Fiat

500X

Fiat’s latest addition to the hugely popular 500 line-up is the beautifully styled 500X – a true Italian crossover. There is a choice of engines, transmissions, traction systems and styles to suit all tastes and budgets.

Test Drive

Fiat 500X – first drive

There’s no denying the popularity or demand for crossover vehicles with their practicality, versatility and stylish good looks.

Well now there is a new arrival in town and it’s certainly going to attract plenty of attention.

First there was the Fiat 500, a fun and funky city car that has seen the company’s sales figures soar. Then came the chunkier 500L with its larger dimensions aimed at customers looking for extra space and practicality.

And now Fiat has introduced the 500X which sits neatly between the two other cars and is described by Fiat as the Italian Crossover. It carries forward all the key design characteristics of the 500 with similar lights, grille and striking chrome trim, yet it adds a whole lot more into the mix.

And with personalisation options all the rage these days, the latest arrival from Fiat offers all the individuality and character you could wish for in a car.

There is an extensive range of six engines (three petrol and three diesel) plus three transmissions options – manual, dual clutch auto and nine-speed fully automatic. Then there are three traction variants – 4×2, 4×2 with traction and 4×4 on demand, so already the customer has lots to choose from, but there’s more.

For the 500X is available in two very different styles – a city look in Pop, Pop Star and Lounge trims or the more rugged off-road appearance in Cross or Cross Plus grades. And of course, the buyer can choose from a host of add-on packs and 12 colour shades along the way.

With prices starting from £14,595 and rising to £25,845 the 500X is perfectly placed to take on the likes of the Renault Captur, Nissan Juke and MINI Countryman when vying for customers.

I tested out two models on a road route that incorporated lots of fast, twisting country lanes along with busy town centres and the car definitely lived up to all the hype.

First up was the city-styled 500X in Pop Star trim powered by a 1.6 MultiJet 120bhp diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

This model is priced at £19,345 (£21,545 with optional extras) and can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 10.5 seconds and tops out at 115mph. According to official figures it can deliver a combined fuel economy of 68.9mpg with carbon emissions of 109g/km.

There’s no denying the 500X oozes Italian flair and charm with its sexy curvaceous lines, distinctive chrome trimmings, 17-inch alloys, sporty rear spoiler and fun and funky character.

Step inside and it’s impossible not to be wowed by the modern, sophisticated and cheery surroundings that greet you with a bright body-coloured dashboard fascia, contrasting seat shades and a whole host of techno treats at your disposal.

The interior is spacious and can easily accommodate four adults – five at a push. The boot is moderately sized and can hold 350 litres of luggage (245 litres if a spare wheel is added) and that capacity can be increased further thanks to 60:40 split folding rear seats.

Elsewhere there are a number of handy storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin, including a double glove-box with cooling section, deep door pockets and practically-sized cup holders.

Creature comforts include Fiat’s Uconnect infotainment system with touchscreen and Bluetooth streaming, sat nav, dual zone air conditioning and plenty more besides.

There is also what Fiat calls a mood selector which allows the driver to adjust the vehicle’s driving dynamics by switching from Auto to Sport or All-weather depending how you feel. I have to confess the Sport mode was just perfect when tackling sweeping bends.

The acceleration proved beautifully smooth, the steering was very precise and there was ample bite from the diesel powertrain. And whenever an extra burst of pace was needed to get past a tractor then it was always at your disposal.

The 500X handled superbly well and gripped the Tarmac like glue meaning it could be thrown around for fun and sharp bends posed no problems whatsoever.

Next up was the more rugged off-road styled model in Cross trim powered by a 1.4-litre 140bhp MultiAir petrol engine.

This car priced at £18,595 (£21,295 with options) can reach from 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds and has a top speed of 118mph.

It can achieve 47.1mpg on a combined run with emissions of 139g/km.

Once again the car looked fabulous although a little more serious thanks to the off-road bumpers with protective shield, dark grey roof rails and satin chrome finish to the door handles, front moulding and tailgate.

The interior was also slightly less flamboyant with a matt grey dashboard and less razzmatazz than the city model, but the technology was very similar. The mood selector on these models offers Auto, Sport and Traction for extra grip.

Out on the road route, the 500X again proved itself a very capable vehicle and coped easily with motorways, long steep inclines and fast lanes.

And once again there was ample power from the engine as the car moved effortlessly through the six-speed manual gearbox.

As one would expect from Fiat, all 500X models come with a comprehensive range of safety features as standard but a Dynamic Safety Plus pack costing £650 adds the likes of lane departure warning, a rear-view camera, blind spot detection and forward collision mitigation.

Fiat believes 500X sales will be split 50:50 between diesel and petrol sales with 70 per cent of customers opting for the city look.

But whatever the percentages, one thing is guaranteed – the compact crossover market is a definitely a better place thanks to the arrival of the 500X – perfectly billed as one car with two souls.