Hyundai will launch the i20 Active on March 17. The Active is a rugged version of the popular i20 premium hatchback. It gets cosmetic tweaks, cladding, skid plates, roof rails and aggressive-looking alloys. It is powered by the same petrol and diesel engines as in the i20 hatchback but, ground clearance has been raised by 20mm to 190mm. That's the same formula as has been implemented with other such crossovers in our market. So, how does the new Hyundai compare against its main segment rival – the Fiat Avventura? Let's take a look.

Under the hood

Like the Avventura, the i20 Active too will be available in both petrol and diesel guise. While i20 Active will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine, the Fiat Avventura gets a bigger 1.4-litre engine which is good for 89bhp (7bhp more than the i20). However, both petrol engines make identical peak torque.

When it comes to the diesels, the i20 Active will get a bigger 1.4-litre engine but, it produces only 89bhp. In comparison, the Fiat Avventura gets a 1.3-litre diesel engine which produces 92bhp. Also, the i20 Active diesel engine will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission while the Avventura diesel gets a five-speed unit.

Space on offer

The i20 Active, based on the i20 hatchback, gets an identical wheelbase of 2570mm which is 60mm more than the Fiat Avventura’s. Even overall, the i20 Active is slightly longer, wider and taller than the Fiat, implying more room on the inside.

Just like the Avventura, the i20 Active too will command a premium over the regular hatchback version. The premium is easier to justify if you consider these cars as range-topping variants of their hatchback counterparts that get distinctive styling bits and some more kit. 

So, this is how the new Hyundai i20 Active stacks up. To learn more about what the new i20 Active is like from behind the wheel, read our review here.

Read our Hyundai i20 Active review

Read our Fiat Avventura review