[RAGG]

[SIZE=2]I test drove a Fiat Adventure yesterday & believe me it was fantastic. Only other car from C segment that can provide such exhilarating driving experience is Fiesta 1.6. However, I am getting stuck at two points

1. The Interiors, a let down to this superb pseudo-SUV. I remember reading somewhere that new Palio with spruced up interiors is round the corner (Sep/Oct 2006) if that is so I can delay my purchase for a month or so.
2. the fuel efficiency – dealer says 12kmpl in city. BS Motoring says 9kmpl. Autocar is no help. The market says 6-8 kmpl.

If owners/experts can provide their feedback it will be great help.
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[deepakhon]

Yes. Interiors in all the current Fiat models are a big let down.
As per many people who have driven Adventure, they are all praise for its ride and handling.
There have been rumours regarding the spruced up Palio going on for quite some time. But there is no confirmation from Fiat yet regarding its introduction in India; atleast, I do not know of one yet.
TopGear magazine is featuring the Adventure as its long term vehicle since 3-4 months and they quote a mileage of 8.8. Owners also have reported around the same mileage. I really doubt you getting anything around 12 in the city.

PS: I have niether sat in an Adventure nor driven one. These are my views based on the members of this forum. I own a Palio 1.2.

[noviceDriver]

Hi RAAG,

the fuel efficiency – dealer says 12kmpl in city. BS Motoring says 9kmpl. Autocar is no help. The market says 6-8 kmpl.

Do refer to the thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-ca...ch-report.html, you'll surely find answer to your query there.

[omar1310]

Hi! I have an adventure. I am getting an average of 9kmpl in city with a/c on 100% (well almost). I got a mileage of 13kmpl on highway before 1st servicing. The highest so far I have got in city is 9.5kmpl (95% a/c on) before 1st servicing. All with BPCL "Speed" from pure for sure petrol pump. I am yet to check the mileage on highway post 1st service. These figures are for Mumbai monsoon roads. I have got a minimum of 8.17kmpl for my car (only 1 occassion). In Delhi, it will be better, you can safely expect 9-10kmpl with 100% a/c on.

I hope this helps!

[rajeevghodke]

HI folks,

Last two days i been driving Adventure.... and experience was great... Very first one... was when sales guy gave me keys asked me to take out from parking lot..guess what- clearance of less than 2 feet benind and almost 2 feet infront... and it took less than half minute for me to take out.. that was first impression... and it will remain...
Now.. negotiating over price and offer from sales guy... ..
Its nice and smooth to drive...dont have much experience with power steering but... adventure was like cheese...
njoy lah
cheers
rajeevg

[Jasmeet]

Hi Guys, i just wanted to add that if you visit any Tata showroom, they are giving Adventure with Dealer Fitment of CNG and are honoring complete warranty!! Also there is a very heavy discount of this car. If you ask me - ADVENTURE ROCKS!!

[rajeevghodke]

hi Jasmeet,

..... you sure, yesterday 23rd I asked sales guy... and he told me.. Fiat is still working on CNG option...Let me know which showroom you checked please... if possible please pass me tel no. too..
cheer
thx
rajeevg

[Jasmeet]

Hi Rajeev,
It's in Delhi. "A-One Motors", Rama Road. I'll find out the number and PM you tomorrow.

[skchugh]

Dear Jasmeet
Please do not pass on half baked information on this thread.I Live in Delhi & have been after tata dealers for months i have cancelled my booking of 6th sep. of this model with m/s Him motors as the promised cng approval has some technical issues with the R&D deptt. of Fiat co.I had a lengthy discussion on this issue with one of the tata managers in their gurgaon office subsequently i sent an e-mail to the fiat bosses in Mumbai.They have replied to me that they fully endorse the stand of their tata counter part.T he approval for this model may or may not come was the straight forward reply from the tata mgr.
Now that clearly means that your RC of the vehicle shall never be endorsed & any body may challan you for violation.Your dealer may assure you reg. warranty.I was supposed to get the delivery today but the dealer had given to me the tel.no. of this mgr. as he himself was not too sure about the approval though initially i had booked the car only on this assurance of approval from the dealer.Looks these guys have lately run into some technical issues. I would agree with our friend Rajiv from Pune his information seems to be the same as mine i.e from the official co. sources.

[devarshi84]

I dont think any other wagon has done as good as palio adventure in India.

