Joining ‘cute-ute’ club
For 2018 Fiat’s 500X Trekking AWD is a good sport for crossover
Fiat’s 500X is a crossover ute, built on a sub-compact-sized platform and is one of the growing competitors in the “cute-ute” segment of sales.
These small crossovers offer more room for much less road space and appeal particularly to the “Metros” and Millennials who live in the centers of American cities. There is also a bit of appeal from the price, as they are all good value for money.
The world’s automobile manufacturers have an additional reason to like them. They are actually closer to being the standard size for a family vehicle in most other parts of the world where they must also sell cars.
Plus, they offer the one absolute feature that attracts the current American family buyer in whatever segment they are looking. That is a high seating position. While not every buyer is looking for this, any vehicle without it is automatically out of consideration with a great majority of family-vehicle buyers.
When asked why people like the additional visibility. But that isn’t the only thing. Research shows that even if they don’t realize it, people feel safer when they are sitting higher in a vehicle. So, the 500X and its high seat position should please crossover-ute lovers.
Few of them, when first hearing about or seeing Fiat’s 500X, would probably consider it a crossover ute because it doesn’t look like one. But it is functionally and mechanically. That means it’s a tall car, built on a sub-compact vehicle platform. Those same people would probably look at Jeep’s new Renegade and say that it is a ute – and the 500X is built on the same chassis, in the same factory.
That’s understandable, in that the 500X really looks like the classic Italian car, but with extra space and utility. It seats five (as long as I’m not one of them) and ups the amount of storage. It is also the first all-wheel-drive Fiat here so it has extra capability and even more ground clearance with 16-, 17- or 18-in. wheels. There is plenty of room in this car, certainly as much as any of its competitors.
Since it is all-wheel drive the car sits high, and also comes of fairly big wheels. This is a result of being the “Trekking” model, which comes with a different front and rear fascia. While it looks tough, I would expect many people would be trekking truly off road, although there are few dirt roads and trails this Fiat couldn’t handle.
Inside the Fiat’s clearly European cabin the features Americans demand are there. The dashboard is quirky, but works, and the interior feels spacious enough. Fiat-Chrysler’s interconnectivity system Uconnect is there using a 6.5-inch touchscreen, which is shared with the navigation system when there.
The infotainment system has HD Radio; Bluetooth handsfree calling, voice command and streaming audio; and SiriusXM Radio. You can upgrade to their BeatsAudio premium sound system consisting of eight speakers and a subwoofer.
For 2018, there are three models in the 500x lineup. They are the Pop, Trekking and Lounge. The 500X’s power dual-pane sunroof is now available on all trim levels. Fiat says there are as many as 70 standard and optional safety and security features. These include such features as forward collision-warning, lane-departure warning, rain-sensitive windshield wipers, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-path detection
Power for the 500X comes from two engine options. Standard on the Pop is the 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. Flowing through a sixspeed manual transmission are 160 hp. and 184 lb.-ft. of peak torque. Mileage for this engine is 25-mpg city and 33-mpg on the highway.
The other two trim levels get the 2.4-liter Tigershark inline four-cylinder engine it’s paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Its output is 180 hp. And 175 lb.-ft. of peak torque. EPA mileage numbers are 21mpg city and 28-mpg highway.
The Fiat’s all-wheel-drive uses a disconnecting rear axle to improve efficiency. Having said that, putting it in Sport mode makes a big difference.
In normal mode the speed with which the car begins to accelerate – something that is tunable –is quite gentle. This makes it feel like the car has less power than it actually does. Perhaps this is a way to make people feel that the car’s more efficient than it is. Having said that, it also made me feel like the car wouldn’t get out of its own way. In Sport that is not so noticeable.
What this Fiat will do is give those urbanites who really want more carrying capability without enlarging their vehicle footprint or monthly payment by moving to a bigger, less urban focused segment. Let’s face it, sub-compacts aren’t cars you see many of in America’s small towns and villages.
Prices run from $20,995 for the base Pop 1.4L Manual and if you want the bigger engine with an automatic transmission that MSRP will jump to $21,495. The Trekking starts at $23,325, while the Pop 2.4-L Automatic AWD begins at $23,890. The Lounge costs $23,895 and at the top of the lineup the Trekking AWD begins life at $25,250. So, this is a fair amount of small car for that many dollars.
Although the 500X doesn’t look exactly like a “cute ute,” and in the opinion of many has little “cute” to it. I can’t argue that it is the “maiden aunt” of Italian design. But it does its job well, and lets you have the convenience – and relatively higher seating of a ute without looking like everybody else.