[hillram]

Since Fiat displayed Avventura in January 2014 at Auto Expo, I was waiting patiently for the official launch in October and do a booking. Several emails were exchanged in between with Fiat India, with their Customer Care-Head as I could not control my anxiety as to when Avventura would be launched.As they said “Come September” and the wait seemed over.By October the heat was getting torrid and the launch date was not getting confirmed.Finally on 21st October Fiat Avventura was launched in New Delhi with a smashing price.

The very next day Fiat India MD, Mr.Nagesh Basavanahalli arrived in Hyderabad to launch Avventura in the City of Pearls with a grand event at the premises of the premier Fiat dealer in our city.

As a gesture of Fiatism, Fiat MD presented the symbolic cardboard key to my son at this event and very next day I ended up paying the full amount OTR price for a 1.4 Active Petrol (Z.Orange)Avventura.
http://epaper.sakshi.com/apnews/Hyde...boxid=26882704

[hillram]

The Intrigue

The wait continued whole of November with no signs of delivery of my Avventura. I started to get uncomfortable as there was no communication from the dealer nor Fiat India. Towards the end of November I raised a complaint with Fiat customer care about the delay and lack of information.

Little did i know i was opening a Pandora's box !!! Next 7 days I bombarded Fiat India as the dealer gave up his hands with no updates. Fiat India was very diplomatic as I had already paid the entire money and was playing their cards carefully. Finally i lost my patience and threatened to take to court. This when Fiat India's Regional Sales head called to reveal that Petrol Avventura suffered from a major flaw effecting the safety of the driver, hence it had gone back to drawing board..I was told the exact problem, which made me rethink from safety point of view !! My hopes were dashed against rocks and I was in a dilemma.

I wrote to the MD of Fiat India, yes..the same gentleman who put a symbolic Avventura Key in my son's hands, 2 months ago. He immeditaly suggested me to switch over to a Multijet diesel version and I was sent a Test Drive car. I went for a good 100km drive and was floored by the sheer brilliance,power and handling of the Diesel Avventura.

Now my luck started to shine. Fiat India offered a discount, added Fog lights (not available for Active model), threw some Fiat merchandise (usual stuff - Key chains , T-Shirts , Cuff Links , Pen and a Teddy for my son !!) and some accessories (Mud Flaps , Floor Mats and Boot Mat). On 10th of December I booked the Diesel Active 1.3 Multijet Avventura in the same Z.Orange color.

Adventure unfolds

My son was the most impatient person and would enquire every day after his return from school, when would our Avventura be delivered. Exactly a week after my booking date, Butta Automotive (Premier Fiat dealer in Hyderabad) called me that my Avventura had landed and would be delivered the following day.

Very difficult 24 hrs to handle and every hour moved slowly until we all reached the dealer on 18th December (nearly 2 months after i had booked my Avventura) and there the Orange Flame was waiting full prepared to enter my fleet of Fiats as 7th member !! A short ceremony and a brief explanation of some key features by the Avventura expert, my son cranked the multijet engine for the first time at the wheel and boy o boy,he was beaming !!

Fiat goodies made my boy smile even more...

[hillram]

Fiat Avventura has been touted as a good response to Cross over mania, that is sweeping the country.
Here are my perceptions:

Highlights :

• World renowned Fiat Multijet Diesel Engine giving 90+ PS on a 1.3 Litre configuration. I would have preferred T-Jet version under the bonnet.
• Stellar looks typical of Italian design.
• Aggressive pricing.
• Awesome drive comfort and brilliant handling.
• Low end variant (Active) feels good like a high end variant(with alloy wheels , Power windows, Key less entry, of course sans Airbags , ABS , Music System and Audio Controls on Steering.
• Functional Roof rails that can take a load upto 100+ kgs of weight like Bicycles , Kayaks etc. But a cross bar is needed on top of the roof rails to accommodate anything.
• 205mm of ground clearance is a boon and takes pot holes and speed breakers with ease.
• 16" Tubeless Goodyear Tyres
• Artistic and contemporary seat covers(in art leather and fabric) that give a soft ambiance to the interiors.
• Functional All Terrain gauges (first in the segment).
• Central locking activates once the speedo needle touches 20km speed.
• Current FE is clocking at an average 18 KMPL.

