The Italians just have style – think of Milan, Ferrari, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Guigiaro, Pininfarina, Bertone . . . the list goes on and on, from shoes, leatherware, fashion to cars. And so it’s no surprise Fiat’s 500 range is just plain stylish.
Fiat’s sub-compact SUV, the 500 X, is closely related to the Stellantis Group sibling the Jeep Renegade, and both are made in FCA’s MATA plant in Melfi, Italy. It is a sexy, good-looking little thing, which will still look good in a decade, I think. The car is mostly about style.
I got to drive the 500 X Cross in Italia Blue, one of six colours and three models with the choice of five equipment packs in South Africa. The top-of-the-range trim is the extended soft top, a sort of convertible or cabriolet. The other model is the Sport. We drove the normal or Cross trim model; I hesitate to call it the base model because it isn’t that basic. It is the trim I recommend.
Size-wise, think of Mazda CX-30 or Volkswagen T-Roc. Small, but not tiny. It feels bigger inside than it looks from outside. The car is narrower than some rivals though. While with me it did ambulance duty, and the patient who had to keep her leg straight found it easy getting in and out and sat comfortably with leg extended.
The styling, both in and out, is very different from your ordinary smaller SUV/crossover. Its almost cheeky on the outside but inside is retro and futuristic at the same time, Spartan-looking but fully equipped, it brings a smile to your face. The steering wheel and driver’s seat have lots of adjustment, which makes it easy to get comfortable, and the layout looks good, even though it is almost minimalistic it is practical as it has all the “tools” you need in the right places. There is a seven-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 3.5-inch digital display in the instrument cluster and a six-speaker sound system.
The touch-screen is not state of the art but that is not an issue as the important controls all have physical buttons or switches.
The boot is a solid 246-litre, which can be expanded to 910 litres, with the rear seats folded forward. I found the space for both front seats and rear seat good with a feeling of airiness. You will find all the normal storage spaces and connectivity and safety equipment.
The 500 X in Cross trim rides on 18 inch wheels rather than the 19 inch on the Sport model. This means the tyre has a bigger profile or is a little higher, resulting in a much better ride. The Fiat 500 X is easy to drive and live with and, in a way, is fun and zesty or “full of life”. The 1.3 litre turbo petrol engine puts out 103 kW @ 5 000 and 230 Nm @ 2 500 promising 5,7 litre/100 km in the combined cycle. Consumption while with me was a little higher because I drove short distances, mostly in town; nevertheless expect around 7 litre/100 km. On the open road it should be below 5 litre/100 km. I think the Cross hits the sweet spot among funky looks, comfort, performance and price, the model with the best value.
Prices are: Cross R509 900, Sport R560 900 and EST R580 900, with a warranty for three years or 100 000 km and three-year/60 000 km service plan. Competitors are Peugeot 2008, Audi A2, Volswagen T-Roc and some Korean models.
