Fiat's ideal competition to the Fortuner, a good option for India

Fiat had announced it will introduce Jeep in the coming years, however it seems they have taken off the foot from the pedal as the company has delayed the launch of the American utility vehicle brand for India. We believe the Freemont could be a good option for the Italian car maker for India, especially considering the size of this vehicle. The Cross version of the Freemont is a cut above the rest, a model designed to meet the needs of modern families looking especially for space and practicality.

The new Fiat Freemont Cross has a new front bumper with platinum chrome colour inserts, the glossy black front grille and fog light frames, platinum chrome colour side skirts and lengthwise roof bars in the same colour, as well as the black frames for the front and rear light clusters, and the rear bumper with platinum chrome colour under-body protective insert. The Freemont Cross also has brand-new 19" Hyper black five-spoke alloy wheels.

The inside of the Fiat Freemont Cross passenger compartment features the new black leather seats with sports mesh inserts and light ardesian grey top stitching, also on the central armrest and door panels. The steering wheel and gear knob offered in leather as standard lend the finishing touch to the interior fittings.

The new version is offered with the 140bhp 2.0 MultiJet II engine, with manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, and the 170bhp 2.0 MultiJet II, both in a 4x2 version with manual gearbox and an active AWD version teamed exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission.

There are also more than 20 storage compartments, with a total capacity of 140 litres. Standard features also include electric heated and folding door mirrors, six airbags, illuminated cup holders, Keyless Enter 'n Go with starting button and audio controls and steering wheel driving speed regulation. There's an 8.4" touch screen satellite navigation system with maps together with DVD player and SD slot, Bluetooth connection, rear parking camera and an Alpine Premium sound system with 6 speakers, 368 W amplifier and subwoofer.

The Fiat Freemont active four-wheel drive system is on-demand and it is equipped with an electronic control unit, which uses sensors to detect the grip of the four wheels and decides when to transmit traction to the rear. The system intervenes on surfaces where the wheels may not have good grip (for example: mud, snow, ice) to ensure maximum traction and no limits to the routes the vehicle can take. The rear-wheel drive also activates on dry surfaces - at a speed of between 40 and 100 km/h - improving handling when driving and allowing it to take curves more easily, with more neutral dynamic behaviour.

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