Although the majority of 500x sales are heading to retail, there’s still 20% that Fiat reckons will be a corporate purchase.

So will the 500x appeal to corporate buyers? Well, with the £199 monthly payment and £1,199 deposit, we at Business Car Manager think there’s a good chance. We spoke to Elena Bernardelli, Marketing Director, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK at the launch to find out.

“The 500L clearly opened the route to corporate sales for the 500 and it’s still the key car for the corporate sector.  Although the 500x will appeal to smaller companies, it’s a different business user that will buy this car.

“We are going to be doing the same as the Jeep Renegade in getting the 500x out to fleet customers. We’re offering a three-day test drive programme, so companies who want to add the 500x to their list can have the car for three days. We’re also working closely with our affinity partners, to produce special offers. We’re targeting the final user initially, this segment is quite big for corporate.

“From the final user point of view, the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500x are really different, even though they exist in the same sector. So even if both are on the same company car list, the final user for each will be quite different. The look and feel of the 500x is really close to the 500 and will appeal more to a female audience than the Renegade.

“We anticipate a 50:50 split in petrol and diesel sales for the 500x, although I think it could be more of a diesel car for the corporate sector.

“The four-wheel drive, off-road look is a funny one, as in the UK you don’t really need it, but it is good to have it. For the corporate market, the cost implications and the monthly payment will mean the 500x two-wheel drive sells better than the four-wheel drive.  However, the Traction+ system is a good transition between the two.
“We also believe, that with the nine-speed auto option, take up will be better than usual for autos, but the manual will still be tops.

“In the beginning we will not have a Business Edition of the 500x; we have it on other models from Alfa Romeo, but for the moment we’re happy with the choice of trims and engines available as standard. But, if we need it, there could be the possibility of such a model in the future.”