The teaser video doesn’t give too much away, but it is clear that the 500X’s front and rear ends will be heavily inspired by that 500 city car. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as the 500L shares many of its styling cues with the pint-size Cinquecento. The crossover is expected to look considerably more rugged than the 500, however, thanks in part to black plastic trim around the wheel arches and on the rocker panels.
The 500X will offer room for up to five passengers and their gear. Most models will come equipped with a configurable thin-film transistor (TFT) screen mounted in the instrument cluster, and more expensive trim levels will come equipped with a color touch screen that will run Fiat-Chrysler’s latest Uconnect infotainment system.
The Fiat 500X shares its basic architecture with the recently unveiled Jeep Renegade. In Europe, the X will be offered with a 0.9-liter two-cylinder TwinAir engine, a 1.4-liter MultiAir four-banger and a 1.3-liter MultiJet turbodiesel. It remains to be seen which mills will be offered in the U.S., but the Renegade’s 1.4-liter and 2.4-liter seem likely. Chrysler’s new nine-speed automatic will be offered on at least one of the engine choices.
The Fiat 500X will greet the public for the first time at next October’s Paris Motor Show and go on sale across the United States shortly after. Pricing remains a mystery at this point, but the Fiat 500X should come in just below the $20,000 mark.
Leave a Reply