Review: the new Fiat 500X, the most complete SUV from the Italian brand

Leader in Italy and one of the five best-selling cars in its segment in Europe, the Fiat 500X has been renewed and arrives on the market better equipped than ever.

With references to Fiat’s appearances in film and presented in a short film similar to “Back to the Future”, the new 500X was presented in Turin with the most complete technology to date and new engine options.

If you are looking for a model that is comfortable in the city but has enough space for long journeys, the renewed SUV, the Italian brand’s best-selling model, is your car. We travelled to Turin to test all the options offered by its three versions: Urban, Cross and City Cross.

The propulsion system is without doubt the strong point of this compact SUV. It debuts new FireFly petrol engines that deliver fuel savings of 20%, one of them a three-cylinder, 1-litre unit with 120 CV, while the second is a 1.3-litre four-cylinder with 150 CV. As for the diesel range, the brand complies with the new Euro 6/D-TEMP environmental standards, with three Multijet II engines of three displacements available: 1.3, 1.6 and 2.0 litres (95, 120 and 150 CV respectively).

We had the opportunity to test around Turin the FireFly Turbo four-cylinder 1.3-litre engine with 110 kW (150 CV) and 270 Nm of torque, paired in this case with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox (DCT) and front-wheel drive.

The homologated consumption is between 6.1 and 6.5 litres per 100 km, something this 500X meets by not exceeding 7 litres either on the road or in the city.

Design and size of the Fiat 500X

Overall, this compact SUV looks more aerodynamic than its predecessor. With minimal exterior differences between the Urban, Cross and City Cross versions, its dimensions are 4.26 m long, 1.60 m high and 2.02 m wide (with mirrors). Its wheelbase has also increased to 2.57 metres.

The renewed 500X arrives with a new front signature featuring Fuel LED headlights that improve safety and visibility, while reducing energy consumption by 70%. The bumpers, now larger, have been designed to reduce the risk of damage in the event of a collision.

The cabin, with a more youthful look, is quite comfortable, and both the controls and the new 7-inch infotainment touchscreen are very intuitive and easy to use. We also tested the Apple CarPlay function, with which you can use most of the apps on your smartphone in the car very easily.

The boot has a capacity of 350 litres and the interior offers plenty of space for passengers in the rear seats. Apart from some rather hard-touch plastics on the doors, the design is quite refined and modern.

Much more safety

The new 500X features for the first time a wide range of safety systems as standard, such as the speed warning, lane change warning and traffic sign recognition in all versions.

The adaptive cruise control works very smoothly on the road and helps maintain pace. Among the options available on some versions are autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot detection and new rain and light sensors, which are combined with a rear-view camera, keyless entry system or anti-glare mirror.

Prices

Although the new model costs around 18,000 euros, to coincide with its launch, Fiat is offering the 1.6 110 CV version for €11,900 with a four-year warranty.