Faults:

Remote door control fails to open owing to passenger door knob getting stuck in the "closed" position (only happens when temperature drops below ten degrees centigrade).

General Comments:

This restyled model is a big improvement over the earlier GTV versions. It's a pity nothing could be done regarding the downright ugly radio aerial still poking out of the rear-side, but the restyling of the bonnet has managed to lift quite a few years from its overall looks.

In order to avoid the omnipresent failure in proper window-sealing there is an automatic lowering-raising of the window every time the door is opened. Although this solution rescues the defect it still can be viewed at best as a "patch" rather than a serious attempt to solve a design problem.

The 2.0 JTS engine is a beauty, the 165 HP really giving an edge over the earlier 2.0 Twin Spark versions (especially when the air conditioning is up and running).

The only disappointment are the brakes. They work well and efficiently, but their "spongy" feeling gives a somewhat annoying feeling of insecurity (at least for me). Frankly, I preferred the one son my older 2.0 twin Spark GTV.

Internal furnishings are also of very good quality (as opposed to its predecessor) and the inbuilt CD/radio system blends in nicely with the front panel.

Instruments are now lighted in red (as opposed to the original green). This has been claimed as a major upgrade, but, quite frankly, I fail to see a big difference. Nonetheless, the way they have been distributed has been improved considerably.

Baggage space is, as before, very limited and rear passengers will complain about leg room even if they are four year old kits barely three feet high).

As usual, all complaints are lost when you actually drive the car and feel the way it becomes one with the road...surging, weaving... etc etc.

The new GTV is expected in 2005 but with this restyling and new engine I won't be holding my breath for it...

Faults:

Poor seals on driver and passenger windows (they had to be rectified at every service).

Periodically the engine had a problem in keeping constant revs when idle (the defect was always corrected by dealer).

At 40000 Km I had to replace the "lambda" probe in the engine. Most expensive repair I ever had to endure.

General Comments:

This car is a load of fun, and the many great reviews on this site testify to that.

It is also very secure. Two weeks ago while traveling at dusk on a motorway I hit an abandoned rear cover from a pick up truck. The car must have been doing 70 to 80 miles an hour and was suddenly flung at speed against the side rails. It then rebounded back in the middle of the road, but I was still able to keep it under control (whilst losing the bonnet and assorted pieces) and stop safely in the emergency lane.

I later found out that the first hit against the guard rail had managed to bend laterally the front part of the chassis by 3.5 cm, and yet the steering had responded beautifully to my efforts to get the car under control.

The story ends by saying that, after having cashed in the insurance, I went to my Alfa Dealer and bought another GTV (with the 2.0 JTS engine) with the recent 2003 restyled front and interior.