Fiat 500X - fun and funky small SUV

P11D Value: £18,345
BIK band 2018/19: 30%
Small SUV
1-0-litre 3-cylinder petrol 120hp/190Nm
Performance: 10.9secs/117mph
Economy (On test) 38.4mpg
CO2: 133g/km

What is it?

Many years ago a colleague described the then new Countryman as a “Mini on steroids”, and the same could be said of the 500X.

It’s a grown up/blown up version of Fiat’s funky 500 city car and designed to take advantage of the current trend and demand for small SUVs.

And while this sector might be burgeoning, the Fiat does offer some style and individuality over many anodyne rivals thanks to the 500’s cute retro styling.

So, it’s a B-segment’ crossover. The B-segment is now more often described as “supermini” although the crossover variants tend to be bigger and heavier and more expensive than the run of the mill hatchbacks.

Why would you want a 500X?

Price – starting at £18,345, it’s well placed against many rivals, and rising towards £25k for the bigger engine with options.
Space – actually in the supermini sector we found it pretty roomy and practical compared to much of the opposition.
Minimalistic yet practical interior style.
New infotainment and connectivity system including CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
Improved seat fabrics, better equipment and driver aids.
Latest three-cylinder 1.0-litre with an impressive 120bhp.There is also a 1.3-litre four-cylinder with 150bhp and a dual-clutch auto as standard.
The advantage of the 3-cylinder is that it is low in weight making the car light on its feet, with a much better drive than the old diesels

What might put you off a Fiat 500X?

Despite its butch looks, only available with front-wheel-drive, but to be fair that’s pretty much the same with most cars in this sector.
The new 3-cylinder we had on test is very excitable on start-up and on initial acceleration although it does settle down.
Not that great on fuel economy, around 38.4 over a 450 miles mixed bag of motoring, although par from the course from what we have seen from 3-cylinder engines to date.
Acceleration and the motorway cruise is keen and smooth but as with many three pots, it does run out of puff fairly quickly.
Not so sure about the ride, it doesn’t seem to ride the B-roads too well.
Minimalistic interior means a lot of metal on the dashboard which does lead to some annoying reflections in your peripheral vision.

Verdict on the Fiat 500X

Actually a lot more positive than we were expecting from the 500X which turns out to be more than just an overgrown version of the base model.

Three-cylinder engines always sound perky and give you the feeling that there’s something quite sporty under the bonnet. That maybe true on initial acceleration but when you get to main-road overtaking speed this engine does hit the wall.

But the car does feel light on its feet, particularly when set against the previous diesels and there’s a nice feel to the steering.