The first ever Fiat 500X has arrived in Australia. This is the SUV/crossover version of the cute little 500. It also sits in the market as one of the most powerful models in the class.
Unlike the regular Fiat 500 hatch, the 500X gets a unique body with five doors, not three. In fact, it shares the same platform as the recently announced Jeep Renegade. This opens up more space inside, with seating for five adults. It’s fill with technology too. Fiat says there are over 60 safety and security features available.
On the dash is a 5.0- or 6.5-inch Uconnect touch-screen interface, depending on the variant, with satellite navigation on some models. There’s also a 3.5-inch TFT display for the driver within the instrument cluster, with keyless entry and start.
Four main variants and three powertrain options are on offer in Australia, spanning from the Pop, Pop Star, Lounge, and Cross Plus. The Pop gets a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol producing 103kW and 230Nm, available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch auto.
Next up, the Pop Star comes with the same engine as above only it only uses a dual-clutch auto. These two variants use a front-wheel drive system.
For the Lounge and Cross Plus variants, there’s a boosted version of the same engine, generating 125kW and 250Nm. The unit is matched to a nine-speed automatic, feeding power into an all-wheel drive system.
Fuel economy averages range from 5.7L/100km for the Pop and Pop Star DCT, up to 6.7L/100km for the all-wheel drive Lounge and Cross Plus models. The manual Pop uses 6.0L/100km.
The 500X should be a fun little car, especially if it’s anything like the regular 500 hatch. See below for the starting prices of each variant (excludes on-roads):
Fiat 500X Pop manual FWD – $28,000
Fiat 500X Pop DCT auto FWD – $30,000
Fiat 500X Pop Star DCT auto FWD – $33,000
Fiat 500X Lounge 9spd auto AWD – $38,000
Fiat 500X Cross Plus 9spd auto AWD – $39,000
