Fiat’s India-bound crossover spotted in Italy

Fiat's Punto-based crossover was spotted testing by an Italian website, Quattro Ruote, somewhere in Italy. After the rage for crossover SUVs was fuelled by the Duster and the EcoSport, the reports of Fiat’s crossover being made with the lucrative Indian market in mind seem to be gaining ground. We expect the crossover to compete with the likes of Volkswagen Cross Polo and Toyota’s upcoming Etios Cross.

With the aim of establishing a foothold in the sub-continent, Fiat had announced a comprehensive three-year plan in September 2012 which stressed upon the expansion of its dealer network and launch of new vehicles. Among their new cars to be launched was a crossover of the Punto and it was then speculated that the car would be named as ‘Punto Cross’. But now, with the spare wheel of the test mule sporting the 'Adventure' branding, Fiat might reintroduce the moniker in India, where it had been first put on the estate version of the Palio, way back in 2002.

The tailgate-mounted spare wheel has led to speculations of it being a side-hinged door. From the photographs however, we feel that the spare wheel is mounted on a separate frame and not fixed which makes us suspect if it were a hatch. We will have to wait for more pictures to be sure about it.

The car may be powered by the 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 89bhp and 115Nm of torque or an upgraded 1.3-litre Multijet diesel. A closer look at the spy shots show the absence of a rear differential, which means it is a front-wheel-drive urban car rather than an off-roader. The car is expected to be showcased at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo and launched later this year.