CARS OF THE WORLD

Fiat 500X 2021.

The 2021 Fiat 500X is a practical and cute crossover with seating for up to five passengers and standard all-wheel drive.

In 2021, the 500X will only benefit from a few small changes to the option packages. Otherwise, this is the same crossover that debuted in 2016.

Specifications

All 500Xs are powered by the same tiny 1.3-liter turbocharged engine that’s about as small as the Turbo-4 you’ll find elsewhere on the market.

The small engine develops a decent 177 horsepower, which it sends through an automatic transmission in nine steps. Expect fuel efficiency at 24 mpg city, 30 highway, 26 mixed.

Don’t expect any active safety technology to come as standard as Fiat charges extra for everything, including the automatic braking system. Intelligent cruise control is standard on the Trekking and Sport trims only.

On lower trims, the $ 1,395 Advanced Driver Assistance Group combines these features along with a blind spot monitoring system.

IIHS crash tested the 500X but did not complete the task. The 500X performed well in our tests. Other organizations have not tested the car at all.

Options and prices

• The 500X range opens at $ 26,840. As the base model, the Pop skips all the major goodies to keep the price low, so several notable features include a 7-inch touchscreen media information system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, fabric upholstery and air conditioning.

• Aside from satellite radio and premium fabric upholstery, the $ 27,440 Trekking package adds nothing special. However, Trekking opens up possibilities not available in Pop, such as the aforementioned driver assistance package. Other options include a Beats audio system, leather upholstery and navigation.

• The $ 28,640 Sport trim is the first to include automatic braking as standard equipment. Sport also comes with some sportier details such as a flat-bottomed steering wheel and improved seats.

• The Trekking Plus package costs $ 31,240 and tops the line. Compared to the Sport, the Plus adds navigation, heated front seats, leather upholstery and dual-zone automatic climate control. Most of its standard equipment is available on the bottom rails.

Exterior

Retro is often good or bad. Some machines do it great, others fail. It works in the 500X. It draws on many of Fiat’s retro styling gimmicks to showcase its character, such as the round headlights and a two-position grille.

The prettiest model in the range is the sporty trim, which lacks contrasting cladding for a crisp body-colored decor. It’s not retro, it’s more original.

Interior

Among the handful of vintage cars available today, the 500X has one of the more overtly stained glass interiors. But its media information system has been revamped: the 7-inch touchscreen is a simple thing to learn.

We’re happy to see Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard across the lineup, although the proprietary software works reasonably well for us.

One of the most compelling reasons for buying the 500X is its passenger space, which seems even larger than it actually is, thanks to the aquarium effect of massive windows. The high driver’s seat feels like a crow’s nest due to its expansive exterior.

The rear seat, while offering only 35 inches of legroom, nevertheless feels spacious thanks to wide doorways and good headroom.

Still, many other small crossovers offer more legroom.
Luggage space is on the sloped side, 14 cubic feet behind the rear seats, though it expands to 40 cubes when the rear seat folds down.