Fiat Adventure 1.6 Sport in the Himalayas..19 months/19,000 km report - Team-BHP

Manoj Biswas · 1st August 2008, 17:59

What a super vehicle!! I have a thunder black version, that I absolutely treasure since January 2007. It has done close to 19000 kms in the meanwhile, including some very tough and demanding runs all over Himachal, including Spiti and Kinnaur.

This is truly an amazing vehicle...I also participate in rallies, and thus very often driven the Adventure with a rather heavy foot. The runs I have done on this would have destroyed the suspension on a regular car, but there hasn't been the need to tighten even a suspension nut on the Adventure..very, very impressive suspension.

The ride quality is exceptional, even while driving on some of the roughest roads in India..including from Shimla to Kaza and Kaza to Manali, across the might Kunzum Pass (15,500 feet) and the smaller Rohtang Pass (13,000 feet).

This Fiat Adventure has also had many off-road adventures without a single complaint. The ground clearance is a boon and added with the torque and the sheer grunt of the 100 bhp engine, it can tackle most tricky off-road situations with ease. A car that I can only..

The Few Problems:
1. Parts of the center ac vent grill came lose in the 6th month. Fixed by the Fiat service center in Chandigarh FOC (Anbros Motors).
2. The lock that holds sun visor broke, though on a night when the temperature was -10 C. Replaced by the service center, FOC again.
3. The rear bumper developed a very visible faded patch in the center, Fiat says the paint warranty does not cover the bumper :-(

Apart from these, some kids snapped off the rear wiper and a flying rock busted one of the very nice (and very expensive!) Hella fog lamps (OE) on the bull bar. Both parts were replaced by the service center, though the Hella took a month to arrive.

Here is a pic of the Adventure on the road from Kaza to Manali, if you like them, I'll post more.

Jammy70 · 1st August 2008, 20:14

Manoj,

Tell us more (and do show more)! This is a vehicle I wish they were still producing - would have gone for it now that I am looking at something to replace my Palio 1.2ELX.

finneyp · 1st August 2008, 20:15

Manoj, I envy you!

Adventure is one real beast!
It handles all terrains gracefully thanks to its awesome suspension!

Have fun! Do post more pics!

sanjayatarizona · 1st August 2008, 20:26

Manoj buddy, this is a superb vehicle, perfect for our roads(and off our roads as well).Too bad us folks did not recognize the utility of this car, coz of the limited FE.

Please do post more pics. The first one looks very inviting

sanjaymugur · 1st August 2008, 23:02

awesome, the place u have taken the picture of the beast just matches it. that's CLASS. adventure was born for such places.

FIAT, always...

filcord · 1st August 2008, 23:18

more details please, what you did, what the car did...!

rupinder · 1st August 2008, 23:23

hi manoj i agree with u completely. i have a fiat petra 1.6 i took it to leh this july it climbed khardungla and chang la and all the other la's in 2 nd gear and third gear suberb pick up and suspension. btw whats the ground clearance of adventure is it similar to sedan or more . and adventure has loads of space for ur off road stuff.

Dine · 1st August 2008, 23:42

Manoj,
U have saloon that takes you on all terrain, Of course it's FIAT

. Good to see a car going places. Forget about FE, ROI, resale value.
A car reflects the man that drives it. cheers:
Please share more pictures of your trips

Manoj Biswas · 2nd August 2008, 01:15

Thanks for all the nice words folks, appreciate them!

Yes, this is a car that one owns from the heart, not the head.

I had first test driven the car for 2 kms and had fallen in love with it..immediately! Many people thought that I must be nuts to buy this car when I did..and to be honest the doubts were glancing past my mind too. The often told gory tales of Fiat after sales and service had got me worried..but today I am more than happy with my decision. In fact..delighted!

@ rupinder, the ground clearance in 190 mm.

A few more pics to continue the flavour..

The 1st one is on top of the Kunzum Pass (15,500 feet). This pass crosses the might Kunzum range, that divides the Lahaul Valley from the Spiti Valley. The Adventure tackled it with ease..even reaching rallying speeds on some stretches!

The 2nd is under the looming presence of the Ki Monastery (13,000 feet), a thousand-year old monastery near Kaza, the capital of Spiti.

