Fiat 500X: we test the new FireFly petrol engines

The Fiat 500X gets a new look, equipment and a new generation of petrol engines, which promise pleasant driving and low consumption.

Fiat has renewed one of the most successful SUVs on the European market in recent years, the Fiat 500X. The Italian model, which arrived on the market in 2015, gets a new design, technology and engines. We have already told you all the changes to the new Fiat 500X, and now we focus on the most important renewal, the petrol engines, which we were able to drive during the national presentation to the press.

Firefly petrol engines: two versions to choose from

The new generation of engines that Fiat has named FireFly boasts a driving silence that they put at up to 20 percent better than in turbodiesel engines, with a fuel consumption saving of the same amount compared to the family of petrol engines they replace.

Based on a modular structure with a block that keeps the distance between cylinders, and a unit displacement of 0.33 litres, the range includes two versions. The first is a three-cylinder 1-litre engine announcing a maximum power of 120 CV, with a maximum torque of 190 Nm, paired only with the six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. The most powerful is a four-cylinder 1.3, with 150 CV and 270 Nm of torque, paired with a DCT dual-clutch gearbox, also front-wheel drive.

Both engines are aluminium, and feature direct injection, a low-inertia turbocharger with electronically controlled wastegate, the third generation of Multiair variable valve timing and a petrol particulate filter. They are the same engines fitted to the new Jeep Renegade.

Proportionally, the performance of the smaller 1.0 engine is more surprising, with very linear power delivery and sufficient thrust. It also stands out for its smooth operation, for a three-cylinder block. An engine that can comfortably meet the needs of a car with the approach of the Fiat 500X, although like its more powerful sibling, they do not seem as economical at the pump as they claim.

We will verify this in a more thorough test, but among petrol engines in their class, consumption in both seems highly sensitive to driving pace. Specifically, with the 1.3 150 CV, whose gearchange I found could be improved for a dual-clutch, it exceeded 10 l/100 km in mixed motorway and country road driving, without driving especially hard.

Diesel options too.

The rest of the petrol engine offer for the new Fiat 500X includes the 110 CV naturally aspirated 1.6 with a 5-speed gearbox, which we do not consider a recommended purchase given the performance gap with the new 1.0 Turbo. The turbodiesel variants are the 95 CV 1.3 Multijet with a 5-speed manual, the 120 CV 1.6 Multijet with a choice of 6-speed manual or DCT, and the 150 CV 2.0, the only one with a 9-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, which comes as standard on this version.

Now, all diesels use AdBlue to meet the Euro 6d-Temp emissions standard. Given the price-to-performance gap, in the versions offering the 1.3 and 1.6 Multijet engines, paying the extra 1,200 euros for the 120 CV diesel is worthwhile. This version, together with the 1.0 120 CV, is the most balanced in the new 500X range, as the 1.3 petrol and the 2.0 turbodiesel sit as the higher-end options, by power, by being paired with the automatic gearbox and by being offered only with the top trims.

Between the Fiat 500X with the 120 CV 1.0 petrol engine and a 1.6 Multijet turbodiesel with identical power, the 2,400 euro price difference “invites” you to choose the small three-cylinder, unless your main use will be a lot of motorway driving and high monthly mileage.

City car or off-roader: a 500X for every need

Fiat offers three versions of the 500X, named Urban, City Cross and Cross. Not all are offered with the same engines, and they differ in styling details, standard equipment and focus. The Fiat 500X Urban is aimed more at road or city use. It includes manual air conditioning, cruise control, electric parking brake and 16-inch alloy wheels as standard. Now, with the new range, driver assistance systems are added, such as traffic sign recognition, speed warning and lane change warning.

The 500X City Cross adds a redesigned front and a specific bumper, with front fog lights, chrome trim, body-coloured mirror housings and the Uconnect system with a 17-inch screen. The most “rugged” version is the 500X Cross, with 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, automatic air conditioning, rear-view camera, light sensor and the top Uconnect version, with navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Among its main rivals, the Fiat 500X plays the card of a competitive price by taking advantage of discounts, an attractive design and an interior with a spacious cabin and a boot that sits around the class average. As an area for improvement, we note the cabin’s soundproofing, which suffers on long journeys from road and wind noise. Possible alternatives include the Hyundai Kona, the Kia S-tonic or the Renault Captur, which also offer fantastic 120 CV petrol engines. Other rivals to consider would be the Seat Arona, the Citroën C3 Aircross or the Peugeot 2008.

Although prices start at 16,850 euros for the Fiat 500X 1.6 petrol in Pop trim, the budget to consider for the most recommended version, the 120 CV 1.0 Firefly, is 18,200 euros in Urban trim, and 19,200 in City Cross trim. The 500X Cross with this engine, with more complete equipment and a more rugged look, goes up to 21,200 euros.

Fiat 500X image gallery