Fiat 500X

The Fiat 500X is available in three variants-Pop, Pop Star and Launch Edition. There is a special edition, christened Fiat 500X Amalfi, which packs a bunch of additional features over the standard grades. The small SUV boasts a visually appealing exterior and a funky-looking cabin that packs a raft of comfort and connectivity bits. With a five-star rating in the ANCAP crash test, the Fiat 500X SUV ensures the safety of the occupants.  Prices for the 500X start from $27,950 for the pop trim, while the Pop Star is slightly pricier at $ 33,450. Launch edition, on the other hand, is pegged at $35,950 (MRLP prices). Colour options available on the range are passione red, gelato white, cinema black, cappuccino beige, argento grey, venezia blue, amore red, and blue jeans. 

Fiat offers a three-year/150,000 km warranty and roadside assistance during its warranty period. Styling on the Fiat 500X draws heavily from sibling 500 in terms of design with some smart bits that further up its visual appeal. At the front, there are oval-shaped double barrel headlamps and the angular bonnet sports prominent lines that run across its length. A bold chrome strip, placed in the centre with Fiat’s logo embossed in the centre completes the front styling. The side panels of the SUV are highlighted by pronounced wheel arches and chunky multi-spoke alloy wheels that are available with steel wheels in lower and 16 as well as 17-inch units in several designs in higher trims. Also, the thick cladding around the body injects SUV-ish character in this compact model. The rear spoiler, chunky cladding on the bumper, chrome-tipped rear diffusers, a chrome band on the boot lid and square-like tail-lamps complete the look at the back. 

 A familiarity with the smaller 500 cannot be ruled out inside the cabin with similar colour coding, buttons and switchgear, etc. The cabin on this small SUV is packed with a slew of features such as a 3.5-inch customisable instrument cluster, infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen unit, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice command & Bluetooth and steering mounted audio controls. While there are some utility points within the cabin, they are positioned wrongly which completely fails the purpose. For storing luggage, there is a spacious boot with 350-litre capacity, which can be expanded further by folding the rear seats completely. As for comfort, the four-door, five-seater SUV seems a bit cramped at the back, while the front is relatively spacious. 

Power on the Fiat 500X is drawn by a 1.4-litre, four-cylinder MultiAir2 turbo unit with a claimed power output of 103kW at 5,000 rpm against top torque of 230Nm at 1,750 rpm. The power is sent to front wheels through a six-speed dual dry clutch unit, which is standard, and a six-speed manual gearbox, available with the lower grades. The safety suit includes multiple airbags, anti-lock braking system with brake assist, electric park brake, ISOFIX child seat anchor system, electronic stability control with hill start assist and electronic roll mitigation, etc. While other tech such as blind-spot monitoring/rear cross-path detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning system with lane keep assist is reserved for the higher variants.