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 is no surprise Fiat’s 500 range is just plain stylish.
Fiat’s sub-compact SUV, the 500X is closely related to the Stellantis Group sibling the Jeep Renegade which are both made in FCA’s MATA plant in Melfi, Italy.
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 (owing to a knee op) 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. It’s 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 touchscreen 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 246L which can be expanded to 910 L with the rear seats folded forward. I found the space for both front seats and rear seat to be good and with a feeling of airiness. You will find all the normal storage spaces and connectivity as well as safety equipment.
The 500X 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 Cross is easy to drive and live with and in a way, fun and zesty or ‘full of life’. The 1.3L turbo petrol engine puts out 103 kW @ 5 000 and 230 Nm @ 2 500 promising 5.7 L/100km in the combined cycle. The consumption while it was with me was a little higher because I drove short distances, mostly in town; nevertheless expect around 7 L/100km. On the open road it should be below 5L/100km.
I think the Cross hits the sweet spot between funky looking, comfort, performance and price and is the model which gives the best value.
Prices
- Cross R509 900
- Sport R560 900
- EST R580 900.
They come with a warranty for three years or 100 000km and a 3-year/60 000 km service plan.
The competition includes Peugeot 2008, Audi A2, Volkswagen T-Roc and several Korean models.
