Fiat 500X Cross Plus 2015 review
Fiat has expanded its popular 500 lineup with the introduction of a crossover called the 500X. The "X" stands for crossover and joins the 500L model, which is not currently imported into Australia, providing additional interior space and rear door convenience.
But back to 500X. It is significantly larger than the standard Fiat 500, but bears a family resemblance to its little brother in front, in various details around the body and in a sleek interior.
Like the 500, the 500X is available in a wide variety of colors and a huge selection of accessories for personalization. Would you believe that 12 body colours, 15 decals, nine exterior mirror finishes, five door sill inserts, five alloy wheel designs, fabrics and leather could be part of the package.
And did we mention that the keychain can be ordered in five different designs?
Check out the new Mini and Renault Captur, the Fiat 500X is ready to challenge you with customization. I like it - there are too many cars of different shades of gray on our roads now.
A pleasant combination of Italian style and American know-how in the field of all-wheel drive.
Olivier François, global head of Fiat, gave Australia the honor of flying in from Italy to talk us through the design and marketing of his all-new 500X. Marketing includes overseas television advertising which can be quite risky in Australia. Suffice it to say, a Viagra-type pill hits the fuel tank of a standard Fiat 500 and causes it to expand 500X.
The Fiat 500X was co-developed with the recently released Jeep Renegade. Fiat controls Chrysler and Jeep these days after the American giant got into financial trouble in the early days of the GFC. This partnership perfectly combines Italian style and the know-how of American four-wheel drive vehicles.
It's not that the 500X is aimed at tackling the Rubicon trail, but its clever all-wheel drive system gives it extra traction on slippery wet roads or icy conditions in the Snowy Mountains or Tasmania.
If you don't need all-wheel drive, the 500X also comes with 2WD through the front wheels for a lower price.
Which brings us to the price - the Fiat 500X is not cheap. With a range of $28,000 for a $500 Pop with all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission and up to $39,000 for an all-wheel drive Cross Plus with automatic transmission.
In addition to the Pop and Cross Plus, the 500X is sold as the Pop Star for a MSRP of $33,000 and the Lounge for $38,000. The 500X Pop can be ordered with an automatic transmission for an additional $2000X. The automatic is a six-speed dual-clutch transmission that comes standard with the Pop Star (love that name!). AWD, Lounge and Cross Plus models have a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The positive point is the high level of equipment. Even the entry-level Pop has 16-inch alloy wheels, a 3.5-inch TFT display, cruise control, automatic paddle shifters, Fiat's Uconnect 5.0-inch touchscreen system, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and Bluetooth connectivity.
Moving on to Pop Star, you get 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and wipers, three driving modes (Auto, Sport, and Traction plus), keyless entry and start, and a reversing camera. The Uconnect system has a 6.5-inch touch screen and GPS navigation.
The Fiat 500X Lounge also gets 18-inch alloy wheels, a 3.5-inch TFT color instrument cluster display, automatic high beams, an eight-speaker BeatsAudio Premium audio system with subwoofer, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, interior lighting and two-tone premium trim.
Finally, the Cross Plus has a stiffer front end design with steeper ramp angles, xenon headlights, roof racks, brushed chrome exteriors and different dashboard trim.
The Fiat 500X is as quiet or quieter than many next-class SUVs.
Power is provided by a 1.4-liter 500X turbo-petrol engine in all models. It comes in two states: 103 kW and 230 Nm in front-wheel drive models and 125 kW and 250 Nm in all-wheel drive.
Safety levels are high and the 500X has over 60 standard or available items including a rear view camera, forward collision warning; LaneSense Warning; lane departure warning; blind spot monitoring and rear intersection detection.
Electronic roll protection is built into the ESC system.
All models have seven airbags.
We were only able to try the front-wheel drive automatic Fiat 500X in a relatively short program organized by Fiat as part of the Australian national media launch. Performance is generally good, but in some cases the dual clutch transmission took a while to engage in the correct gear. Perhaps with longer use it would adapt to our driving style. We'll let you know after we've reviewed one for a week in our home territory.
Ride comfort is very good and it is clear that a lot of work has been done to dampen noise and vibration. Indeed, the Fiat 500X is as quiet or even quieter than many next-class SUVs.
Interior space is good and four adults can be carried with decent room to move around. A family with three preteen kids will find this cute Fiat crossover to suit their needs perfectly.
Handling isn't exactly Italian sporty, but the 500X is neutral in how it feels as long as you don't exceed the cornering speed the average owner is likely to attempt. External visibility is very good thanks to the relatively vertical greenhouse.
The new Fiat 500X is Italian in style, customizable in a thousand different ways, yet practical at the same time. What more could you want from this extended Fiat Cinquecento?
Click here for more pricing and specs for the 2015 Fiat 500X.