Lowlights :

• Boot access is a bane with a complicated process of opening and closing. To add to these vows, boot release button on the dashboard is feather touch and activates the boot opening at a mere rubbing of the finger, most of the times accidentally.
• T-jet engine is sorely missed.
• Subtle Turbo lag is felt in the 2nd gear.
• Single DIN space provided to accommodate music system (in Active variant) has a complicated panel, which is difficult to remove.
• Tacky plastic finish can be seen in some areas such a steering , door handles.

Fiat Avventura has been "Designed in Italy , Made in India" which means it is a sort of indigenous product.

My first effort was to identify any Italian , Spanish and Brazilian parts under the hood and I could only find ECU from Magneti Marelli, to my only delight. Comau (Consorzio Macchine Utensili) which is incidentally a Fiat group company provided the process automation and welding robots for Avventura, which is apparent in every corner of the vehicle.

• Fascination for Fiat
Having been brought up with Fiats, I wanted to buy this year a new generation Fiat.I considered
- Fiat Linea
- Fiat Avventura
Since I already have couple of Sedans in my fleet (Opel Corsa and Fiat Siena), and Cross Over rage was sweeping everywhere, I zeroed on Avventura as this version of Fiat enamored me since it was displayed at the Auto Show in January this year.

• Features of my Avventura
- 1.3 Litre Multijet Diesel Engine (93 PS)
- Active Variant (Low end model)
- Zaferrano Orange colour (Metallic)
- Central Locking & Keyless Entry
- High Terrain Gauges include – Compass , Inclinometer and Tiltmeter
- Ground Clearance 205 mm
- No Airbags & ABS in this version
- No Music system or Steering mounted controls
- Only front power windows
- 16” Good year Tubeless Tyres with Alloy wheels
- Manual AC Controls
- Manual OVRMS adjustment only in Active Variant
- Power Steering with tilt facility
- Rear AC vents not provided in Active Variant.
- Limited onboard diagnostics – Trip Meter and Distance to Empty
- Seat covers are mix of Art Leather and Fabric for Active Variant
- No Fog lights for Active Variant
- Functional Roof rails
- No Fog lamps for Active variant
- Non-Body coloured OVRMs
- No roof antenna (as music system is not provided- I found this a let down as I had to get installed a roof
Antenna as an accessory)
- Desmodronic Key with integrated Remote Entry buttons and Boot Opening button(Ordinary Spare Key)
- No 60:40 split seat in Active variant.
- Boot Space 280 Liters
- Non-Leather wrap for Steering and Gear knob

• Pricing Structure
- Ex-Showroom price (Active Diesel Variant) : Rs.7,03,961 (Hyderabad)
- Road Tax – 12%
- Handling Charges – Rs.5000 (Waived off)
- No Extended Warranty (did not opt)
- Fog Lamps fitted free of cost by Fiat India
- Lot of Fiat official merchandise offered by the dealer & Fiat India


• Comfort Feeling – Ayes & Nahs
My observations come as my initial experience of driving about 200km in the city and another 500kms on the highway.

Fiat Avventura is a good Value for money Cross over in its segment which has some excellent features as well as some drawbacks. The first outstanding feature is its exterior (very much Italian) and its stance on the ground. Standing in front of it, one feels like a mini SUV. An entry variant (Active) comes with - Alloy wheels , Remote locking , Power Windows , Desmodronic Key, Functional roof rails , Spare Wheel cover. Fiat Multijet engines are known worldwide for their excellent powertrain technology and fuel efficiency. Avventura has been created with all these boons to make it a world class car.

The interior is quite normal with good contrasting seat covers (a mix of art leather and fabric). Tacky plastic finish is observed on steering and door handles, which could have been avoided. A contrasting faux leather embedded dashboard gives a nice warm look and higher variants have been provided with ambient lighting. There is a garnish of orange color everywhere on the dashboard with Instrument clusters, High Terrain gauges , music system and AC Controls, all of them emitting excessive orange colour making it look like a sky just before sunset !!!

