2016 Fiat 500X

Pros: Eye-catching Eurocentric styling; good selection of available comfort and safety features; lower trim levels are competitively priced

Cons: Ride is rather stiff; balky 9-speed transmission can be slow to downshift; some middling interior trim

CG Says: Fiat introduces a new subcompact-sized crossover SUV for 2016. The 500X is similar in size, shape, and styling to the 500L compact wagon, but it offers all-wheel drive and a raised ride height. The 500X shares its basic platform with the Jeep Renegade, but it has a distinctly more urban, European feel. The 500X model lineup ascends through a series of whimsically named trim levels: Pop, Easy, Lounge, Trekking, and Trekking Plus. The base Pop model is front-wheel drive only and has a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder paired with a 6-speed manual transmission; all other trim levels have a 2.4-liter four with a 9-speed automatic, and offer front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The uplevel Lounge models are a bit more luxurious, while the Trekking models have a similarly upscale but more rugged feel. The 500X offers a broad array of comfort and safety features, such as heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, blind-spot detection with rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, rear obstacle detection, and forward collision warning. The 500X offers spunky styling, a good selection of rare-for-the-class features, and laudable fuel economy, all at competitive prices. The 9-speed automatic transmission often feels clunky and sluggish, and some of the interior materials feel a little cut-rate, but the 500X still makes a decent case for itself in the growing subcompact SUV class.

Links

First Spin: 2016 Fiat 500X

Test Drive: 2016 Fiat 500X

2017 Fiat 500X Review

What’s New for 2017: Fiat