IN a way this can be considered to be a fiat success story in India. LOL

[Jasmeet]

Originally Posted by skchugh

Dear Jasmeet

Originally Posted by skchugh

Please do not pass on half baked information on this thread.I Live in Delhi & have been after tata dealers for months i have cancelled my booking of 6th sep. of this model with m/s Him motors as the promised cng approval has some technical issues with the R&D deptt. of Fiat co.I had a lengthy discussion on this issue with one of the tata managers in their gurgaon office subsequently i sent an e-mail to the fiat bosses in Mumbai.They have replied to me that they fully endorse the stand of their tata counter part.T he approval for this model may or may not come was the straight forward reply from the tata mgr.
Now that clearly means that your RC of the vehicle shall never be endorsed & any body may challan you for violation.Your dealer may assure you reg. warranty.I was supposed to get the delivery today but the dealer had given to me the tel.no. of this mgr. as he himself was not too sure about the approval though initially i had booked the car only on this assurance of approval from the dealer.Looks these guys have lately run into some technical issues. I would agree with our friend Rajiv from Pune his information seems to be the same as mine i.e from the official co. sources.

Dear friend “skchugh”, I have no inclinations of telling any *half baked truths* on this thread. I just posted what I was told by a tata dealer. I won’t argue or discuss this further with you as by the looks of it you are already in you *air*.

@Rajeev: Hi, Rajeev I apologies if the information posted by me has caused any kind of discomfort with you but I was only telling you what I was told by the car company. I hope you understand .

Guys, this is why forums like this exist so that we can share information with each other and thus can be saved from being fooled by dealers. I hope “skchugh” gets the *point*.

[omar1310]

Hi! I spoke to the Tata-Fiat dealer in Mumbai. They sais the CNG fitment is delaer option and they are giving it for Palio as of now. Adventure is still sold as Petrol version only.

[directinjection]

I had purchased an Adventure from Sanya Motors, Delhi in July this year.

While doing reasearch on this car, I was concerned about its not-so-good average. Hence I seriously explored the CNG option for this car and did a fair amount of research on the subject.

Well, this is how things work on the CNG front.

Before a CNG kit can be fitted on any car legally, it is necessary that TYPE APPROVAL (TA) must have been granted for that car by ARAI, Pune. This type approval thing is very specific. It is specific not merely to the party applying for approval (the CNG kit manufacturer/importer) but also to the vehicle type and model. For instance, TA granted by ARAI to Shrimankar Car Gas for FIAT Palio 1.2 Euro II will not hold good for FIAT Palio 1.2 Euro III and a separate approval must be obtained for the same. Similarly, TA for FIAT Palio 1.2 will not hold good for FIAT Palio 1.6. Also, the type approval for Palio 1.6 will not be good for Siena/Petra 1.6, even though they have the same engine.

Obviously, getting Type Approval involves time and expenses, more so because ARAI is a semi-Govt. body. Perhaps they are also overburdened, there not being any other facility available in the country (apart from VRDE Ahmednagar) for vehicle testing as of now. When a car does not sell in large enough numbers, the chances of someone taking the trouble and expense of applying for, pursuing and obtaining Type Approval are that much lower.

Hence, under normal circumstances, a car produced in limited numbers like the Adventure would be unlikely to get Type Approval.

However, I am told that after the tie-up between Tata Motors and FIAT, there has been a change in the scenario. First, Tata helped Shrimankar Car Gas obtain the requisite type approval for Tata cars, in order to boost the sales of Tata petrol cars. Shrimankar is the Tata-authorised CNG vendor and Tata even honours its warranty if CNG fitment has been done by Shrimankar.

Since Tata has taken the responsibility of selling FIAT Palio and Adventure petrol cars in India, I was told by Shrimankar that they now saw good sales prospects for these cars and had therefore applied to ARAI for Type Approval for them. This was in the month of June. I was also told that the approval would take some time. Vivek Automobiles had also confirmed to me that Shrimankar guys had come over to their showroom and taken photographs of engine compartments of Fiat cars (the photos being required for applying to ARAI).

Afterwards, I read press reports in which the FIAT India officials were quoted as saying that FIAT was about to launch CNG versions of its cars. So probably, Shrimankar's application has the backing of Tata and FIAT as well and hence there is a fair chance that FIAT Palio and Adventure will get the requisite approval.

Incidentally, while Shrimankar is the Indian distributor for Bedini kits, in Italy, it is Tartarani which is the FIAT-authorised CNG kit vendor. So, there is a chance that FIAT India may authorise someone other than Shrimankar in India.

Another important thing.

CNG kit can only be fitted by a vendor who is approved by the Transport Department/RTA. This is so even if the manufacturer/importer of the kit has obtained Type Approval from ARAI. Curiously, while Shrimankar is a big name in Mumbai, in Delhi, its name does not figure on the list of CNG kit fitters who are authorised by the Transport Department of Delhi. Hence, though they fit the kit themselves, they give the fitment certificate issued by another vendor who is authorised to do so! Interesting, isn't it!

