BUYERS who want to test drive a car before they buy could become the latest victims of political correctness.
Environmentalists say that the age-old practice is a waste of fuel and should be outlawed because it adds to the nation's output of carbon emissions.
Now Fiat is fighting back with special test drives of its eco models that get around the problem by encouraging drivers to use less fuel.
The cars in question are models that have devices built into them to show how economically the vehicle is being driven.
Fiat UK boss Elena Bernardelli, says: ``Test drives are, for some, questionable from an environmental perspective yet everyone wants to test a car before they buy to make sure they like it.
'Our test drive allows them to test the car, ascertains how they drive in environmental terms and gives them tips on improving, regardless of whether they buy from us or not.'
Supermodel Jodie Kidd, who is the famous face of Fiat, is promoting the scheme at ten London garages, which will then be rolled-out nationwide if it proves popular.
Every customer who visits a participating Fiat dealer will be offered the chance to take the eco test drive, which is similar to a standard new car test-drive but also measures the driver's performance in terms of the environment.
The test uses eco:Drive, which incorporates Fiat's Blue&Me entertainment and communications system. Plugging a USB key into the Blue& Me port allows eco:Drive to record information about the driving style.
Inserting the USB into a computer then shows how the driver performed and how they can become more efficient.
The system analyses driving techniques and awards marks out of 100, providing a score on an eco:Index. This shows how efficiently the vehicle is being driven based on acceleration, deceleration, gear changes and speed. Step-by-step tutorials then help to improve the score.
Fiat's eco:Drive models currently include the Bravo, 500 and Grande Punto and during 2009 the system will be extended to all Fiats with Blue&Me.
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