I felt Air conditioning to be a slightly a disappointment with a limited air flow through the vents as they are quite small for a large car like Avventura.Cooling effectiveness can be hampered in peak summers.

Active variant does not come with a music system, hence i installed a very low end ICE with Bluetooth and all modern interfaces !! Emotion variant comes with a volume adjustment which alters automatically to the engine noise. I wonder how Pavarotti would be treated under these circumstances

Ergonomics have been treated very well, with height adjustment for front seats (only in Emotion Variant). Thigh support is outstanding for front and rear seats. Driver seating is upright and posture is very comfortable for long drives as well as those horrendous hours spent in traffic jams. One observation about foot well, where the spacing between dead pedal and clutch is very limited. A word of caution of drivers who wear wider shoes. Interior space is not massive IMHO but very comfortable for 4 occupants. Leg room is quite reasonable for front and rear seats. head supports give good relaxed feeling on long drives too (feedback from family).

Safety is not compromised only for high end variant (Emotion) which comes loaded with Airbags, Fire Preventions system (FPS) , ABS and EBD. Sadly the lower end variants (Active & Dynamic) are deprived of all these features.The only safety feature in Active variant which appealed was an automatic central locking when the speed of the car reaches 20km !!! In case you forget to lock your doors, you are safe after a speed of 20km.

Overall build quality is very strong and sturdy.Body cladding makes a huge impact to beef up Avventura. Fully cladded around the body , the muscular look is greatly improved. Panel gaps are absent thanks largely to Comau process automation system and its industrial robots doing magnificent welding and bridging of gaps !!
Paint finish is not 100% top notch as a glossy finish is absent. Paint job under the bonnet walls is very poor and dull.

Avventura comes in 5 metallic shades and 1 non-metallic shade (Red). Till date Zafferano Orange colour is the most popular and preferred by most of the customers.

I could vent out my ire on the boot access issue until the cows come back home. Though the spare wheel looks awesome at the back of the car, when it comes to opening the boot, it is a serious contraption(#1).
First you need to have sufficient space (close to 10-12 feet) to open the tail gate. It needs good amount of strength to open the tail gate and close it. The whole mechanism will drive a security guard nuts at a Multiplex , Shopping Mall or a SEZ and he will not be able to crack it. But when you open and close the boot, there are some very curious questions posed by onlookers !!! Boot opening can be accessed with a button on the desmodronic key as well on dashboard panel. Here is another contraption(#2) : The boot release button on the dashboard is feather touch, which means a mere touch with ones finger while adjusting AC vents, fiddling with music system , switching on hazard light, can activate the boot opening while driving. I had to stop the car a dozen times till now to get down and close the boot.

To make it worse, if the boot release button is activated,one needs to open the tail gate fully, open the boot door and shut it again and lock the tail gate. With out opening and closing the boot door, tail gate doesn't lock.This is contraption (#3)..A hatrick !!!

The Sweetspot of Avventura is its Multijet Engine, though i would have been on cloud nine if it came with a T-Jet. I dont feel like I'm driving a diesel car at any point as the surge of speed is like a blow torch through butter !!! Though i feel a slight turbo lag in the 2nd gear, where i need to step on the pedal slightly more to get the surge. I may overcome this consequently after more miles.

Engine performance on highway has been outstanding though I didn't cross 100+ speeds with family safety being a priority. But Im sure these speeds will be very comfortable and confident. Avventura has a superb road handling and a brilliant road grip like a leech. Turning radius is reasonable thought not all that great, to make certain turns cumbersome. Another piece of sweetness is the ultra smooth clutch. This eases gear changes so much and reduces stress especially in traffic jams.

I felt the suspension was slightly tight especially when you glide over speed breakers. Maybe i need to reduce the tyre pressure as i run on 40psi for all tyres. Braking is superb and brings Avventura to a control even on sudden braking. I sorely miss ABS which is a privilege only for Emotion variant. Overall the Engine experience can be called as - Poetry in Motion !!!

Ground clearance has been another advantage to glide over potholes, speed brakers very smoothly. 205mm of ground clearance makes Avventura a tall boy.

