Nip and tuck gives the 500X a new lease on life
The Fiat 500X has always been a more style-focused product to ever come out of the Italian marque. As a small crossover model, it does a great job of extending the iconic design cues of its 500 city car counterpart into the crossover segment.
While it is a bigger brother to the 500, it is more closely related under the skin to the Jeep Renegade and to keep it fresh and relevant in the crossover/SUV fold, the 500X has recently been to the surgeon’s room for a notable nip and tuck for the 2023 model year.
It’s made up of a straightforward range. You get Cross, Sport and Sport EST (Electronic Soft Top) variants powered by a sole 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that drives the front wheels. As a funky crossover of note, many will fall for the peculiar look, quirky charisma, and innovative design tricks. Unlike the outgoing model, the refreshed 500X does away with the Fiat logo on the grille in favour of a 500 insignia.
At the model’s launch in Gauteng recently, we managed to sample the Cross and Sports EST variants. So what’s the range like? Well, the range-opening Cross has a more rugged stance courtesy of a set of 18” wheels, full LED headlights and fog lights, roof rails, skid plates as well as black mirror caps. The interior comes fitted with a soft touch steering wheel, black fabric seats, courtesy light on the sun visor and automatic dual-zone air conditioning.
The Sport, on the other hand, adds a dose of, well, sportiness, thanks to body-coloured wheel arch mouldings, side skirts, dual chrome exhaust tips, 19” wheels plus a Sport insignia. Inside, the interior is slightly similar to the one lurking inside the Cross yet it adds a techno leather, Alcantara steering wheel, titanium-styled finish on the dashboard, Alcantara binnacle cover as well as a 3.5” TFT colour instrument cluster.
The EST adds an extended soft top that only comes in black and measures 775 mm x 730 mm. The roof can be opened and closed at speeds up to 100 km/h or when the car is stationary,
Regardless of the trim, all variants get an intuitive yet smaller Uconnect 7” HD touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity.
While the quality of the interior materials isn’t the best in class due to the extensive use of hard plastic, the layout is attractive especially the Sport models with the striking styling details. Also, there is ample space inside further complemented by several storage pockets for various items.
The boot is relatively small at only 350 litres in capacity. Looking at its closest competitors, the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, VW Taigo and Kia Sonet feature 340-litres, 440-litres and 392-litres respectively. That said, owners will be able to fit a few grocery bags and the good thing is that the rear seats can be folded flat to make up more space.
As stated earlier, your only option is the sole peppy 1.4-litre engine that shoves 103 kW and 230 Nm to the front wheels via an automatic 6-speed automatic transmission. What’s frustrating, though, is the fact that the transmission tends to hold on to gears for longer than it should, thereby increasing engine noise and subsequently fuel consumption. Maybe the vehicles needed to be ‘run in’ as they had very low kilometres on the odometer.
On the road, the ride quality errs more on the firm ride, but not enough to warrant a complaint. As for the handling, the 500X delivers handsomely and this is further complimented by a relatively quiet interior, making the crossover suited for long journeys.
Fiat claims the 500X will average 5.7l/100 km, while on the launch drive the actual number was hovering around 6.1l/100 km without even trying to drive efficiently.
Regarding safety, the 500X comes standard with 6 airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Control as well as hill hold control. The range-topping trims add Lane Assist to that safety suite.
Looking past its flaws, the new Fiat 500X makes an attractive option in the compact crossover SUV segment and many will love its contemporary styling cues. While it doesn’t come cheap with a starting just over R500,000, it does come with a comprehensive list of kit as standard.
If this isn’t convincing enough, you might want to broaden your search and check out the VW Taigo, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Opel Mokka and Kia Sonet, which are the 500X’s closest rivals.
- Fiat 500X Cross: R509,900
- Fiat 500X Sport: R560,900
- Fiat 500X Sport EST: R580,900
The pricing includes a 5-year/100,000 km Warranty and Roadside Assistance as well as 3 year/60,000 km service plan.
Keyword: FIAT 500X goes under the knife for MY2023