The Fiat 500X aims to replicate the success of the 500 supermini in the booming crossover market. It will go head-to-head with the Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman and Citroen C4 Cactus, appealing to customers who value a bit of substance with their stylish wheels.

An entirely new model, not only is the 500X physically larger than the 500, Fiat has big sales aspirations; it wants it to be the top selling car of its kind. With crossover sales exploding from five per cent market share in 2004 to 20 per cent in 2014, it would be big news for the Italian brand.

Performance

A wide range of petrol and diesel engines are available, from 95 to 170bhp. Our picks would be the 1.4-litre petrol with 140bhp (0-62mph in 10.5 seconds) or the 1.6-litre diesel producing 120bhp, which is just as quick.

Both offer more than enough performance to compete with rivals, except for the particularly quick Mini Countryman Cooper S.

A 140bhp diesel and 170bhp petrol are available at the top of the range, but seem unnecessary given the spritely performance of the mid-range engines and its target audience.

We’ve yet to test the entry-level petrol and diesel, but they offer a low starting price if you aren’t too concerned with performance.

A five or six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but Fiat’s also introducing a nine-speed automatic with its top 2.0-litre diesel. With smooth changes in automatic mode and a reasonably snappy response using the shifter paddles, it’s quite likeable. But, the extra expense means few customers are likely to choose it over the smooth six-speed manual.

Ride and Handling

Impressively this Fiat also deals well with bumpy roads and pot holes, especially when 17-inch alloy wheels are fitted.

While crossovers are taller than their supermini equivalents, fun handling is still something we’ve come to expect. Luckily the 500X excels here, with little body roll in corners, bags of grip and light but accurate steering. Impressively this Fiat also deals well with bumpy roads and pot holes, especially when 17-inch alloy wheels are fitted. Larger alloys firm things up a touch, but the 500X is still a comfortable car to spend time in. Refinement impresses too, with the 1.6-litre diesel being just as quiet as the 1.4-litre petrol and little tyre or wind noise even at motorway cruising speeds. Fiat’s ‘Mood Selector’ allows you to choose between Sport, Auto and Traction settings. We preferred Auto thanks to its smooth throttle response, and while Sport can usefully sharpen the engine’s response for overtaking, we were less keen on extra artificial weight added to the steering. The most powerful petrol and diesel 500X come with four-wheel drive, while the rest of the range gets Traction Plus. Similar to the Peugeot 2008’s Grip Control system, it detects when a front wheel is slipping and sends power to the one with most grip, helping progress in difficult conditions.

Interior and Equipment

The Fiat 500 name has been around since 1957 – meaning it has been on the market for nearly 60 years.

The 500X has interior styling obviously led by the 500, but reimagined to suit its larger size. Instead of being concentric, the gauges are separated into a speedo, digital display and rev counter, and look great, but can be tricky to navigate at first. A soft-touch dashboard surrounds a distinctive body-coloured swathe of plastic, focused around a central touchscreen. The quality of materials is better than any Fiat we’ve driven and on a par with the Peugeot 2008 and C4 cactus, if still not quite as plush as the Countryman. You sit quite low, so headroom feels generous, while six footers can also be accommodated in the back seat. The 350-litre boot (dropping in size to 245 litres if you want a spare wheel) isn’t class leading, but is big enough for a few suitcases and rucksacks. Trim levels include Pop, Popstar, Lounge and rugged-looking Cross and Cross Plus version with chunkier bumpers and faux skid plates. Every version gets alloy wheels and cruise control, while the Popstar improves things further with air-con, a five-inch Uconnect touch-screen and Fiat’s ‘Mood Selector’. The Lounge trim brings highlights like 18-inch wheels, Xenon headlights and keyless entry.

Cost

We’d recommend sticking to the mid-range versions, say a 1.6-litre diesel in Pop Star trim, to get the best value for money and retained value come trade-in time.

With prices ranging from just under £15k to over £25k, it’s possible to spend a lot of money on a 500X. We’d recommend sticking to the mid-range versions, say a 1.6-litre diesel in Pop Star trim, to get the best value for money and retained value come trade-in time. Choose an automatic four-wheel drive and it could be harder to find a buyer willing to pay a big premium. Being a Fiat, running costs should be excellent, with the aforementioned diesel returning 60.1mpg and emitting 109g/km of CO2. The 140bhp petrol will cost more to tax, emitting 139g/km, while economy of 47.1mpg is respectable for a petrol crossover, but nothing to write home about. There’s a significant economy penalty for the 2.0-litre diesel with four-wheel drive, 51.4mpg and 144g/km figures more commonly associated with the best SUVs rather than urban crossovers. As with the 500, the 500X should particularly suit private buyers and tempting finance deals are a dead cert. We expect most customers to get behind the wheel of a Fiat 500X this way.

Our Verdict

Like a band struggling with its second album, reinventing a smash hit car is incredibly hard to get right. But, Fiat must have pulled it off because we expect the 500X to be a common sight on British roads very soon. Whether 500 owners with growing families see it as a logical next car, downsizers are tempted by it or customers new to Fiat are seduced by the 500X, we don’t doubt it’s going to drum up plenty of business. If you’re one of the 7,000 who has already asked for an online quotation (without ever driving the car), you have nothing to worry about. This is a comfortable car, with decent handling and the best-quality Fiat interior we’ve seen. With a wide range of engines and two- or four-wheel drive there should be a version to suit all comers too.