Hyundai i20 Active vs Fiat Avventura comparison

What’s new?

It’s no secret that we Indians love SUVs. We like their rugged looks, high ground clearance and the practicality and space they offer. But you don’t always want the bulk and extra weight of a full-sized SUV. For this very reason, we have seen some interesting developments in our market. For one, manufacturers have started to come up with crossover versions of regular family hatchbacks designed to cash in on the strong, SUV-like visual appeal, without having to design and engineer an all-new car. We now have four crossovers in our market. Skoda and VW explored the niche first with the Fabia Scout and the Cross Polo and then came the Toyota Etios cross. But those cars were just cosmetically enhanced. Fiat’s Avventura, on the other hand, was the first real crossover, that came with a considerably altered and raised suspension. It also came with larger wheel arches to accommodate chunkier tyres and there were significant sheet metal changes as well. 

Now, Hyundai has joined the fray. The i20 Active, as the name suggests, is based on the i20 hatchback. And like Fiat, Hyundai has made significant changes to its crossover. It comes with more clearance, has bigger wheels, larger bumpers, matte-finish cladding and aluminium roof rails. But unlike the Fiat, which has a tail-mounted spare wheel for even more SUV feel, the Hyundai is a regular hatch. But has Hyundai done enough to get ahead of the Avventura?

What are they like inside?

Slide into the Active’s comfortable driver’s seat and you are greeted by a chunky, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a high-quality dash. The two-tone dash is neat and clean, with no extraneous or over styled features, giving it a mature look. The top part is finished in high-quality, non-reflective black plastic while the middle portion uses blue which may not be to everyone’s liking.

The Avventura’s dash, on the other hand, has more flair and the layered design looks very attractive. The addition of the bespoke tilt meter and digital compass dials on top of the centre console add to its rugged appeal. The front seats, though not as comfy as the Active’s, are good enough but like the Punto and the Linea, the driving position is flawed. The steering is placed too high and close to the driver and the high dash means visibility is not that great either. The quality on the upper dash is great with soft-touch bits. But some plastics on the lower half of the dash feel a little low rent and the quality is not as consistent as the Active’s.

Move to the rear seat and the i20 Active reveals its greatest strength. In terms of legroom, the rear bench is very spacious and you won’t feel shortchanged like in the cramped Fiat. Even tall drivers can be comfortable behind the wheel without crushing the knees of the rear passengers and the slightly reclined rear bench angle adds to the comfort levels too. The Fiat, on the other hand, feels a size smaller than the Active. However, it’s just the legroom that is a problem in the Avventura.
With the front seats pulled forward, the back seat is pretty comfortable.

In terms of practicality, there are plenty of storage spaces inside the Active’s cabin. You get one-litre bottle holders in each of the doors, two large cup-holders behind the gear lever, and a cubbyhole for storing your phone just below the air-con controls. Like the spacious cabin, the Hyundai’s boot, at 285 litres, is large and enough for your weekend’s luggage. The Avventura, sadly, has only one small cup-holder up front, tiny door pockets and a small glovebox as well. It does at least have a decent-sized boot, though not as big as the Active’s. Also, accessing the boot is a complicated affair thanks to the tail-mounted spare wheel.