Fiat 500X range full review - what you need to know.

By Farzana Chaumoo

Read about the Fiat 500X range, engines, pricing, safety features and more.

 Styling

The Fiat 500X was designed by the Centro Stile Fiat where they’ve blended the 500s iconic style with the modern concept of a crossover.

Premium materials and fabrics have been used in the construction of the 500X along with sophisticated technology for safety. It is a distinctively Italian design with a quirky personality.

Its modest dimensions; 4.25 m long, 1.8 m wide and 1.61 m in height, makes it perfect to maneuver urban traffic on a daily basis.

The interior could be had in seven interior configurations, through matching of various types of fabric, leather and colours.

Owners can opt for 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels while there are seven different exterior colours to choose from.

The Drive

Chad Lückhoff says the 500X has adequate power and provides a pleasant drive. However, its real-world figures can prove to be a little thirsty. Watch his video review on the 2016 Fiat 500X 1.4T Cross here.

Performance and Fuel Consumption

The Fiat 500X is available with various combinations of engines and transmissions.

There’s the 1.6 E-torQ petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. It puts out 81 kW @ 5500 rpm and 152 Nm of torque @ 4500 rpm. With this engine, the 500X will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 180 km/h. On an urban cycle, fuel consumption is claimed to average 8.7 litres/100 km and 6.4 litres/100 km on a combined cycle.

Then there’s the petrol 1.4 Turbo MultiAir II. It is a front-wheel drive and has the option of either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a twin-clutch 6-speed automatic (DDCT). It puts out 103 kW@ 5000 rpm and 230 Nm of torque @ 1750 rpm. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 9.8 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 190 km/h. On an urban cycle, fuel consumption in the manual is claimed to average 7.8 litres/100 km and 6.0 litres/100 km on a combined cycle. In the DDCT, fuel consumption is claimed to average 7.2 litres/100 km and 5.7 litres/100 km on a combined cycle.

All engines are EURO6 compliant in terms of environmental classification.

Space and Comfort

Despite its compact looks, the 500X is quite welcoming on the inside. It has practical storage compartments and a 245-litre boot capacity.

In terms of comfort and infotainment equipment, the Fiat 500X features its chic Uconnect™ system with a 5-inch or 6.5-inch touchscreen. The system comes complete with Bluetooth functionality, an AUX-in connector, a USB port and voice commands. Additionally, the Uconnect Radio Nav 5-inch device offers TomTom 2.5D navigation while the 6.5-inch Uconnect Radio Nav features satellite navigation with 3D maps, progressive route guidance and ‘One Shot Voice Destination Entry’ to enter addresses with voice commands.

The steering wheel controls for media and radio add a touch of convenience to the driver so the hands need not come off the wheel and the eyes can stay on the road.

Safety

Safety equipment in the 500X includes six airbags (front, window bags and side bags) and the ESC system as standard on the Pop Star, Cross and Cross Plus versions. The electric park brake and rear parking sensors are standard while Brake Control, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Assist, and a ParkView Rear Camera for reversing are all optional.

There are also front headlights with a daytime running light function, fog lights with a self-adaptive cornering function and ESC (Electronic Stability Control).

Price

The Fiat 500X can be found starting from R298,900* and the 500X CROSS from R362,900*.

Visit the Fiat website here to download a brochure on the 500X.

*All prices and product availability were at the time of publishing and is subject to change without notice.

The Verdict

Fiat’s 500X is more spacious than the regular 500 but not as spacious as the dimensions would lead you to believe. Its new price may seem a little heavy but it should prove to be value for money on the used car market.