The 2020 Fiat 500X gets an upgrade with a turbocharger!
2020 Fiat 500X Trekking
2020 Fiat 500X Trekking
2020 Fiat 500X Trekking
1.3-liter direct-injection turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine
For whatever reason we have come to really enjoy any time that we have with the Fiat brand, be it the unique look or just the small size it always seems to draw us in and provide us with a great week of driving.
The 500X is a 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, they took the market by storm as a small economical urban automobile.
However Fiat is now growing up, if you will to be a great, all be it, smaller choice in the SUV market, and it is now available with all-wheel drive along with a new turbocharger added to the 1.3 liter engine.
This unique looking and handling SUV is based on the same frame as the Jeep Renegade with both being manufactured in Italy, and it carries on the exceptional yet traditional Fiat look. With all the curves and exaggerated body features that make the Fiat, well a Fiat, and all Italian!
The 500X has a larger and beefier exterior and more room on the inside, frankly it is like the grown up version of the ultra-small original Fiat that came across the pond to America, going from what would be its adolescent years to having enough room for a small family.
New to the 500X is a turbocharger that increases horsepower to 177 and torque to 210 ft.-lbs., this alone made the week with the small SUV very enjoyable. We were extremely impressed with the way it would accelerate and get up to speed, so much better than the previous model. It now has more torque than any of its nearest competitors which just added agility to the little Ute.
We have found that with the smaller SUV’s that seem to have taken the market by storm, with the addition of a turbocharger the game is changed. The extra fun of the drive is worth every penny extra for that one small addition.
This was especially true with the 500X it was like having an all new 4X4 with an engine that added just the right amount of excitement to make the everyday drive extra enjoyable!
With the addition of four wheel drive to the 500X, this will definitely help in tackling the winters here in Utah. One nice thing about the all-wheel drive system is that it will revert back to front wheel drive when the rear wheels are no longer needed in order to help save on fuel. The 2020 model also come with engine start/stop technology to also enhance gas mileage.
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.
The 500X will also average 30 plus miles per gallon out on the highway, we were also able to attain these numbers during our test week, and even ended the week with an overall average of 27.5 mpg, up almost 2 miles per gallon since our last test of this model.
The 500X also come with three different driving modes that can be chosen, with 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, we of course preferred keeping the 500X in sport mode as it tightened up the suspension and added even more pizzazz to the drive. The Fiat however cool it looks, is very well mannered even in sport mode even with the turbo adding an all new dimension.
Standard this year is a 7 inch touch screen that included the Chrysler Uconnect system and would display pertinent information for phone, radio, SirriusXM, 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. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included.
The steering wheel also contained controls for everything the driver would want, these were identical to others in the Chrysler tool box. There were large controls for the climate in the center of the console, making them easy to find and control.
The seats were very comfortable and were made of a very supportive fabric, which made our longer trips in the 500X very nice. With a higher seating stance like the Renegade, sitting in the Fiat made for a better field of view. It had the feel of a much larger SUV than its small car appearance would have 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 increased the Fiat feel. Although some the cuteness has worn off that was 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 we were able to load a weeks’ worth of groceries back there.
The overall design is very pleasing in the new Fiat and it keeps itself solidly planted on the road when motoring around, the designers have done a good job keeping 500X relevant in the market. We enjoyed our week with the Fiat and it has become a very compelling choice in the crowded small SUV market.
Base price: $25,995
Price as Driven: $32,805
The 2020 Fiat 500X gets an upgrade with a turbocharger!
2020 Fiat 500X Trekking
2020 Fiat 500X Trekking
2020 Fiat 500X Trekking
1.3-liter direct-injection turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine
For whatever reason we have come to really enjoy any time that we have with the Fiat brand, be it the unique look or just the small size it always seems to draw us in and provide us with a great week of driving.
The 500X is a 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, they took the market by storm as a small economical urban automobile.
However Fiat is now growing up, if you will to be a great, all be it, smaller choice in the SUV market, and it is now available with all-wheel drive along with a new turbocharger added to the 1.3 liter engine.
This unique looking and handling SUV is based on the same frame as the Jeep Renegade with both being manufactured in Italy, and it carries on the exceptional yet traditional Fiat look. With all the curves and exaggerated body features that make the Fiat, well a Fiat, and all Italian!
The 500X has a larger and beefier exterior and more room on the inside, frankly it is like the grown up version of the ultra-small original Fiat that came across the pond to America, going from what would be its adolescent years to having enough room for a small family.
New to the 500X is a turbocharger that increases horsepower to 177 and torque to 210 ft.-lbs., this alone made the week with the small SUV very enjoyable. We were extremely impressed with the way it would accelerate and get up to speed, so much better than the previous model. It now has more torque than any of its nearest competitors which just added agility to the little Ute.
We have found that with the smaller SUV’s that seem to have taken the market by storm, with the addition of a turbocharger the game is changed. The extra fun of the drive is worth every penny extra for that one small addition.
This was especially true with the 500X it was like having an all new 4X4 with an engine that added just the right amount of excitement to make the everyday drive extra enjoyable!
With the addition of four wheel drive to the 500X, this will definitely help in tackling the winters here in Utah. One nice thing about the all-wheel drive system is that it will revert back to front wheel drive when the rear wheels are no longer needed in order to help save on fuel. The 2020 model also come with engine start/stop technology to also enhance gas mileage.
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.
The 500X will also average 30 plus miles per gallon out on the highway, we were also able to attain these numbers during our test week, and even ended the week with an overall average of 27.5 mpg, up almost 2 miles per gallon since our last test of this model.
The 500X also come with three different driving modes that can be chosen, with 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, we of course preferred keeping the 500X in sport mode as it tightened up the suspension and added even more pizzazz to the drive. The Fiat however cool it looks, is very well mannered even in sport mode even with the turbo adding an all new dimension.
Standard this year is a 7 inch touch screen that included the Chrysler Uconnect system and would display pertinent information for phone, radio, SirriusXM, 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. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included.
The steering wheel also contained controls for everything the driver would want, these were identical to others in the Chrysler tool box. There were large controls for the climate in the center of the console, making them easy to find and control.
The seats were very comfortable and were made of a very supportive fabric, which made our longer trips in the 500X very nice. With a higher seating stance like the Renegade, sitting in the Fiat made for a better field of view. It had the feel of a much larger SUV than its small car appearance would have 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 increased the Fiat feel. Although some the cuteness has worn off that was 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 we were able to load a weeks’ worth of groceries back there.
The overall design is very pleasing in the new Fiat and it keeps itself solidly planted on the road when motoring around, the designers have done a good job keeping 500X relevant in the market. We enjoyed our week with the Fiat and it has become a very compelling choice in the crowded small SUV market.
Base price: $25,995
Price as Driven: $32,805
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