Fiat 500X hits with open top, but misses with price

Buoyed by the great sales success achieved by the modern Fiat 500, the Italian carmaker tried cashing in further on its popularity by introducing a bigger version in the 500L in 2012.

The concept was noble, but the end result lacked the distinctive charm of the unit which spawned it. While some bigger-boned women manage to look sexy despite additional weight, the same can’t be said of the 500L.

What was officially termed a compact multi-purpose vehicle was just a fat Fiat 500 which saw the inside of chocolate wrappers more than the inside of the gym. It lacked personality and was eventually put out of its misery.

But Fiat didn’t put all their eggs into one basket and also introduced the 500X in 2014. The crossover SUV is a much better evolution. For starters, it carries the additional weight through curves and is easier on the eye.

Fiat 500 charm

Now, in a second mid-life update, parent company Stellantis has extended the 500’s charm on its bigger sibling by means of a convertible roof. And, like with the 500, the concept is unique in the B-segment the 500X plays in.

Interestingly, the Fiat 500 Dolcevita, the only derivative in the little sibling’s line-up still offered with a convertible roof, is the best-selling model in the 500 range.

Stellantis South Africa’s sales and marketing head Brian Smith says: “While there are a few cars in this segment offering the option of a sunroof, the Fiat 500X is the first to have an extended soft top. It can be operated up to speeds of 100 km an hour”.

The sliding roof takes 15 seconds to fully open an area measuring 775 mm by 730 mm – almost the entire size of the roof.

New Fiat 500X grading

The model update sees Fiat doing away with the Cult, Connect and Sport grading. The three-model 500X range now consists of the entry-level Cross, the Sport and Sport Extended Soft Top (EST).

Powering all three is the 1.4-litre turbocharged MultiAir petrol engine which sends 103 kilowatts of power at 5 000 revs per minute and 230 Newton metres at 1 750 rpm to the front wheels.

The manual six-speed gearbox has been dropped, a six-speed dual clutch is now the only transmission offered. Stellantis claims the mill will only sip 5.7 litres for every 100 km.

On the outside, the Fiat logo on the 500X’s front grille makes way for an elegant 500 logo. Satin chrome has replaces the chrome finish which used to feature on the grille trim and tailgate.

The Cross is offered with 18-inch alloy wheels, and 19-inch alloys are standard on the two Sport derivatives.

The Fiat 500X is offered in a choice of six colours.

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Stylish interior

Little was changed inside. Sport derivatives feature Alcantara on the binnacle cover, a combination of Alcantara and techno leather on the steering wheel, titanium-styled dashboard inserts and techno leather seats.

Standard across the range is a seven-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker sound system and 3.5-inch digital display in the instrument cluster.

Standard safety specifications include six airbags, vehicle dynamic control, electronic stability control, hill-hold control, cruise control, roll-over mitigation, traffic sign recognition, lane keep assist and rear parking sensors with reverse camera.

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We did not learn anything new about the Fiat 500X’s powertrain on the launch drive last week.
Despite initial turbo lag, the mill is quite punchy. The box isn’t the smoothest under hard acceleration, but gets the job done without much fuss in normal driving conditions.

What we did not like was the amount of wind noise at higher speeds with the top open. You could argue the top shouldn’t be open all the way when travelling at 120 km/h, but it is much less in a Fiat 500 with the top extracted all the way.

Conclusion

The other bothersome aspect about the Fiat 500X is its pricing. Where the range used to start at R409 900, the entry level model is R100 000 more expensive. And you will have to fork out R580 900 to get the USP, the convertible roof.

With the influx of Chinese SUVs offered at lower prices, not even the inherent Fiat 500 charm or unique sliding roof is going to be enough to make the 500X a serious player in the segment.