As for me, well, I'm happy driving my Adventure with petrol for the time being and would continue to do so if the approval doesn't come by. Maybe I'll continue with petrol even if the approval comes 'cause I've developed a liking for that huge boot that occasionally doubles up as playing area for my little ones.

[skchugh]

Dear friend
Thanks a lot for giving the entire background reg. cng fitment.The reason why i cancelled my booking of adventure with m/s Him motors is that initially the dealer was pretty sure of the legal approval for this model during navratra period.But around 15th. sep. the sales ex. talked to me that i must confirm the cng issue with the tata mgmt. operating from their gurgaon office as their seem to be some hurdles in the way for this approval.After talking to the concerned manager i realised that this approval may or may not come.
Like you i had also gone a bit deeper into it.My daily driving to the work is around 60 kms. I have a wag.R but i cannot afford to spend 300 Rs./day alone on my travel & use my car only when the family travels with me.I have a physically challenged daughter so i need the boot space to carry her folded wheelchair,i also had this desire to have something bigger & better,All these three parameters compelled me to go for an all out search.
I also visited shrimankar twice though i stay at Rohini the other extreme of Delhi.From one of the tata showrooms at Mathura road i managed to get one fiat adventure & drove it along with their driver to m/s shrimankar at okhla lal chowk.Col. Chadha the tech. expert their wanted to have a look at the boot design & to have a fair idea about the total space available for the wheel chair after the fitment of a 12 kg. cylinder.Every thing went of smoothly with the positive & healthy attitude of the tata dealership i had deposited the advance amt. & was supposed to take the delivery on 25th. sep. until the news came that the cng approval for the adventure model may or may not come.
As i have my own priorities & compulsions i had no option but to cancel the booking of such a beautiful product. Any ways i am still keenly looking forward to this approval & shall buy adventure once it gets the legal nod from the authorities.
I wish you & your family happy & thrilling times with the adventure. Please do share your driving experience of this wonderful machine & also let's know the mileage that you get in the city with a/c on 100%.
Regards.
S.K.CHUGH

[kvish]

Originally Posted by skchugh

Dear friend
Thanks a lot for giving the entire background reg. cng fitment.The reason why i cancelled my booking of adventure with m/s Him motors is that initially the dealer was pretty sure of the legal approval for this model during navratra period.But around 15th. sep. the sales ex. talked to me that i must confirm the cng issue with the tata mgmt. operating from their gurgaon office as their seem to be some hurdles in the way for this approval.After talking to the concerned manager i realised that this approval may or may not come.
Like you i had also gone a bit deeper into it.My daily driving to the work is around 60 kms. I have a wag.R but i cannot afford to spend 300 Rs./day alone on my travel & use my car only when the family travels with me.I have a physically challenged daughter so i need the boot space to carry her folded wheelchair,i also had this desire to have something bigger & better,All these three parameters compelled me to go for an all out search.
I also visited shrimankar twice though i stay at Rohini the other extreme of Delhi.From one of the tata showrooms at Mathura road i managed to get one fiat adventure & drove it along with their driver to m/s shrimankar at okhla lal chowk.Col. Chadha the tech. expert their wanted to have a look at the boot design & to have a fair idea about the total space available for the wheel chair after the fitment of a 12 kg. cylinder.Every thing went of smoothly with the positive & healthy attitude of the tata dealership i had deposited the advance amt. & was supposed to take the delivery on 25th. sep. until the news came that the cng approval for the adventure model may or may not come.
As i have my own priorities & compulsions i had no option but to cancel the booking of such a beautiful product. Any ways i am still keenly looking forward to this approval & shall buy adventure once it gets the legal nod from the authorities.
I wish you & your family happy & thrilling times with the adventure. Please do share your driving experience of this wonderful machine & also let's know the mileage that you get in the city with a/c on 100%.
Regards.
S.K.CHUGH

I think you made the right choice of cancelling the booking. I own an adventure, and to be frank nothing fits your bill more than it...but honestly, fuel efficiency is one area to look at (but low is a relative term I have never got less than 9Kmpl..and I have no issues ) . Just wondering if you checked the wagon-r Duo..but again, its the spare wheel which will come in the way. I suggest you wait for a good diesel option.
And as you rightly pointed out, its better not to go with anything that isnt FIAT approved especially if it involves a massive change such as CNG.
Moreover, I am not sure if performance would be impacted, if so it will start feeling sluggish like the diesel one which was released prior to the current petrol one..