What is it?

Using the same platform and mechanical bits ’n’ pieces as the Jeep Renegade, the 500X is essentially the car you want if you’ve outgrown the standard 500 - it’s better looking, too, and much prettier than the awkward looking 500L - in my humble opinion. At one point you could buy your 500X with AWD, but not anymore, sadly, so it’s just standard 2wd, which is a shame.

Off road

Any thoughts of diverting off the beaten track was shelved when I put one wheel on a section of grass outside my house and the 500x ground to a halt and began spinning its other front wheel.  It was at that moment I decided I wasn’t going to attempt anything else!  Ground clearance along with approach and departure angels are pretty decent, mind.

On the road

With a respectable 118bhp, the 1.0ltr, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that’s mated to the 6-speed manual ‘box is quite lively and fun to use when pushed. Around town and on a local commute the 500X was a joy, in fact coupled with its funkiness and lightness I had no complaints at all during short trips.

On fast roads and long motorway journeys, wind, engine and tyre noise are mostly well suppressed, there can be a fair bit of road roar on coarse surfaces, mind.  My overall experience was only marred by a bouncy ride on bumpy and undulating surfaces which Muddy Madam wasn’t overly impressed with.

Its steering is quite light, perfect for city driving, not so much when pushing your way along country roads, but in reality it isn’t designed for that type of spirited driving.  I haven’t driven the automatic version, which has a reputation for being a tad on the sluggish side,  but the 6-speed manual I found to be slick, precise and easy to use.  When you decide to floor it, it offers a nice throaty rasp, too.

Fuel-wise, around town and fast country jaunts, the computer was telling me it was averaging 33mpg, which is a little off the 40.4mpg quoted in the press release. Having said that, it’s one of those cars in which I found it difficult to use all its fuel, and I do try!

Interior

I appreciate that it won’t be everyones cup of tea, but just look at it, isn’t it funky?  I love the colour coded plastic strip across the dash, it adds to the fun and made me smile every time I got in.  I even liked the how they’ve integrated the centre screen into the dash, which is a first for me.  The infotainment system was easy to navigate, buttons and switches are a welcome design feature and the seats are comfortable.

Leg, shoulder and head space up front is in abundance, but you’ll struggle to get in the back if you’re a 6-footer, especially if the driver and front seat passenger are 6-footers too.

My only problems were that there wasn’t enough space between the clutch pedal and transmission tunnel to fit my size 11, and the hand brake switch is a little too far back and almost under the centre arm rest to activate.  Every time I wanted to engage the handbrake I had to perform a little contortion with my left hand, it was a tad awkward.

All models get a 7” touchscreen infotainment system with a DAB radio, Bluetooth, two USB ports, an aux-in and Apple CarPlay and Android.  Sat-nav is only standard on Cross Plus models, but most people have Google Maps anyway.

In the back you have a double floor and with the seats up you have 350 litres of space to fill.

Engines ’n’ gearbox

There aren’t many engines to choose from, and significantly no diesels either. There’s a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol, which is the slowest, the 1.0 litre three-cylinder turbocharged unit in this car and the top-spec 148bhp 1.3-litre petrol that’s sadly only available with the automatic, which I haven’t driven yet.

Conclusion

My only real criticism is that its electric handbrake switch is in an awkward position, really wish it had a proper one.  Overall I really enjoyed living with the 500X for a week, and if Fiat offered me one as a long termer I wouldn’t be upset, it was fun, engaging, easy to drive with plenty of personality.  I was going to add that I was quite sad to see it go, which is true, but it was swapped for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, so, hmmm…

Price £18,995, £22,100 as tested

more at » www.fiat.co.uk/fiat-500x