Fiat 500X Review

The Fiat 500X is a really quirky and likeable car that competes against the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and SEAT Arona. Its combination of bold looks, economical engines and a practical cabin makes it an ultra-desirable choice, especially as it represents very good value for money. 

Like the smaller Fiat 500, the 500X combines retro charm with modern chic. It has a fun cabin with chunky controls and coloured dashboard although, true to Fiat form, it doesn’t feel quite in the same league as alternatives when it comes to interior quality. Things improved when the 500X was given a mid-life facelift in 2018, given it a more fighting chance of competing with modern rivals like the Citroen C3 Aircross and Volkswagen T-Cross.

The interior is very practical and most drivers will be able to find a comfortable seating position without any hassle. You get a high seating position, while there are plenty of useful storage areas for tucking away those odds and ends that we all end up acquiring during day-to-day life.

A pair of adults will fit into the back of the Fiat 500X (it gets a bit crowded with three), while the boot will be big enough for a lot of buyers (although it’s far from the biggest in its class). You can always drop the rear seats if you need to carry bulky items, although the 500X’s high boot lip could be a bit of a nuisance if you plan to do this regularly.

Early Fiat 500X models (sold new between 2015 and 2018) were available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, as well as front- or four-wheel-drive. As the Fiat 500X shares mechanicals with the Jeep Renegade, four-wheel-drive models can tackle snowy roads or rutted farm tracks surprisingly well. 

Few buyers seek to venture off-road in their cutesy soft-roader, so four-wheel drive was dropped from the range with the 2018 facelift. At the same time, Fiat made the bold move of removing the diesel option too. This is a shame as, for high-mileage drivers, a diesel engine remains the best option.

Still, the latest ‘Firefly’ petrol engines (yes, they’re really called that) are particularly excellent. The 1.0-litre petrol is the best, in our opinion - partly because it comes with a six-speed manual gearbox. It feels very eager despite its small capacity, with a characterful sound and plenty of punch from low revs.

The four-cylinder 1.3-litre engine is more powerful but it’s only offered with the dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which really doesn’t like to be rushed and provides clumsy gear changes. We’d avoid it unless you really must have an auto.

Look for a Fiat 500X with fairly small alloy wheels if you’re concerned about ride quality. It gets a bit fidgety, especially out on the open road, although it’s generally a comfortable choice. It certainly isn’t as sporty to drive as a SEAT Arona or Peugeot 2008, although its light steering (along with parking sensors and reversing camera on high-spec models) means it’s an easy car to drive through town.

One aspect of the Fiat 500X which might trigger alarm bells is its four-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Despite many cars now coming with five-star ratings, the Fiat 500X was let down by its lack of standard safety assist systems. It’s available with things like autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assist systems, but they’re not standard across the range. That doesn’t mean it’s an unsafe car, of course, but rivals are a bit more generous with such features.

That said, neither are rivals. Even German alternatives like the Volkswagen T-Cross have quite a few flimsy finishes and the new Ford Puma - one of our favourite cars in this class - isn’t perfect inside.

It’s a comfortable choice with plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel, while the optional Comfort Pack brings with it adjustable lumbar support, as well as a number of other nice-to-have features (like a front armrest, a third headrest in the rear and storage nets in the boot).

It’s practical, too, with deep door pockets and lots of useful storage in the front of the car. The boot is a generous 350 litres, extending up to 1000 litres with the rear seats flattened. A two-level boot floor is available as an option and there's plenty of head and legroom in the front and rear, which makes the 500X suitable for carrying four adults.

The initial engine line-up saw 110PS 1.6- and 140PS 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol powering front-wheel-drive models, as well as diesel offerings in the flavour of a 1.3 (with 95PS) and a 1.6 (with 120PS).

Four-wheel drive models got the 140PS 2.0-litre Multijet diesel and 170PS 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol, but commanded a significant price premium.

When the Fiat 500X range was revamped in 2018, the diesel and four-wheel-drive models were dropped entirely and the 1.4 MultAir was replaced with new Firefly engines. The new 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is the one to go for, we reckon - it might only have 120PS, but it feels eager and nippy without compromising on fuel economy. There’s also a four-cylinder 1.3-litre with 150PS, which comes exclusively with a DCT automatic gearbox.

The Fiat 500X should be pretty affordable to run. If fuel economy’s important and you cover a lot of miles, look for the older diesel model (this was dropped in 2018). The old 1.6-litre diesel officially returns 68.9mpg in combined fuel economy tests, while this drops quite significantly to 51.4mpg from the 2.0-litre diesel with the automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.

The latest Firefly petrol engines are pretty efficient, too. The 1.0-litre manual model returns 48.7mpg in the latest WLTP fuel economy tests, while the 1.3 auto is good for 46.3mpg.

The Pop Star (yes, it was called that) added 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights with cornering illumination, climate control and rear parking sensors. It also brought selectable drive modes and a small 5.0-inch Uconnect infotainment system with Bluetooth.

High-spec Lounge trim is one the more desirable models, with highlights including 18-inch alloys, a bigger 6.5-inch infotainment system with navigation and chrome exterior styling. It even got a leather-trimmed gear shifter, an adjustable front armrest and fancy ambient interior lighting.

The Fiat 500X Cross was the off-road model, with bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels, an advanced traction control system and tinted rear windows. Other off-roady exterior features included the bespoke front and rear bumpers, chrome exhaust trims and roof bars, while the inside got a leather-trimmed gear shifter and a special dashboard finish as well as an adjustable front armrest with storage.

The Cross Plus built on this with 18-inch alloy wheels, the 6.5-inch media system with navigation, HID headlights, an adjustable cargo floor, front floor mats and ambient interior lighting.

When the range was facelifted in 2018, the line-up was simplified somewhat. The new entry-level model is badged the Urban, with spec highlights including a seven-inch media system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility), 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and Lane Assist with Intelligent Speed Assist.

The City Cross adds more rugged front and rear bumpers, chrome exterior highlights, fog lights and rear parking sensors. It also features 17-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured electrically adjustable door mirrors, automatic dual-zone climate control and a 3.5-inch colour TFT display.

The top-spec Cross Plus comes with all of these features as well as LED headlights, roof rails, part-leather interior upholstery, dark tinted windows, a dusk sensor, front armrest with storage compartment and a rear-view camera. It also gets a seven-inch navigation system and 18-inch alloy wheels.