The 3rd is one is in front of the Bara Shigri glacier in the Lahaul Valley, the largest glacier in Himachal. The road here runs at 12000 feet through the river bed of the Chandra. It is on this section that the magnificent all-independent suspension of the Adventure, mated with the thrust of the 1.6, makes some excellent music...on some of the roughest terrain that a car can run on.

phamilyman · 2nd August 2008, 01:44

amazing. I've been looking all over for junta to give experiences about palio to be taken to leh and we have three here: biswas sab, manoj vaidya himself, and apne rupinder ji.

very niiice!

lovely pic.

shantyrocks · 2nd August 2008, 02:06

lovely pic dude...
my experiances with the petra are similar..
lots of power on tap on those steep inclines in third gear..
and since on lpg doesnt hurt the pocket too much either

deepakhon · 2nd August 2008, 07:51

Awesome! This is one vehicle I will buy with my eyes closed if they mate it with JTD. I knew it was a capable vehicle and your experiences second that. Keep the pictures coming. I love them.

gemithomas · 2nd August 2008, 08:47

that vehicle would be thanking you for putting it into service where it really needs to be. Great Going. Would love to hear more.

Why are the wiper blades standing straight in all pictures. Probably the vehicle is excited to be on the mountains.

Rudra Sen · 2nd August 2008, 09:32

I'm sorry Manoj, only four pictures from this great trip? Just not done! We're all waiting.

akbaree · 2nd August 2008, 11:44

Oh God! Manoj, this is awesome. Please share some more pictures and your experience.

One more Adventure owner who is very happy and is going places in his Adventure cheers:

1st August 2008, 17:59	#1 (permalink)
Manoj Biswas BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Shimla Posts: 39	Fiat Adventure 1.6 Sport in the Himalayas..19 months/19,000 km report What a super vehicle!! I have a thunder black version, that I absolutely treasure since January 2007. It has done close to 19000 kms in the meanwhile, including some very tough and demanding runs all over Himachal, including Spiti and Kinnaur. This is truly an amazing vehicle...I also participate in rallies, and thus very often driven the Adventure with a rather heavy foot. The runs I have done on this would have destroyed the suspension on a regular car, but there hasn't been the need to tighten even a suspension nut on the Adventure..very, very impressive suspension. The ride quality is exceptional, even while driving on some of the roughest roads in India..including from Shimla to Kaza and Kaza to Manali, across the might Kunzum Pass (15,500 feet) and the smaller Rohtang Pass (13,000 feet). This Fiat Adventure has also had many off-road adventures without a single complaint. The ground clearance is a boon and added with the torque and the sheer grunt of the 100 bhp engine, it can tackle most tricky off-road situations with ease. A car that I can only.. The Few Problems: 1. Parts of the center ac vent grill came lose in the 6th month. Fixed by the Fiat service center in Chandigarh FOC (Anbros Motors). 2. The lock that holds sun visor broke, though on a night when the temperature was -10 C. Replaced by the service center, FOC again. 3. The rear bumper developed a very visible faded patch in the center, Fiat says the paint warranty does not cover the bumper :-( Apart from these, some kids snapped off the rear wiper and a flying rock busted one of the very nice (and very expensive!) Hella fog lamps (OE) on the bull bar. Both parts were replaced by the service center, though the Hella took a month to arrive. Here is a pic of the Adventure on the road from Kaza to Manali, if you like them, I'll post more. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Team Avalanche Promotosports

1st August 2008, 20:14	#2 (permalink)
Jammy70 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 114	Manoj, Tell us more (and do show more)! This is a vehicle I wish they were still producing - would have gone for it now that I am looking at something to replace my Palio 1.2ELX. __________________ “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” - John Steinbeck

1st August 2008, 20:15	#3 (permalink)
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,203 View My Garage	Manoj, I envy you! Adventure is one real beast! It handles all terrains gracefully thanks to its awesome suspension! Have fun! Do post more pics! __________________ Drive Safe, your loved ones need you! My passion is not driving Cars, but driving a FIAT! Finney, Palio 1.2 NV - 2004

1st August 2008, 20:26	#4 (permalink)
sanjayatarizona BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: "God's own Shaap" Posts: 328	Manoj buddy, this is a superb vehicle, perfect for our roads(and off our roads as well).Too bad us folks did not recognize the utility of this car, coz of the limited FE. Please do post more pics. The first one looks very inviting __________________ Nothing is impossible when you don't know what you're talking about...

1st August 2008, 23:02	#5 (permalink)
sanjaymugur BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 187	awesome, the place u have taken the picture of the beast just matches it. that's CLASS. adventure was born for such places. FIAT, always... Last edited by sanjaymugur : 1st August 2008 at 23:08. Reason: See note.

