Fiat Avventura - Road Test Review

Basically what Fiat has done is like Toyota and VW; they based it on their hatchback. Similarly Fiat based theirs on the recently updated Punto Evo. And for the first time, it actually looks quite brilliant. It’s probably the best looking crossover out there. Then again, it’s Italian, it obviously would. Remember, they are the most handsome guys on planet Earth!

The front bumpers have a dual tone gray plastic cladding with fog lamps and they run along to the back of the car over the flared wheel arches, the side skirts under the doors and the rear bumper gets the same dual tone plastics as well with two brake lights at the bottom. The rest of the car is identical to the Punto Evo apart from the roof rails that could come in handy to carry things if you have the accessories. The end result of all those plastics, curves and bulges is that the vehicle looks like an Italian hunk, especially with its spare wheel bolted at the rear.

The Avventura spare wheel is bolted on a sway bar at the back rather than inside the boot like the EcoSport to give it a more SUV look. But while in the Ecosport it is bolted to the tailgate, this one is on a sway bar and to open the boot you need to swing out the wheel and then open the boot. It’s a unique way to do things but it can get a wee bit annoying every time you go through security check at a mall or fancy hotel.

I want to particularly give a piece of advice on the car’s key. The central locking buttons on the key are almost not visible since everything is in black. There are no silver lines or designs to distinguish the ‘open’ and ‘close’ buttons. I found that not to my liking at all.

The Interiors are a fascinating place to be in….it is delightful and intriguing. For example, the seats even in the base model have a dual fabric and leather upholstery and the seats are crazy comfortable with non-adjustable but perfectly positioned lumbar support. The design just flows naturally, and every shape and line just feels so obviously clever. It’s the same interior that you get in the Linea T-Jet and the Punto Evo, but it also has a dual plastic a leather trim even on the dashboard. It’s just brilliant. Initially the dash looks a bit intimidating but once you get used to the knobs and buttons, you become a natural handling it perfectly. The boot lid release button, the audio tuner, the volume button the AC knobs, they all are placed perfectly. 

Coming to the centre console itself, I am a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and I like my car to be spotlessly clean, at least the interior. So…that piano black finish just drives me bonkers to see my fingerprints all over the dashboard. In India you have got to keep all this in mind and make sure all this is camouflaged in the right colours and shades.

Coming from the Punto Evo to the Avventura, the piano blackness has been reduced as the storage compartment on top of the AC vents have been removed and replaced with what Fiat calls “High Terrain Gauges”. Basically there are three dials there--- a compass, and two inclinometers that give you Pitch and Roll information for when you would use it off road. It’s really fun when you take it off road when you try and take it to the max. The rake adjustability of the steering wheel is not among the best in the segment. Another uncomfortable bit about this car is the dead pedal next o the clutch. It gets in the way every single time you press the clutch. The height of the clutch pedal, I felt was a tad high.

But when you drive the Avventura, it’s just magnificent. The petrol engine isn’t the fastest with only 88bhp at its disposal, and 115Nm of torque, but the Avventura is just so smooth and composed it’s just like being smeared with whipped cream all over your face. The ride is soft and gooey and even though Fiat claim an economy of 14.4kmpl, but if you’re careful and don’t drive like a maniac, you’d be surprised how well this car actually is on consumption.

All in all, the Avventura is an Italian champ by all means. Now the question is how well can they sell it? Something is definitely plaguing Fiat’s progress in India. It is definitely not their products. These are not bad at all. It just needs a dynamic leader to help it march forward.