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The Fiat brand keeps growing with the 500X

By Craig And Deanne Conover - Daily Herald - | Jun 18, 2017
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2017 Fiat 500X Trekking

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2017 Fiat 500X Trekking

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2017 Fiat 500X Lounge

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2017 Fiat 500X Lounge Uconnect Navigation home screen

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2017 Fiat 500X Trekking

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2017 Fiat 500X Lounge

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2017 Fiat 500X Lounge

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2017 Fiat 500X Trekking

It has been a couple of years now since the Italian automaker that purchased the Chrysler Corporation introduced the largest Fiat on the market with the new 500X. This larger four-door version of the small ‘Luigi’ like vehicle that originally came to the states back in 2012, (and with the help of some innovative advertising took the market by storm as a small economical urban automobile), is growing up to be a nice small choice in the SUV market.

This unique looking and driving SUV is based on the same frame as the Jeep Renegade with both being manufactured in Italy, and it carries on the traditional Fiat look of it’s smaller brothers. This is going to be a look that you are either going to love or not with all the curves and exaggerated body features that make the Fiat, well a Fiat and let everyone know that it is Italian!

In fact the first time we had the opportunity to drive one, that same novelty hit us hard and if we had been in the market at the time for new vehicle there was little doubt that Deanne would have taken one to zip around the town. Since the launch and as of late, sales have dipped on the original 500, peaking at over 43,000 sold in 2012 to just 15,500 last year.

With the introduction of the 500X, Fiat has introduced a completely redesigned vehicle with three different models to choose from, as with the original 500, there is the Pop, Trekking and Lounge. However the 500X has a larger and beefier exterior and more room on the inside, frankly it is growing up time for the ultra small vehicle, going from what would be its single years to having enough room for a small family.

To this point our son JaCoby and his wife Hailey who have been married only a few short years, fell pretty much in love at first sight with the small X version of the Fiat. It was oh so much like the first time Deanne had the opportunity to drive the smaller version a few years ago. This goes right to the point of the Fiat growing up as they were the perfect target and would love to have one at this point in their lives, having just purchased a home and getting ready to start a family, the Fiat really fit the bill as the perfect ‘Millennial’ vehicle!

They liked the way it handled and got around in the city and also how if preformed out on the freeway as we took a trip with them in the back to Salt Lake for dinner, they didn’t even complain about the small amount of space in the rear seats. The addition of four-wheel drive in the 500X would a necessity to be able to tackle the winters here in Utah. The great thing about the all wheel drive is that it will revert back to front wheel drive when the rear wheels are not needed in order to help save fuel.

As we mentioned the 500X shares it platform with the new Jeep Renegade that incorporates its own very unique look and feel, however, after having driven them both, ‘platform’ is about the only thing that is shared between the two vehicles excepting for the engines and transmissions.

There are two options in this department with the base model coming with a 1.4 liter multi-air turbo charged engine coupled with a six speed manual transmission that gets 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, or the one what we drove a 2.4 liter Tigershark that matches with a 9 speed automatic transmission and gets 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. On the downside the gas mileage was not where we would have expected as we got 24.2 mpg average for the week.

Unlike other Chrysler vehicles that come with a 9 speed transmission and rotary shifter located on the dash or center console, the Fiat comes with an actual stick shifter, with a manual mode instead of paddles for shifting, this would be the only other option shared with the Renegade.

The 500X also comes with three different driving modes that can be chosen from a quick twist of a rotary dial, they are auto, sport and traction plus modes. The auto mode worked very well for general running around and freeway driving, but Craig preferred keeping the 500X in sport mode as it tightened up the suspension and added a little pizzazz to the drive. The Fiat however cool it looks, is very well mannered even in sport mode, making it sportier than some of the competition with a larger fun quotient, maybe there will be an Arbarth version in its future.

Our 500X came with an upgraded 6.5 inch touch screen that would display pertinent information for phone, radio, SirriusXM, and HVAC controls and navigation, which was very similar to other Chrysler vehicles. We did find it difficult to reach, with the higher placement of the screen on the dashboard. There is also a 3.5 inch color display in the center of the instrument cluster that was customizable, able to display radio, mileage, and other vital vehicle information.

There were also controls for pretty much everything on steering wheel that were identical to others in the Chrysler toolbox. There were large controls for the climate in the center of the console, making them easy to find and control.

Of course there are many upgrade options in the Fiat line, ours also came with only one called the Customer Preferred Package. Most importantly for a Utah vehicle were the heated seats and steering wheel with a $450 addition. Also included was an upgrade to the Trekking Popular Equipment Package that included a 8 way powered driver’s seat and an auto temperature control with dual zone heating and cooling, in our opinion a great way to put the $995 to good use.

The seats were very comfortable and included a nice tan leather trim addition which made our longer trips in the 500X very nice. With a higher seating stance like the Renegade sitting in the Fiat seemed higher and made for a better field of view, it felt much more like a larger SUV than its small car appearance would lead us to believe.

Other interior elements were all Fiat with no look of the Renegade in sight, stamped contour panels with the same color paint as on the exterior of the car kept the retro feel intact and made the Fiat feel all Luigi like. Although the cuteness has worn off that is present in the 2 door 500 as the designers have opted for a more rugged SUV look, once again…. the car is growing up.

There was plenty of room in the rear for a couple of suit cases and with the rear seats down it seemed almost cavernous, as Craig took the opportunity to deliver his smallest sound system to a car show in Payson on Saturday. It all fit very well and the promoters couldn’t believe he brought it in a Fiat, although they wouldn’t let him enter the 500X into the vintage show.

The overall design is very pleasing in the new Fiat and it keeps itself solidly placed on the road when driving, they seemed to have made it with the millennial’s if our son is any kind of a critic. We enjoyed our week with the Fiat and it should become a very compelling choice in the crowded small SUV market. See on today at Ken Garff Fiat in Salt Lake City at 198 East 500 South, 801-792-6742.

Base price: $25,250

Price as Driven: $29,465

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