Fiat Avventura Abarth long term review: After 18,808km and five months

I drive inside my office premise and see the security guard eyeing my Scorpion (yes, the Avventura Abarth), giving me a welcome smile and directing me inside the parking. How did I develop this rapport with him? He used to stop me every morning for the routine security check wherein he asked me to open the boot. Even after showing and making him understand the mechanism, I could never teach him to operate the boot until he finally gave up and agreed to let me bypass the check by simply peering through the windscreen.

But the complexity of the boot operations is not as much of a problem as the brand's after sales experience. As per my previous report, I did send the Scorpion to Fiat for its periodic servicing of 15,000km wherein majorly the engine oil was replaced and so were the air and oil filters. Along with the consumables, this servicing cost Rs 4,949. The third free servicing will be carried out at 30,000km or two years, whichever comes earlier. The longer service intervals of the Avventura Abarth are impressive as in case of the Maruti Suzuki Swift all the three free services get over in one year itself.

At the time of giving it for servicing, I had mentioned about the niggles that were there in the car. However, the same was not taken care of. Apart from the fact that it wasn't washed properly, the broken seat height adjustment lever was still not replaced owing to the unavailability of the part then. It is surprising to know that a part that is shared with the entire Punto range is not a part of the regular inventory. Finally, a few days back I got a call from the team confirming they have sourced the lever and it can finally be replaced. Now, there's a new niggle - the driver-side door handle has become loose. Hope the Fiat guys can sort it when it goes for the seat-height lever replacement.

In my recent months, I have also experienced a new set of challenges. The hip-hop black shade of the Avventura Abarth does look smart but it is a task to keep it shining always as the dirt marks and spots are evidently visible. It's the price to pay for the sharp look. Inside too, the ebony piano finished trim on the central console attracts dirt quite easily. In addition, the compact storage pockets are difficult to reach and have a tendency to collect dirt particles. Although, the Scorpion goes through its daily wash, I still prefer getting it thoroughly cleaned thrice a month wherein each wash costs Rs 750.

After Ashok, the Scorpion has not really exchanged much hands. It is my daily commute to office and the weekend getaway to my hometown. Impressively, the Scorpion has been steadily delivering 7.5kmpl in the city and 10kmpl on the highway. Even though the Scorpion has been with me for over five months, the excitement of pushing the Abarth motor is always there. In that time, I have realised the only way around the torque steer is to go gentle on the throttle and fight the urge to mash it completely.