The Hindu Business Line : Fiat's survival game with new Adventure Sport

FIAT INDIA is in an unenviable position. Thanks to the settlement with General Motors and also the pick up in sales, particularly of the company's compact cars in key European markets, its Italian parent appears to have pulled itself out of the financial quagmire that was threatening to drag it into bankruptcy. But the Indian subsidiary is still trying to shed the image of a stodgy company that is fighting to stay in the reckoning.

The small-car race has long gone ahead and Fiat's numbers in the segment are nothing to write home about. But after the outlook improved at the Turin headquarters and after the change of guard at the Indian subsidiary, there is hope that this manufacturer of quality small cars will come up with a strong second innings.

With the situation in Fiat Auto, Italy, still a bit shaky, it is not surprising that the company has been hesitant in committing fresh funds, and consequently new models, for the Indian market.

So, even as Fiat India bides its time, waiting for the parent's financial health to improve and fresh plans are put in place, it has decided to fine-tune some of its existing car models and tackle the issues that have been pulling down its image, aided in no small measure by a sloppy dealer and service network.

As far as product strategies go, revamping its existing models may not exactly be a segment-redefining move for Fiat, but something is better than nothing, especially considering the rapid slide that the company is facing in terms of brand recall among potential customers.

In line with its plan to rationalise its operations and switch to a premium brand strategy, Fiat has re-launched the Adventure Sport — the spruced up, more powerful, petrol version of the earlier poorly endowed, diesel-engine estate.

Built on the Palio platform and sporting the same front side, the Adventure Sport has been launched to appeal to the `petrolheads', that is, those who care less about fuel efficiency than about making a performance and style statement. Fiat is hoping that the Adventure Sport's looks, that seem to be a unique amalgam of estate and sports utility styling, will attract younger Indian car buyers.

Apart from the identical bi-parabola clear lens type headlamp with halogen bulbs that the Adventure Sport shares with the rest of the cars in the Fiat family here (such as the Palio and the Petra), the other prominent features are the polished black bonnet grille, the large bull-bar, twin Hella fog lamps (in addition to the two integrated into the bumper) and a larger black bumper.

Also, sharing the same matt-black finish are the dimpled wheel flares cladding that merge neatly into the bumpers in the front and the rear. The black colour theme has been extended to the internally adjustable door mirrors and the waistline moulding. Connecting the wheel flare claddings at the front and the rear is the running board or aluminium side footboard. This is meant more to add to the Adventure Sport's visual appeal than to serve as a practical aid for passengers. After all, the ground clearance, though higher than the Palio and the Petra, has only been raised by 20 mm to 190 mm.

To further enhance its part-Estate, part-SUV look, the Adventure gets a pair of swank roof rails. The B-pillar's panels have been blackened to trick the onlooker into thinking that the Adventure is even longer than its already generous proportions. At the rear the large bumpers, the vertical tail-lamp layout and the large rear glass have been retained.

The interior of the Adventure Sport has been spruced up with new maroon and black checked seat upholstery that also goes onto the fabric door inserts. Other interior features include the silver-coloured inner door handles, leather steering wheel cover and gear knob, and sporty brushed aluminium foot pedals. The dashboard centre console and side vents of the aircon also get slap-on aluminium panels. In keeping with its sporty theme, the instrument cluster comes with white dials and includes a tachometer in addition the fuel gauge and the speedo.

The most important change in the Adventure Sport is, of course, the engine. In the place of the 1.9-litre diesel that the earlier Adventure came with, the new Sport version comes with the same 1.6-litre petrol engine as in the Palio 1.6 GTX.

With a peak power output of 100 bhp, this 1,596cc, 16-valve, double overhead camshaft power plant is no weakling and does a far better job of powering the Adventure Sport than the 1.9-litre diesel burner managed to in the previous version.

The petrol engine's maximum torque of 137 Nm kicks in at a fairly low 4,250 rpm. Other changes to the 1.6-litre engine's intake and exhaust systems have been made to make it meet the current Euro III emission norms.

Gear ratios for the five-speed manual are spread evenly making city driving comfortable. But on the highway, with the engine hitting peak power only at 5,500 rpm, overtaking manoeuvres were a bit of a stretch. Adequate braking power has been provided for with the front wheels sporting ventilated discs and self-adjusting type drum brakes at the rear.

Ride quality in the Adventure Sport is excellent as has been the case even with other Fiat cars. Aided by the independent suspension on all four wheels, the rear seat ride quality in the Adventure Sport is better than many regular sedans, despite the raised ground clearance and even if the driver is the only occupant in the car. But the slightly long overhang at the rear tends to give the car a bit of body roll.

The suspension set-up includes McPherson type for the front wheels with the lower wishbone anchored to the cross member. Also on the job are coil springs, telescopic dual effect shock absorbers and a stabilising bar in the front, while the rear wheels feature longitudinal wishbones and an anti-roll bar.

The Adventure Sport is shod with 14-inch alloys that sport tubeless Pirellis with a special stud-type tread pattern for extra grip and improved ride. Boot is obviously one of the high points of the Adventure Sport with 460 litres of space available with the rear bench seat in place. With the rear seat backrest folded and re-folded, the total boot space available is a whopping 1,540 litres.

Fuel efficiency has not been the forte of any of Fiat's cars. The Adventure Sport is no exception. This new estate is almost 100 kg heavier than the 1.6 Petra ELX. The Adventure Sport should, as result, only be able to come up with a mileage of about 6 kmpl on city roads and about 10 kmpl on highways.

To make the Adventure Sport's proposition more attractive, the price of the car has been lowered to about Rs 6.4 lakh for the one and only trim version available.

At this price it is only about Rs 30,000 more than the comparable version of the 1.6 Petra. The Adventure Sport, as a result, manages to offer more value, though mileage will be lower.

The Fiat Adventure Sport is a unique estate version compared to the others currently available in the market.

But, then, it is an estate in the final analysis and buying it will not be for its real-world practicality or the lack of it.

All the same, if you fall in the category that has a streak of defiance about you and despite being a `cityzen' if you like to own a performance oriented, unique estate, then the Adventure Sport could match your type.

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