2016 Fiat 500X: First Look

Competes with: Mini Countryman, Chevrolet Trax, Nissan Juke

Looks like: A perky hatchback

Drivetrains: To be determined engines with manual and automatic transmissions, front- or all-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: First half of 2015

Fiat fans have known since at least earlier this year that the Italian brand would build a small SUV. Well, the wait is over. Witness the 2016 500X, an all-new model that’s based on the soon-to-go-on-sale-itself Renegade from Jeep, one of umpteen mashups to be expected in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ future. The 500X debuted at this week’s 2014 Paris Motor Show, and a full reveal for the U.S. version will come at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show next month.

Related: 2015 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio Automatic: Quick Spin

Roughly the size of the forthcoming Chevrolet Trax — and a bit larger than the Mini Countryman and Nissan Juke, two other micro-SUV competitors — the 500X is technically the longest current Fiat model in the U.S., eclipsing the 500L by about an inch. The 500X will come in both metro- and adventure/leisure flavors. Fiat says it will sell the car in “more than 100 countries,” including the U.S. in the first half of 2015.

Exterior
Of Fiat’s current “lineup,” which includes only the 500 and 500L, the 500X is the most ordinary-looking car yet. Swap in a Mini logo and many onlookers would mistake this for the latest Cooper offshoot. A collection of large, perky lights dimples the 500X’s face, with two wide grille openings below the Fiat’s red logo. The profile mixes a tallish body with steeply raked front and rear windows, and the taillights merge styling from both the 500 and 500L.

Lower cladding outlines the fenders, bumpers and side sills, and eight different wheel designs span 16, 17 or 18 inches.

Interior
Fiat’s lacquered paneling, featured heavily in the 500, spans the 500X’s dashboard, but corporate cues show up in the three-spoke steering wheel, which shares controls with a number of Jeep models, as well as the dual-zone climate controls, which the Renegade and 500L employ.

Between the fabric and leather options, Fiat says there are seven material configurations. The three-portal gauges place a large color screen in the center port, while a center touch-screen can measure 5 or 6.5 inches depending on the configuration. Both center screens can accommodate an optional navigation system. FCA’s new Uconnect Live system can stream smartphone apps like Facebook and Twitter, as well as various cloud-based music and Internet radio stations. Beats premium audio is available.

Under the Hood
Drivetrains for the car shown in Paris span a wide range. Six gasoline and two diesel engines work through one manual and two automatic transmissions: one a six-speed dual-clutch auto and the other a nine-speed torque-converter unit. Output ranges from 95 hp with the diesel to 184 hp with the largest gasoline engine — the company’s familiar 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder, which is found in the Chrysler 200, Dodge Dart, Jeep Cherokee and Renegade. It’s likely the Tigershark will make it stateside, but it remains to be seen which others accompany it.

Unlike the 500L Trekking, which dressed a front-drive hatchback with poseur off-road cladding, the 500X comes in front- or all-wheel drive. Like in the Renegade, the all-wheel-drive system employs an automatically disconnecting rear axle. Drivers can switch the drivetrain to various modes that suit sportier driver or poor weather; Fiat says the latter mode primes the all-wheel-drive system to send power sooner to the rear axle.

Safety
Six airbags plus the required antilock brakes and electronic stability system are standard. Lane departure and blind spot warning systems are optional.

Manufacturer images