Fiat has just launched its new crossover, the Avventura. The Avventura is a highly-modified Punto Evo and now we compare it to the Toyota Etios Cross and the Volkswagen Cross Polo.
Exteriors – All three vehicles compared here are derived from their respective hatchback counterparts. The Etios Cross comes from the Etios Liva, the Avventura comes from the Punto Evo and the Cross Polo comes from the Polo. While the Etios Cross and Cross Polo come with just additional body-cladding stuck over their body panels, the Avventura comes with far more changes. Along with the body-cladding, it gets new alloys which are standard on all variants, spare wheel mounted on the tail gate and new head lights. The Avventura comes at the top in the exteriors department followed by the Cross Polo and the Etios Cross.
Interiors – Again, the interiors of all these vehicles are borrowed from their siblings. The Etios Cross comes with a quirky-looking dashboard that lacks appeal. The build quality is decent. The Avventura shares its interiors with the Linea and Punto Evo but it gets a different colour scheme for the dashboard. The build quality is good but the plastics are hard. The Cross Polo has the best interiors here and they really look and feel premium. The build quality is also excellent.
Engines and Fuel Economy- The Etios Cross gets a 1.4-litre diesel engine churning out 67 BHP of power and 170 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and it gives an ARAI claimed fuel efficiency of 23.59 km/l. The Avventura gets the famed 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine generating 90 HP of power and 209 Nm of torque. It too gets a 5-speed manual box and the ARAI claimed fuel efficiency is 20.5 km/l. The Cross Polo gets a 1.5-litre TDI unit producing 89 BHP of power and 230 Nm of torque. ARAI claimed fuel efficiency is 19.91 km/l.
The Etios Cross and Avventura are also available with petrol engines. The former gets a 1.2-litre unit belting out 79 BHP of power and 104 Nm of torque. It manages an ARAI claimed fuel efficiency of 17.71 km/l. The Avventura gets a 1.4-litre FIRE unit churning out 89 HP of power and 115 Nm of torque. Its ARAI claimed fuel efficiency is 14.4 km/l.
Pricing – The Avventura is priced at par with the Etios Cross and the Cross Polo for the diesel variants making it a very good package. For the petrol variants, the base variant of the Avventura is priced marginally higher than the Etios Cross while the top variant of the former is cheaper than that of the latter.
Verdict – While the Toyota Etios Cross and Volkswagen Cross Polo are just pseudo-crossovers, meaning they are hatchbacks that look like SUVs, the Fiat Avventura takes it one step forward since it comes with a higher ground clearance, revised suspension, redesigned gear ratios and the inclusion of useful compass and inclinometers. The Fiat Avventura trumps its competition. Following the Avventura comes the Volkswagen Cross Polo at second place leaving the Toyota Etios Cross biting dust far behind.
Toyota Etios Cross vs Fiat Avventura vs Volkswagen Cross Polo – Diesel Spec Comparison
Toyota Etios Cross vs Fiat Avventura – Petrol Spec Comparison
