Fiat Avventura 'Powered by Abarth' review, test drive

What is it?

Fiat's Avventura is a crossover based on the Fiat Punto Evo hatchback. It has a raised suspension, 205mm of ground clearance, a considerable amount of cladding around it and very aggressive bumpers. In short, it looks extremely attractive. Fiat hasn't left it in the cold when it comes to giving it the right tyres, either. The wheel wells have been fleshed out and made large enough for 205/55 tyres on 16-inch alloys, and this version also gets the stunning Abarth-style 'Scorpion Sting' wheels. A couple of other bits distinguish this from a regular Avventura too – there's a badge on the lower half of the rear door that reads 'Powered by Abarth' and a red Scorpion badge on the engine cover under the bonnet distinguishes this car from less powerful versions of the same.

What really makes the 'Powered by Abarth' edition special, however, is the fact that it comes powered by a turbocharged petrol motor. So instead of just a 93bhp diesel or a 89bhp petrol, you get a stonking 140bhp turbocharged petrol engine that has been up-rated by Abarth, Fiat's performance arm. The engine is around 5bhp down on the motor that powers the Abarth Punto Evo hatch, but that's more down to prudence than stinginess. 

Otherwise, the Avventura is identical to the regular car. It gets the attractively designed cabin from the new Linea, along with the two-tone grey-and-black interior. There's an additional ‘tilt-meter’ and digital compass sitting on top of the AC vents. To make the insides nicer, the dash gets a part-soft touch, two-tone treatment, but the soft portion here is finished in a light grey Alcantara-like material, and the door pads are made from art-leather. The insides are brightened by large orange fonts used on the audio system, trip computer and climate control system. You get an additional boot release for the hatch, placed on the upper right-hand corner of the audio system – it also helps unlock the tyre that's placed in a frame at the rear. Feature-wise, you get climate control, a rear AC vent and an audio system that supports CDs, MP3s and has an Aux-in. While the ‘Blue&Me’ Bluetooth interface works great with voice commands and voice calls, you still can't stream media from your phone, which makes it feel outdated. And while the hybrid part-fabric part-leather seats are nice, the driving position is still quite heavily compromised as the steering is too close and the pedals are too far.