Meet Fiat’s 500X; get on the track; go under the hood
Italy’s a cool place. Tourists generally come home marveling at the creativity of Italian designers and the nation’s penchant for fast driving.
Now, Italy in general and Fiat in particular are hoping that Americans will fall in love with one of their newest designs, the Fiat 500X.
The 500X joins the fast-growing compact SUV/crossover segment of the US market. The new car is up against the likes of the Buick Encore, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman, Mazda CX-3, and VW Golf Sportwagen.
It also adds life to the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) lineup at a time when CEO Sergio Marchionne seems to be delaying new product development elsewhere and seeking a corporate merger.
The Fiat 500X base Pop has a cloth interior, a dashboard painted with the body color, and “your choice of color.’’
First impressions say there’s a lot to like in the 500X. It’s a mix of Italian design, state-of-the-art safety and electronic systems, and it’s clearly aimed at the US market.
While the 500X might be considered one model, it comes in five trim levels. Prices range from $21,000 to perhaps $33,000, if you can find enough options to add.
Fiat showed off the new model in Boston earlier this month, introducing it to members of the New England Motor Press Association.
Perhaps the most important item Fiat has added, at least for this sector of the US market, is an all-wheel-drive system. Fiat’s AWD has a rear-wheel disconnect when the system isn’t needed, reducing AWD’s inherent parasitic drain on fuel economy.
The 500X is built on the same global platform as the Jeep Renegade (both FCA companies), and both are built at the same Melfi, Italy, plant. But you won’t find many similarities. The Renegade is built to be off-road capable (that’s Trail-rated in JeepSpeak) while the 500X is aimed at keeping Americans on the highways as they get through winters like the one we just had.
The 500X handles well and has a roomy interior for a compact.
To those familiar with the Fiat 500 lineup, the model designations are familiar—Pop, Easy, Lounge. With the 500X, Fiat adds Trekking and Trekking Plus.
The base Pop gets the 1.4-liter torquey turbo that makes 160 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s also the only model available with the 6-speed manual transmission.
Everything else will be equipped with the 2.4-liter Tigershark engine and 9-speed automatic transmission.
The available safety systems include forward collision warning with braking, active lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alerts.
All 500X models come with the 500’s signature clamshell hood, double front headlights, “whiskers and logo’’ front grille treatment, and circular instrument cluster. Those are all styling cues playing on the nostalgia for the original 500cc cinquecento.
The Pop has a cloth interior, a dashboard painted with the body color, and “your choice of color.’’ Colors are an individual choice and not usually part of a story (other than in photos), but some of the dozen 500X names are just plain fun. Among them: Nero Cinema (black clear coat), Giallo Amalfi Tristrato (tricoat yellow), Grigio Argento (gray metallic), Bianco Gelato (white clear coat) and two reds, Rosso Passione and Rosso Amore.
Some quick driving impressions are that the 500X handles well for a crossover/SUV, that the 2.4-liter engine and transmission work well together, and the interior is roomy (again for a compact).
Three powertrain settings—auto, sport, traction-plus—significantly change the engine mapping. Traction is self-explanatory. Auto is more fuel efficient; Sport is more fun. The base Pop should offer a fuel economy range from 25-34 with the manual. Models with the automatic will range from the low 20s to just over 30.
The rear seats (and front passenger seat) fold flat to accommodate cargo.
It appears that the designers in Torino and builders in Melfi have combined to include, at no extra charge, a nice dose of La Dolce Vita.
A place to drive fast
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is enabling folks over 18 with a street car in good condition to put it on the track at Thompson Speedway in Thompson, Conn., on several nights this summer.
You don’t need any on-track experience, but you will need to get a helmet for the occasion. No race cars are permitted. Scheduled event nights are Tues., June 30; Thurs., July 9; and Thurs., Aug. 6.
Entries are divided into novice, intermediate, and advanced groups. Cost is $150 per entrant and includes three 20-minute stints on the track plus access to SCCA driving instructors.
Spectators are admitted free. Registration information is at tracknightinamerica.com.
Etc.
Today is German Car Day at Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline and next Sunday belongs to the Brits. Both are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. … One of the year’s best takes for classic cars is today (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) at Elm Bank Estate in Wellesley. It’s the 13th year for the event that draws more than 800 cars to the estate grounds … The Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich continues its “Under the Hood’’ speaker series Thursday with eBay executive and collector David Geisinger, whose cars are featured in the “Driven to Collect’’ exhibit. He’ll discuss the cars on exhibit, including his own 1966 Volvo P1800, one-of-a-kind 1955 Porsche Spyder, and 1983 Land Rover Series III Stage One.
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