally alot of fun to drive. I wanted a hardtop but the soft top does enhances the experience and the Competitizione model has almost all the kit I would want in an Abarth minus the much lamented Beats audio system. The seating position despite the leather sports seats is terrible and I really thought they would've thought they would've sorted this out by now.

In terms of service the dealer has been a mixed bag. The salesperson bent over backwards to try and get me a car that I wanted and was extremely helpful. Aftersales service has not been so good. Over and above the previously mentioned pre-scratched dashboard the service center of which there is only one in the entire UAE is severely disinterested in providing service. When I first received the car there was oil all over the scuttle which I can only assume was left there after a spill during the PDI. The coolant is now low and on calling the parts department they weren't even sure they had some in stock. I plan to have the brake whine and fan looked at during the car's first service at 6 months old (UAE cars require a bi-annual service). I will be asking the dealer NOT to wash the car after the service so as not to add any more swirl marks to the fragile paintwork than they already have done.

I really, really want to love this car like I loved my 500S and Panda TwinAir. I've been a long time Italian car advocate but this car has truly been a disappointment and what is most telling is my constant disillusionment and regret that I didn't take the Volvo.

Report as offensive