1st August 2008, 23:18	#6 (permalink)
filcord BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: goa Posts: 751	more details please, what you did, what the car did...! __________________ Baleno Vxi 05 Ritz Zxi 09

1st August 2008, 23:23	#7 (permalink)
rupinder BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: ludhiana Posts: 106	hi manoj i agree with u completely. i have a fiat petra 1.6 i took it to leh this july it climbed khardungla and chang la and all the other la's in 2 nd gear and third gear suberb pick up and suspension. btw whats the ground clearance of adventure is it similar to sedan or more . and adventure has loads of space for ur off road stuff.

1st August 2008, 23:42	#8 (permalink)
Dine BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 78	Manoj, U have saloon that takes you on all terrain, Of course it's FIAT . Good to see a car going places. Forget about FE, ROI, resale value. A car reflects the man that drives it. cheers: Please share more pictures of your trips

2nd August 2008, 01:15	#9 (permalink)
Manoj Biswas BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Shimla Posts: 39	Thanks for all the nice words folks, appreciate them! Yes, this is a car that one owns from the heart, not the head. I had first test driven the car for 2 kms and had fallen in love with it..immediately! Many people thought that I must be nuts to buy this car when I did..and to be honest the doubts were glancing past my mind too. The often told gory tales of Fiat after sales and service had got me worried..but today I am more than happy with my decision. In fact..delighted! @ rupinder, the ground clearance in 190 mm. A few more pics to continue the flavour.. The 1st one is on top of the Kunzum Pass (15,500 feet). This pass crosses the might Kunzum range, that divides the Lahaul Valley from the Spiti Valley. The Adventure tackled it with ease..even reaching rallying speeds on some stretches! The 2nd is under the looming presence of the Ki Monastery (13,000 feet), a thousand-year old monastery near Kaza, the capital of Spiti. The 3rd is one is in front of the Bara Shigri glacier in the Lahaul Valley, the largest glacier in Himachal. The road here runs at 12000 feet through the river bed of the Chandra. It is on this section that the magnificent all-independent suspension of the Adventure, mated with the thrust of the 1.6, makes some excellent music...on some of the roughest terrain that a car can run on. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Team Avalanche Promotosports

2nd August 2008, 01:44	#10 (permalink)
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ask me, no? Posts: 2,859	amazing. I've been looking all over for junta to give experiences about palio to be taken to leh and we have three here: biswas sab, manoj vaidya himself, and apne rupinder ji. very niiice! lovely pic.

2nd August 2008, 02:06	#11 (permalink)
shantyrocks BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: thane Posts: 546	lovely pic dude... my experiances with the petra are similar.. lots of power on tap on those steep inclines in third gear.. and since on lpg doesnt hurt the pocket too much either

2nd August 2008, 07:51	#12 (permalink)
deepakhon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,219	Awesome! This is one vehicle I will buy with my eyes closed if they mate it with JTD. I knew it was a capable vehicle and your experiences second that. Keep the pictures coming. I love them. __________________ Deepak Honnalli.

2nd August 2008, 08:47	#13 (permalink)
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,201 View My Garage	that vehicle would be thanking you for putting it into service where it really needs to be. Great Going. Would love to hear more. Why are the wiper blades standing straight in all pictures. Probably the vehicle is excited to be on the mountains. __________________ "Our world is in its current state because of the choices WE made ...or failed to make"

2nd August 2008, 09:32	#14 (permalink)
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,131 View My Garage	I'm sorry Manoj, only four pictures from this great trip? Just not done! We're all waiting.

2nd August 2008, 11:44	#15 (permalink)
akbaree BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, Oh Posts: 365 View My Garage	Oh God! Manoj, this is awesome. Please share some more pictures and your experience. One more Adventure owner who is very happy and is going places in his Adventure cheers:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Car (FIAT Adventure) standing since 2.5 months, waiting spares to get repaired.	hrsraghav	Technical Stuff	76	14th November 2009 18:38
FIAT Adventure Sport 1.6. EDIT : Now 37,000 kms update!	gemithomas	Long-Term Ownership Reviews	56	30th July 2009 12:11
Fiat Adventure Sport - 2 years 27,000kms ownership report	omar1310	Long-Term Ownership Reviews	24	20th August 2008 15:31
I have a Fiat Adventure Sport 1.6 for 8 months now	chirantanaranya	Sedans	3	9th September 2007 23:37
New Fiat Adventure Sport @5.58 Lacs	merve_extreme	The Indian Car Scene	34	6th June 2005 15:46