Fiat 500x 2019 Review
The charming 500 is the car which saved Fiat. It cleverly tapped into the delight of the original 1957 model but in a pleasing, modern package. Yet in making a desirable small car, Fiat created a new problem for itself: how to retain customers when they wanted to move on to something bigger. Style-conscious 500 owners were unlikely to turn to the less charismatic 500L so Fiat simply made a bigger 500, the 500X.
The 500X isn’t just a pumped-up 500 of course; in fact it shares its platform with the Jeep Renogade. And earlier models were offered with all-wheel-drive but the latest range is front-wheel-drive only, a shame as this differentiated it from many of its rivals.
And rivals are a key part of the consideration here; when the 500X arrived, there weren’t many other models in this sector. Now, there are countless to steal sales from Fiat. So with a gentle mid-life refresh and a fashionable one-litre petrol added to the range, does it have enough to pull buyers away from the likes of Hyundai’s Kona, Kia’s Stonic and Nissan’s Juke?
What's new
Over the last 12 months, the 500X has received visual updates, new engines and new trim levels. It starts of course with a gentle face-lift at each end, infotainment system improvements and a stack of detail changes beneath the skin.
Importantly, the 500X is now propelled by the next-generation three and four-cylinder turbo petrol engines, claiming better fuel-efficiency than their predecessors.
The interior
The cabin remains a cheery place with retro body-coloured facia inserts and bold dials. It feels spacious enough and there is plenty of storage.
Like the smaller 500, its seats are almost chair-like, giving a feeling of sitting onrather than in them. The seat backs are also fairly flat and without adjustment, so offering little in the way of lumbar support. Steering is adjustable for rake and reach, although doesn’t drop as far as some may wish.
Trims and engines
To simplify its models, the 500X has been split into three families: Urban Look, Cross Look and recently-added Sport (with ascending prices). Beneath these, there are additional trim names: within Urban Look, there’s the Urban and 120th special edition; Cross Look covers City Cross, Cross Plus and S-Design; Sport is a single trim level.
Just two petrol engines are on offer: the 1.0-litre 120hp with manual gearbox or 1.3-litre 150hp automatic.
Standard equipment is good with all cars now including LED daytime running lights, LED headlights and rear lights. Traffic Sign Recognition, Speed Advisor and Lane Assist driving assist systems are standard on all versions. Also standard fit is the neater 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. One omission from the standard kit is emergency city brake.
The latest addition, Sport, is lowered by 13mm and has received tweaks to the steering calibration. It also includes 19-inch alloy wheels, body coloured side skirts and exclusive Sport Red pastel paint.
Driving
The newly-offered one-litre is a good fit for the 500X. It is smooth, reasonably quiet and more than adequate to propel the car comfortably up to motorway speeds. Ride is pliant at lower speeds but becomes a little unsettled as speeds increase, especially if the road isn’t perfectly smooth.
The lack of a hill-hold-assist feature does makes stop-start traffic on an incline rather tedious. And the now standard traffic sign recognition can be useful but isn’t linked to GPS and mapping so doesn’t always show correct speeds.
In summary
So the 500X certainly has improved but is feeling its age when compared to the more contemporary competition. That said, it is practical to live with and does have plenty of equipment. And while 4x4 was a good selling point for the 500X, most buyers won’t miss it.
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