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A user review on Fiat Adventure. Written by Chirantan Aranya on 23 January, 2007

Starts at Rs.
Adventure Details | On Road Price

Chirantan Aranya's Ratings

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Overall
Looks
Performance
Space/Comfort
Fuel Economy
Value For Money

Version Reviewed

Sport 1.6

Purchased As	:
Familiarity	:
Fuel Economy	:	kpl

Good	:	Unique road presence, good suspension, steering, build, serious offroading application
Bad	:	disappointing interiors, instrumentation could be better

Full Review

My family and I had to balance our requirement of a utility vehicle and practicality in Bangalore traffic, and we were excited to discover that the Fiat Adventure fit that bill well. We instantly liked the estate with its high ground clearance, Pirelli tyres and sporty attitude. At around 600K ex-showroom here I believe it delivers enough bang for the buck. If you place safety, comfort, lifestyle and unique road statement over mileage and economy of operation, then I recommend the Adventure. We narrowed our test drives to Ford Fusion and the Adventure before buying. I liked the Fusion for its better start-stop performance and eagerness in the1st-2nd gear region. The Adventure seemed to need more prodding in that region unless you revved enough, but I worry a lot about guzzling so that was out. I liked the Fusion's interiors better although the appointment seemed to be marred by cheap looking surfaces. The Adventure's interiors were a plain disappointment, and so was the instrumentation with all analog readings. We were especially surprised that Fiat would not give any thought to essential utilities like cup holders and gadget pockets for the outdoor utility appeal it tries to generate for the Adventure. We loved the Adventure for its superior ride quality though, as we took a test cruise on a patch of dirt and pockmarks. And I simply adored it when I discovered that the Adventure had plenty of room at the 3rd-4th gear positions. It came into its own with the 5th gear overdrive and reminded me of the stylish Subaru Outback I drove in the US.

In the first week of our ownership we took our Adventure to Coorg on a track that varied from great roads to no-tar off-road tracks in meandering hill sections. I liked how it performed, and managed to average 10kpl throughout, with A/C on about 60% of the time. In Bangalore peak traffic in which nothing seems to move, I was rather unsettled by the steady downward droop of the fuel guage needle and can't say I did better than a 8.5kpl with A/C intermittently on. While I vouch that on long hauls I felt significantly less tired, city drive (of the horrific kind in Bangalore) appeared somewhat onerous at the controls of a 1.2 ton vehicle. But it did feel good to see some of those belligerent truckers making way for us or to see some heads turn around. The four fog lamps capable of shining into the head of the drivers in the opposite direction came in handy to make them realize that they had to lower their high beams in dense two-way traffic conditions.

The side mount bars and bull-bar, all standard accessories, appear as deterrents to the pesky two and three wheelers that want to squeeze into your blind spots.

That reminds me, the side mirros are not very useful to me; even at maximum swivel I have to crouch to peer into them for a full view while driving. And someone also said that the all-terrain Pirellis need rotation at every 5000Kms due to their special tread. We took our bet on this vehicle knowing that a Fiat never lets you down if you treat it well and hoping Tatas will deliver on their promise of a better after sales service.

To sum up, my family and I are pretty happy with our decision and glad that we found a multi utility vehicle for our lifestyle. We plan to take the vehicle on long drives to better utilize what we perceive are its 'intended uses'. We think it is a great performer and looks and feels great.

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Comments Latest 10 are shown

Akshay on 05 Aug, 2009 at 12:23 PM

Dear Proud owners of Adventure. I am as proud as you are and actually preferred this car to Honda city. Even after driving for almost 5 years for 35000 KM I am not in favour of letting it go. I am thinking to refurbish it and add LPG kit than buying another brand. Will you please suggest if its a good idea. I drive in Mumbai traffic.

Chirantan Aranya on 04 Aug, 2009 at 09:44 AM

I have not tried LPG as over time the petrol mileage has improved and stabilized. Turning radius is an issue as long as you don't know your car well. But I am familiar enough with it now so I can manoeuvre even a narrow ramp in my apartment. The seating is not low at all in my opinion. You may think of it as "adequate". All cars of this size are "issue" inflicted by our indisciplined city traffic. I would say that I am quite happy so far with service and have not seen big ones with cost.

Mangesh on 31 Jul, 2009 at 10:12 PM

Thanks for the update. Would you recommend an LPG fitment to save on fuel costs? Would LPG hamper the performance drastically? Is the car size an issue while driving in city traffic? What about the turning radius? Is the seating too low or OK? I have read that "aggregate cost of spares" is the highest for Fiat cars. Is that true, and is it something one should consider while buying a car? I appreciate your feedback.

Globe_Son on 31 Jul, 2009 at 10:12 PM

Mangesh on 31 Jul, 2009 at 10:09 PM

Chirantan Aranya on 22 Jan, 2009 at 10:41 AM

Hi Mangesh, Good question. Because the Adventure is out of production, spare parts remain a concern. However, I am told that the platform is similar to the one used in Stile 1.6 so critical parts availability should not be a problem. In my 2 years of ownership, I have clocked about 18700 kms on the odo. The suspension is as great as ever. However, fuel efficiency still hovers at around 8kpl (city) and 14kpl (highway). No problems so far except the alternator but it is a Bosch component.

Mangesh on 21 Oct, 2008 at 03:58 PM

Hi Chairantan, now that its been a while since you are owning an Adventure, can you resubmit your feedback. Would you recommend a used Adventure to prospective buyers, and typical problems that one should be prepared for?

Jo on 27 Mar, 2007 at 12:36 AM

Dear Chirantan, It was a wonderful note on THE WILD BEAST and thanks again for sharing your experience. I am sure, it will help all my dumb friends who are still small to grow beyond the jingle like LITTLE BOXES of new zen estilo!!!! Well jokes apart, I am confident that many people will be able to draw the line in between their self perceived perceptions against sketched perfections from the market. FIAT is here to stay in India and TATA's promise is enough.

Chirantan Aranya on 23 Jan, 2007 at 01:05 PM

Dear Friends,

I have written a review on Fiat Adventure and look forward to your comments on it.

Review Link: Want to do our bit in helping you select a great vehicle

Thanks.

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