The Avventura has been termed as a Contemporary Urban Vehicle (CUV) by Fiat that offers the convenience of an weekday hatchback coupled with the thrill of a weekend off-roader.
Fiat’s effort behind the new Avventura crossover is surely paying off as the crossover garnered 500 bookings as stated by the company during the launch event. The automaker’s third launch for the year, the Avventura was first showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo in February this year and is essentially a heavily clad Punto Evo. In a bid to differentiate the model more effectively, Fiat has termed the Avventura as Contemporary Urban Vehicle (CUV) that competes against the Toyota Etios Cross, Volkswagen Cross Polo as well as the Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport in the same space.
Despite the Punto Evo underpinnings, the Avventura can be easily differentiated with the redesigned front and rear bumpers, black body cladding, roof rails, externally mounted spare wheel and a raised ground clearance of 205 mm with 16-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, Fiat has added features including the inclinometers and a digital compass that adds to the off-roader feel on the crossover. The vehicle is also loaded with safety features including dual front airbags, ABS, 3-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners, although only available on the diesel version.
In terms of engine options, the Fiat Avventura shares its powertrain with the Punto Evo and gets a 1.4-litre FIRE petrol motor producing 90 PS and 115 Nm of torque, while the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel churns out 93 PS and 209 Nm of torque. Both the powerplants come paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. Adding to the fun quotient, Fiat is also working closely with customers to offer specific accessories including roof mounted cycle racks, roof rails, carriers and the likes.
On the sidelines of the launch, Fiat also stated that as per its three-pillar strategy, the company has strengthened the dealer network, after sales service and also product portfolio with the updated Linea, Punto Evo and new Avventura on offer. The automaker’s scheduled launches for 2014 will end with the 500 Abarth that will come out in November this year. 2015 on the other hand will see the company launch its coveted Jeep brand in the country after much delay. Deliveries of the Avventura have commenced across the country.
