Fiat Avventura vs i20 Active vs Etios Cross: A comparison

Despite the hatchback underpinnings, pseudo crossovers possess special qualities that make them a compelling buy

The practicality of a hatchback and appearance of an SUV, these two attributes brought the pseudo crossover segment to life as it aims to provide a larger footprint while going easy on the pocket.

Though Skoda was the first to introduce the Fabia Scout in this space in recent times, there have been more successful offerings that have made it to the list in the past year or so and a few more are yet to come. Hence, MotorBeam compared the three most popular crossovers in this space to see which model makes more sense. 

The hatchback influence is evident on all three models, but common elements like the roof rails, black body cladding and faux skid plates make them look a lot more brawny in appearance.

That said, Fiat has taken the most effort here as the Avventura offers the maximum butch appeal complete with an external mounted spare wheel.

Next up is the Hyundai i20 Active that not only gets the good looks but also features projector lamps, LED DRLs and quirky reflectors as improvisations. The Toyota Etios Cross is decidedly the least appealing crossover here but still is the best looking Etios on sale. 

The i20 Active gets the most generously loaded interiors with a host of tech on board and boasts of good seating support. The material quality is impressive and there are new orange/blue inserts for a peppier feel.

In comparison, the Fiat Avventura comes in a distant second in features but offers some crossover specific equipment like digital compass, forward-backward incline and left-right incline. Softer cushioning is needed though on the Fiat and material quality too feels inconsistent.

The Etios Cross has been built to a cost and the lack of features and poor plastic quality makes it evident. Seat comfort is good and the Toyota boasts of the best interior room.

Ergonomics are the best on the i20 Active, followed by the Etios Cross while the Avventura gets it all messed up.

All three crossovers get petrol and diesel engine options with the Fiat Avventura's 1.4-litre petrol motor being the biggest, producing 90 PS. However, it does not offer the same power as expected and lacks low-end torque. The i20 Active uses a decently specced 1.2-litre motor with 83 PS and comes with linear delivery throughout.

The Etios Cross comes with a 1.2 (80 PS) and 1.5-litre (90 PS) engine options and it is the latter that is more engaging to drive. While top-end performance is good on the Avventura, the other models don't fare that well.

The mid-range though is good on all three models. Coming to diesels, the Etios Cross offers just 68 PS from a 1.4-litre motor, whereas the i20 offers 90 PS from a similar capacity engine. The Avventura gets the smallest 1.3-litre motor but with the highest output of 93 PS. 

The oil burner on the Toyota Etios Cross though is surprisingly potent with negligible turbo lag. The Avventura despite its power advantage has a lot of lag and that robs away its city usability. Hyundai has tuned the i20 Active's motor well and there is power on the go.

All cars come paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the i20 gets a 6-speed unit on the diesel version. The gear shifts are smooth on the Japanese models, whereas the Italian disappoints with a notchy feeling. In terms of safety, the Avventura boasts of the best build quality, while ABS and dual front airbags are standard on top-end variants of all three models, save for the Avventura petrol.

The Avventura offers the best ride quality here and the car feels planted at any speed. In comparison, the i20 Active gets stiffer suspension setup over the Elite i20, but still doesn't match upto Fiat's.

The Etios Cross too is sorted in terms of ride quality and tackles undulations with ease. In terms of handling, Fiat takes the cake yet again with its feedback rich steering, which is sorely missed out on the Etios Cross and i20 Active.

Braking performance too is more confidence inspiring on the Avventura when compared to the other models. Ground clearance is not any issue on either crossovers.

The Toyota Etios Cross is a capable car in its own might but does not bring anything spectacular to the table. In comparison, the Fiat Avventura offers excellent handling and highway performance along with amazing ride quality, but lacks in city drivability, ergonomics, after sales and service.

The Hyundai i20 Active isn't the most driver focused vehicle, but is a well packaged product with loads of features and comfortable ride quality, backed up by a strong after sales network.

Despite being the most expensive model here, the i20 Active emerges as our pick in today's pseudo crossover comparison.
 

Article source: www.motorbeam.com