Fiat has just lifted the covers of the Avventura at the 2014 Auto Expo. The Avventura is a rugged model based on the regular Grande Punto which is known for its reputation as an enthusiast’s car. The Fiat Avventura is similar to the Volkswagen Cross Polo and Skoda Fabia Scout in many ways. It is just a hatchback on steroids. Such vehicles don’t find many buyers in India since they come with the same power ratings and except the looks everything else remains pretty much the same. Fiat had also launched the Palio Adventure in India long back.
The Fiat Avventura comes with body-cladding on all the doors and both the bumpers. The cladding makes the vehicle resemble a compact SUV. The ground clearance has been increased to 200 mm to give the vehicle a rugged look. Fiat has also added a swingarm to the rear bumper and attached the spare wheel at the rear. The front of the Avventura is significantly different than the Punto and the design looks much fresher. The tyres are wide 225/45/17, giving the Avventura that SUVish stance. You also get a compass on the centre console.
The Fiat Avventura will be powered by the same Fiat 1.3-litre Multijet engine which produces 90 BHP of power and 209 Nm of torque. The oil-burner is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission but the demo car was having a different engine as evident by the 6-speed gearbox. However for excise duty benefits, Fiat cannot use the 1.6-litre Multijet diesel engine on the Avventura. This vehicle would have surely been a treat if Fiat would have upped the power slightly which would have made Fiat fans and enthusiasts happy. Fiat will offer both petrol and diesel engines on the Avventura.
Right now all we need to do is wait and the watch how the market responds to the Fiat Avventura. It seems Fiat has taken more efforts in designing the Avventura than what Volkswagen and Skoda took for the Cross Polo and Fabia Scout respectively. The car does look very imposing in person and certainly doesn’t strike you as a mildly modified Grande Punto. This vehicle will be available only on the top Emotion trim and will come with ABS, dual airbags and projector headlights. The launch is slated around the festive season and Fiat plans to export the vehicle to multiple markets across the globe.