This opens the story of shoes for Avventura. The cheapest of the tubeless tyres have been installed on Avventura : Goodyear Eagle 16" Tubeless tyres. With the given ground clearance and Wheel well gap, i feel they look smaller !!! As of now these tyres are doing good running and they have a good grip. Since i switched to nitrogen, the performance could only be better.

Im currently clocking a Fuel Efficiency (Multi Million dollar question in Indian Automobile scenario) of 17kmpl in city and 19kmpl on Highway.

• Servicing Pattern
- Every 3000km or 6months which ever occurs earlier.
- Standard replacement of Fuel ,Oil,AC filters once annually
- Change of Engine oil every 5000km, since semi synthetic (Petronas
Selenia) is supplied for Avventura.
- Power Steering , Gear box and Brake Oils needs to be monitored . Strangely my Opel Corsa has Power steering oil sealed for life..that what I call German efficiency !!!

• Accessories for Avventura
Fiat India sent me their official catalogue for Accessories designated for Avventura. The prices are quite astronomical and outrageous. The much needed Crossbar costs Rs.8000 and Cycles racks cost Rs.20000. I got both of them from a vendor in Delhi for 1/4th of those prices with clamps and harnesses thrown free for my inflatable boat, that can be mounted in the roof rails.

• Dealership & After Sales Experience
Butta Automotive is the premier Fiat dealer in Hyderabad with 2 more dealers.My experience has been very depressing and agonizing with Butta Automotive as they lacked customer dealing right from booking to delivery. They lacked product knowledge and technical information about Fiats itself. They are erstwhile Tata dealers !!!!
I heard that the other 2 dealers are even worse. So this is a sort of a Hobson’s choice.

I visited the service centre to get fitted roof Antenna and found that the service personnel were much better in their attitude, knowledge and approach, This was a solace for me as I wont need to visit the showroom ever again.

• What Avventura means to me
Being a die hard fan of Fiats, Avventura is a novel concept of automobile engineering. It combines a series of strokes with a paint brush that comes from a Picasso and Dali. Bold at places , Traditional at some corners , radical and intricate at some other angles. It defines a lifestyle product and will be appreciated as a revolution that can put away the “Padmini” or “Mumbai Taxis” legacy to an end.

Having said this Fiat India has miles to do, after my experience and they need to very strong in their product to push the sales to next level. I don’t think Avventura will sell as much as its competitors but it has a strong capability to turn heads on the road and grad attention.

For me Avventura is a another collectable that would go into my fleet of Fiats and I would use to probably once or twice a week to office as I have a roster to use all my cars. I intend to drive more miles on highway with my Avventura and re-discover India on wheels with family. This was the main intention to buy an Avventura.

My honest overall rating for Fiat Avventura would be 4/5

Getting Ready
Last few days were spent on accessorizing my Avventura.

• I ordered for a pair of cross bars from Delhi, which were fedexed and reached me in order. I installled them myself in an hour on top of the roof rails and it has changed the looks of the vehicle.
• I got a basic music system online with 2 way speakers and got them installed. Fiat India has very nicely provided all the wiring required, hence it was a mere plug-n-play and voila i was listening to Beethoven in mere 30 minutes after installation of ICE.
• I could not resist a subtle decaling on my Avventura with some Fiat group brands like Abarth.
• Inflated all the tyres with Nitrogen.
• I was in a good mind to change the engine oil to Mobil 1 100% synthetic but was explained by Fiat India that the current engine oil used is Petronas Selena,which is itself a semi synthetic oil. So i decided to hold on for sometime and see the results.
• A teflon coat was considered but i thought of waiting for the 1st servicing which is due in 6 months or 5000km
• A Fiat representative came home and gave a demo of all the features of Avventura for 2 hours. Though he failed to answer some of my questions, it was by and large and informative session.
• Compass works perfectly, but the Inclinometer and Tiltmeter are not working. I consulted Fiat India and was advised to recalibrate the devices. Hence i need to take my Avventura to the service centre soon if i want them working.

Finally did some long drives out of city and highway to open up and stretch the engine. My Avventura flies now with ease with turbo lag slightly coming down, though im fully not satisfied. Some initial shots of my Avventura with my son who accompanied me on the drive.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[embee]

Great insight about Fiat Avventura. This is the first time i'm seeing close pictures. Have not seen on Delhi roads as yet or might have missed seeing..!!

