2018 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: For 2018, all Fiat 500X models have a Uconnect 4 system with 7-inch screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. There is also a new Urbana Edition model that adds unique trim to Trekking. The Fiat 500X is a subcompact-sized crossover SUV that seats five. 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 whimsically named trim levels: Pop, Trekking, Urbana Edition, and Lounge. The base 2WD Pop model has a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired with a six-speed manual transmission. Optional on 2WD Pop and standard on AWD Pop, Trekking, Urbana Edition, and Lounge is a 2.4-liter four with a nine-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is available only with the 2.4-liter motor. 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 nine-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.