Review: In Fiat 500X's lineup, stick with the all-wheel-drive option

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I used to own a Fiat convertible. It was adorable but broke down frequently that I immediately realized why folks said "Fiat" stood for "Fix It Again, Tony."I also once observed a guy load the front-seat of a 1960s Fiat 500 with boulders and shove it off a cliff in the Santa Monica Mountains, because he could not make it operate right.So it was with guarded optimism that itest-drove the new 500X this week. Fiat's large hopes for the X were evident in a press event in a a spectacular bow-and-truss warehouse in Culver City. Execs marched the full palette of the newest little crossovers, which, being Italian, come in shades called Verde Toscana (green, really), Nero Film (simple black), Rosso Amore (it is only a good crimson), Bianco Gelato (uh, white) and more. Fiat expects this version to sell nicely internationally and end up being the best selling car in its whole U.S. line, which now consists solely of variations of the 500, which the firm introduced in Italy in 1957.Fiat additionally trusts the X will make it use of the small far-out-cute market -- and escape its lingering reputation for unreliability."This is the aura," said Jason Stoicevich, vice-president of the Fiat manufacturer. "This will appeal to the majorities."This newest 500 is the largest departure in the bubbly twodoor that now comes in lots of flavors: simple, turbo, convertible, electrical and Abarth (the quick one). They are all inexpensive and fun small runabouts, although distended fourdoor 500L variation has acquired -- and deserved -- reduced marks. The 500X is the 2nd effort in a four door version, and at accessible all-wheel-drive, supplied of all of the X forms.A compact cross over SUV that keeps the gimlet-eyed encounter in what Fiat calls its conventional "whiskers" and "reduced, grinning grill," it's a more muscular profile and guarantees more functionality. The X will take on the Mini Countryman, the Nissan Juke as well as the Chevy Trax, along with Honda's HRV and Mazda's CX3, equally hitting dealers shortly. The internationally constructed 500X will be offered in 100 nations. The organization calls it "a 500 that's been pumping iron." Frivolous ads for the vehicle indicate the X was born when a Viagra-like pill fell accidentally to the gas-tank of a poor 500.In actual terms, the X is a little broader and a little shorter in relation to the 500L. In addition, it has more ground clearance and carries more punch. The car will likely be sold using a 2.4-liter Tigershark Multi Air motor, paired with a new 9-speed automated transmission. It generates 180 hp and 175 pound-toes of torque.2016 Fiat 500X Trekking Plus.2016 Fiat 500X Trekking Plus.A smaller, turbocharged motor which makes 160 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque can be obtained with a-6-speed automated on the entrylevel 500X Pop.The X is additionally Fiat's first all-wheel-drive car. "Dynamic driving modes" developed to benefit from the AWD system contain selection of normal, sport and grip. Whirling through the West-Side and in the hills above Malibu in a front wheel drive X, I located the functionality underwhelming. The motor strained under acceleration, even insport style, and took quite a while to get as much as highway speed. The direction and suspension felt sharp and reactive under regular use. But at greater rates, particularly on the tighter parts of of Topanga Canyon or Mulholland Highway, the auto dipped and plunged where it should have grasped the route. I was more amazed in a 2nd X with the all-wheel-drive variant. The fourwheel foothold made the car look quicker and significantly more nimble on the pavement. Matt Davis, head of Fiat brand advertising, stated the 500X's all-wheel-drive and solid looks do not imply it is a a back-woods bushwacker."This is about on-street self-assurance," Davis stated. "We are not looking to stop-road."Purchasers interested because solid encounter possess the choice of the Jeep Renegade. From an identical Fiat Chrysler family, it is constructed around a single platform, as well as in the exact same Italian factory, as the 500X. It is got all the offroad things that it is citified brother is lost. The two vehicles share a chassis and powertrain, but have somewhat different suspension methods and are tuned otherwise. The 500X has attractive interior appointments as well as a comfortable, pleasant sense -- a curved dash, egg-shaped gauges as well as a set of cubby holes which includes side pouches, cupholders and top and lower glove compartments. The Couch version offers conveniences like dual-zone temperature-control, 8-way power-seat with four way lumbar controls, heated seats and steering-wheel, and "ambient lights." Many variants include navigation and audio systems. The greater-finish 500Xs are accessible with innovative safety characteristics that incline the enterprise to advertise the car as "the most technologically innovative Fiat" actually offered. Choices include lane-keeping help, forward crash support, blind-spot detection techniques and more. The 500X boasts less headroom and space for storage compared to bigger 500L, but Fiat maintains the 500X has more cargo room, at 12.3 cubic-feet, than something else in its category. Fiat executives stated that while their 500 show continues to be successful in "sun states" such as California and Florida, the 500X is thought to attract purchasers in the North East and upper Mid-West -- where snow and ice make AWD more significant. The first Fiat 500Xs are going to maintain showrooms in mid-May Possibly, Fiat claims, and can be priced from $20,000 for the entry level, manual transmission Pop to $27,100 for the top line Trekking+. (Other versions would be the Simple, Trekking and Lounge.)That places the vehicle in about the exact same cost range as the Trax, Juke and Countryman, each of which start near $20,000, and the forthcoming Mazda CX3 and Honda HRV, which are anticipated to cost similarly. The 500X would not have to sell in huge amounts to become the best selling Fiat in The United States. It'd just defeat the 500.Despite a slow beginning at its mid- 2011 launch, according to automotive information firm Accurate Auto, U.S. income of the 500 ran to 46,000 automobiles last year. After the two drives, I reasoned that this newest 500 X isn't the automobile you fill with boulders and push-off a cliff. Itis a car you fill with suntan lotion and Pellegrino, and consider to the [email protected]

16.04.2015
ID:1781

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