[mooza]

Congratulations Hillram, the car looks stunning, especially the color and claddings. Interiors look good too. Please do post frequent updates.

Wishing you many happy miles of ownership

[parimal_g]

Congratulations for the awesome buy, i have test driven this car and its more responsive than the engine in Old Punto, its much linear and peppy. Are you sure about the service interval, it should be 15k kms not the 5k and its once a year, and the break oil, steering oil and gearbox is for once in two years.

[rajeev k]

Good report with all the soft and hard points, well compiled.
Made me wonder on why Fiat launched the petrol version without addressing a major flaw concerning safety . Some manufacturers won't learn from their past mistakes and Fiat India leads the pack.
The 'contraption' of the spare wheel mount is the eighth wonder. The designer who made it only for the sake of mounting a wheel on the rear end is to be let off but the approving authority is to be seriously dealt with. Hope they would come out with a solution soon enough.

Being a die hard fan of Fiats, Avventura is a novel concept of automobile engineering. It combines a series of strokes with a paint brush that comes from a Picasso and Dali. Bold at places , Traditional at some corners , radical and intricate at some other angles. It defines a lifestyle product and will be appreciated as a revolution that can put away the “Padmini” or “Mumbai Taxis” legacy to an end.
Having said this Fiat India has miles to do, after my experience and they need to very strong in their product to push the sales to next level. I don’t think Avventura will sell as much as its competitors

You said it.

[hillram]

Thanks to everyone for their wishes.
I intend to log my miles and share my experiences very closely in this forum.

[tjacob]

wow! finally an Avventura review. Congratulations on the new car.

I was there at the Minister Road showroom just last week to check out the Avventura. Must say I left impressed after seeing the car. The build quality, fit, finish & brand was in the plus but the lack of features including safety and the exterior design was a turn off. I'm sorry but Fiat's design language doesn't serve my tastes. I'd have overlooked the design if they had safety equipment at least as an option on the top petrol variant but the real bummer of them all was the 2 months waiting period.

[justwheels]

Oh man!, The FIAT Avventura hits TBHP ownership. Many congratulations for owning the Italian. It does look great in that orange.

Your narrative of the spare wheel and boot opening is hilarious. But yes, its a pain due to the space requirement and the intricacies of operation. Wonder if Fiat could find a better way to do that. Nonetheless, a wonderful well built car it is, enjoy mile crunching and keep us updated of its ventures.

[hillram]

Originally Posted by justwheels

Your narrative of the spare wheel and boot opening is hilarious. But yes, its a pain due to the space requirement and the intricacies of operation. Wonder if Fiat could find a better way to do that. Nonetheless, a wonderful well built car it is, enjoy mile crunching and keep us updated of its ventures.

Infact, I have started to enjoy the boot opening procedure as it grabs attention. The security guard at my SEZ parking has given me an exception not to check the boot daily as he felt it was a complicated procedure !!!

[behaln]

Congratulations Hillram. Good to hear about you as a die hard fiat fan. I wish you safe and smooth driving. The car looks imposing in orange. Another colorwhich looks good is the shade of brown. I ha e spotted few Avventura's in road in Delhi.

[hillram]

With the permanent registration done (my first Telangana registered car !!), this morning i gave myself a 2 hour Sonax Wax polish treatment to my Avventura. At the end, the result was good with a rich shine. I took the Avventura for a smooth ride around the lake to get some candid shots.
Notice the subtle promotion for next James Bond film on my Avventura,which will feature Fiat 500s driven around in Italy by none other than Daniel Craig. .

[Blue Bird]

Congratulations on your buy , may it give you more smiles per miles. Am planning to pick a hatch when i get back to India, the punto and polo are the ones that i have zoomed down to , will finalise after a TD of the GT Tdi / Avventura. I hope they put the Tjet in there by then.
Thanks for the ownership report. It was quite detailed and honest and has been of great help to me.
One query: I had read that the service intervals were supposed to be yearly.
Will be looking forward to more updates from you.
regards.