Fiat 500 an X-citing new Crossover
Through the 90s and 2000s, the SUV was the thing to have and here in Ireland we bought them by the warehouse-load. It mattered not to us Irish, it seemed, that they were all madly expensive and, more often than not, terrible to drive. The image was more important than any other factor back in those heady Celtic Tiger days.
However, a new motoring marvel was on the way and while you could argue that it was Suzuki’s Vitara which set the ball rolling in this market niche back in 1998, their faux 4x4 (at least the 2WD version which sold most widely) was never accorded the same pioneering accolades which met Nissan when it unveiled the Qashqai back in 2006.
The Nissan was — and is — regarded as being the first true crossover and is thus credited with kick-starting a market segment which has blossomed into something which is now regarded as a niche which no manufacturer can afford to ignore and by now pretty much every carmaker worth its salt has a crossover contender.
As regular readers will know, however, the crossover segment is not one which greatly appeals to me. I fail to see the point of a family hatchback that looks like an off-roader and I completely fail to get why people seem to think they look better in one rather than the other. However, what I think is of little consequence in the great scheme of things whereby the bottom line is king. In this case, the bottom line is very profitable indeed and that’s why the car making community are only too happy to feed the desires of the buying public. It’s why the likes of Mercedes (GLA), BMW (X1) are on board. It explains why Dacia’s Duster is selling quicker than ham sandwiches at a summer show. Everyone is on board here, perhaps with the notable exception of Volkswagen who might nevertheless argue that their Compact SUV Tiguan fits the bill, although it did unveil the forthcoming Cross Coupe at the Detroit Motor Show.
Fiat recently launched the 500X model line-up, the Italian brand expected to corner a decent chunk of the segment with a car which is appealing to look at, not at all bad to drive and comes with an attractive price.
Fiat has tried to translate the triumph that was the ‘Nuovo’ 500, launched in 2008, into further successes across segments other than the supermini market. Keeping the ‘500’ handle — for convenience and customer recognition, it morphed into the family market with the 500L and 500L MPV and has now launched the 500X.
There is a 4x4 version of the 500x, called the Cross Plus and which will sell in tiny numbers. The 500X Cross version, which has all the visual characteristics of the AWD version but is only 2WD, will sell in much greater numbers, largely to delusionists. What we concern ourselves with is the mere Lounge version of the 500X, fitted with the 1.6 litre MultiJet turbodiesel engine, which sells at just over €20k, an attractive package.
Fiat has been battling reputational issues down the years but I’d have to put my hand up here and say I feel the ‘Fix It Again Tomorrow’ acronym given the company by many naysayers, is harsh. Ok Fiat does not have the greatest reliability record, but anyone who goes and studies the reality of that reputation will be mildly shocked by the truth.
Sure they made many crap cars down the years, but having driven this 500X, I’m pretty certain it is not one of them. In fact, other than the 500 itself, it might just be the best thing Fiat has done in recent memory.
Not having strayed too far from its’ Fiat 500 design template, it looks smart and dashing and certainly has the visual appeal necessary to attract the younger family buyers it has in the crosshairs, as well as those outdoor types who need to cart their kayaks/bikes/surfboards up hill and down dale.
With decent interior and exterior dimensions and lashings of practicality inside and out, the 500X offers what most buyers want in terms of storage space and passenger comfort - and standard kit levels - while also having enough safety and infotainment stuff to keep most people secure and connected.
The engine is a familiar one and outputs some 88 kW (120 bhp), a generous 320 Nm of torque from just 1,750 rpm, resulting in a 10.5 second 0-100 kph, a top speed of 186 kph. It will also return a claimed 4.1 l/100 km (68 mpg) over the combined cycle. This is a unit which has excellent around town manners and plenty of guts when you need it on the open road.
Pleasingly, the 500X also handles well. There is little roll, bags of grip and the ride is very liveable with apart from on truly terrible surfaces, so it has a good mix of the characteristics necessary to make it an honest everyday worker.
I’m not a big Crossover fan and the 500X is not going to persuade me to change my mind, but it is certainly a very solid offering from Fiat and one which will keep the company’s dealers very busy as they usher them off the forecourt.
COLLEY'S VERDICT
€20,845 — as tested, €21,345.
A familiar and very driver-friendly 1.6-litre turbodiesel.
Very complete indeed and Fiat has managed to make many of the options affordable too.
A new Crossover and one which is a sensible family purchasing option.
