Fiat unveiled the Avventura at the 2014 Auto Expo which concluded last month. The Avventura is a hatchback on stilts or a cross between a hatchback and a compact SUV. The automaker has developed the Fiat Avventura on the basis of the Grande Punto and this fact is easily evident going by the looks and size of the vehicle. However, what we love about Fiat is that the company has worked really hard and made a significant amount of changes to the vehicle unlike others like Skoda and Volkswagen who just added body-cladding and launched ‘Cross’ versions of their vehicles Fabia and Polo respectively.
The Fiat Avventura is one hell of a looker. The front might look a bit weird to some but that is mostly due to the design of the headlight and grille combo which somewhat reminds us of a frog. However, we must say that the lights look striking and the projectors add a touch of sophistication to this rugged vehicle. The all-black grille really suits the Avventura and so does the body-cladding that starts from the front bumper and is carried forward throughout the length of the body. Fiat has added a silver skid plate at the bottom of the front bumper and that also lends a touch of appeal. The DRLs have a good design.
Not much to say about the side profile. You can see the body-cladding flowing along with the thick door-protector strips. The B-pillar is glossy black unlike the usual matte black that we see everywhere. The alloy wheels look very appealing as this combination of black and silver really compliments the design. The centre cap of the alloys and brake callipers are body-coloured which add a bit of contrast. Coming to the rear, again Fiat has lent a nicely designed bumper to the Avventura. It comes with a swingarm to hold the spare wheel. The dual exhaust tips along with the other bumper elements gel well with the overall theme of the vehicle. The tail lights look aftermarket and Fiat could have provided something simpler but we are not complaining.
Moving to the interiors, the Fiat Avventura comes with a new dashboard that is also found on the new 2014 Linea. However, here the dashboard comes in a colour combination of black and grey and the body-coloured accents really help in breaking the monotony of the colour scheme. The interiors look very good overall and we really can’t complain much. The audio system controls and AC vents come with a piano finish so expect both of these areas to be full of finger prints. The centre console also gets a compass.
The Fiat Avventura will be available with both petrol and diesel engine options. The diesel Avventura will be powered by the usual Fiat 1.3-litre Multijet engine. This oil-burner produces 93 PS of power and 209 Nm of torque. The vehicle comes with wide 225 section tyres wrapped around 17-inch alloys. These tyres play a significant role in providing the Avventura an SUV-ish stance. The roof-rails on the Avventura can be fitted with carriers or cycle-holders and this would help a great deal to those who plan to venture out on trips outside the city.
We feel Fiat should have provided a more powerful engine option like the 1.6-litre Multijet with this crossover. However, the company is offering the smaller engine so that it passes the regulations laid by the Government to benefit from tax concessions dolled out to small cars. The bigger engine would have upped the price of the vehicle significantly. Fiat vehicles are known for their handling and ride characteristics so we don’t even need to mention that the Avventura too will have a very good ride quality and it won’t be bouncy. The handling should be good too thanks to the excellent chassis as well as the tyres.
We are really impressed with Fiat and they seem to have done a great job with the Avventura. With such proper crossovers, no one will even look at the Volkswagen CrossPolo or the Skoda Fabia Scout now (nobody actually looks at them anyways). The Fiat Avventura will be launched during the festive season later this year and the success of this vehicle greatly depends on how Fiat prices and markets it. Fiat has separated from Tata Motors and now they are setting up independent service centres too which is great news for existing as well as prospective customers. We can expect the Fiat Avventura to be priced between Rs. 8-10 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
