Three test mules of the Fiat Avventura have been spotted undergoing trials in India and by the looks of it, the car looks very similar to the concept which was unveiled at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group last week announced its plans for the coming five years in a detailed presentation. While the Linea was recently updated, the presentation revealed that the Punto facelift and the Avventura are next in the pipeline.
The test mules could have been easily mistaken for Punto facelifts, but the spare wheel at the rear and the roof rails indicate that it is an Avventura. The Avventura is essentially a Punto hatchback with lots of plastic cladding to give it the rugged appeal of a crossover. The front of the test mule was heavily camouflaged, though it does give a glimpse of the new smoked headlamps and grille. The rear also houses a new tail lamp assembly apart from the spare wheel, which will be mounted on a separate tailgate. The side profile shows a blacked out B-pillar, new alloy wheels and OVRMs, which integrate turn indicators.
The Avventura will also borrow the powertrain options from the Punto - the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel, 1.4-litre T-Jet and the 1.2-litre petrol. It will go up against other hatchback-based crossovers in the market like Volkswagen Cross Polo and the recently launched Toyota Etios Cross. Being based on hatchbacks, these crossovers are not very expensive to develop and manufacture, though car makers get the liberty to charge an extra premium over the regular hatchbacks.
While the compact SUVs have been selling like hot cakes, the crossovers haven’t been doing that well in the Indian market. Despite this, Fiat has taken the risk of launching a new contender in the segment and we will have to wait and watch how this gamble turns out for the Italian manufacturer.
Source: TeamFiat
