FAST FACTS
* Model: Fiat 500X Trekking Plus FWD* Exterior color: Red Tri-coat* Interior color: Gray/Brown* Engine: 2.4-liter four cylinder* Horsepower: 180* Transmission: Nine-speed automatic* Fuel economy: 31 mpg highway/22 mpg city* Dealer: Crown Fiat of Chattanooga* Price (as tested): $29,900
You've probably seen the commercial.
An older woman dressed in a negligee gives a come-hither look to an old man across the room, who immediately fumbles for one of his little blue pills. Alas, the old man misses his mouth and the pill flies out his second-floor window and miraculously lands in the fuel tank of a Fiat 500.
Soon, the sheet metal of the little Fiat begins to ripple and bulge. What emerges is the "bigger, more powerful, ready for action" Fiat 500X, the newest entry in the subcompact cross-over wars.
Cute.
For a segment that's only a few years old, the subcompact crossover competition has grown fierce. Such players as the new Honda HR-V and the Buick Encore, which kick-started the trend, are driving sales.
The whimsical Fiat 500X television spot has been in heavy rotation to promote Fiat's newest addition to the 500-series fleet. First came the 500 sedan, and then the roomier 500L, and now the 500X, a vehicle with such crossover virtues as elevated ground-clearance and available all-wheel-drive.
Our tester this week is a Fiat 500X Trekking Plus provided by sales consultant Doug Grammar and Sales Manager Jeremie Leach of Crown Fiat on Chapman Road. The tester is front-wheel drive, top-trim model which carries a sticker price of $29,900, just under the psychologically important $30,000 mark.
That said, the new Fiat 500X, which shares a powertrain with the rugged new Jeep Renegade, is a surprisingly refined ride, with maybe the most smartly upholstered seats we've ever seen on a sub-$30,000 vehicle.
The 500X comes in five trim levels that sound a little like satellite radio stations: Pop (starting at $20,000), Easy ($22,300), Trekking ($23,100), Lounge ($24,800) and Trekking Plus ($27,100).
STYLING AND FEATURES
It's hard to do a walk-around of a Fiat without the word "cute" passing your lips. In fact, they all look a bit like Luigi in the Disney kids' film "Cars," who was, indeed, a 1959 Fiat 500.
The interior of our Fiat 500X tester has rich and refined vibe.The 500X looks like a Fiat 500 sedan that's discovered cross-fit training. Elliptical headlights give the 500X a wide-eyed look. There's a single chrome strip that accents the fascia, like a metallic mustache, with an embedded Fiat emblem.
The profile of the 500X shows off its tallish architecture and hints at the head and shoulder roominess inside. Machine-cut alloy wheels add an upscale vibe and the aggressive stance of the little crossover makes it look vastly more substantial than the other Fiats.
Italian design flourishes carry over into the interior, which features the gorgeous leather seats. The padded armrests are furniture quality. Meanwhile, the gray and brown color scheme is sophisticated, especially when paired with the deep red exterior.
The big, beefy steering wheel, which is heated in our tester, fills your hands. Gauges are large and functional, and big dials on the center stack for the dual-zone climate controls are ergonomically perfect. A 6.5-inch touch screen houses the Fiat's excellent Uconnect telematics system.
Our tester comes with an $1,900 option package that includes a nine-speaker Beats audio system with sub-woofer and a dual pane power sunroof. Standard features on the Trekking Plus 500X include the leather seats, an electronic parking brake, a one-year SiriusXM satellite radio subscription, heated front seats, ambient lighting, and automatic headlights.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The entry-level 500X Pop has a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine rated at 160 horsepower, but all other trims - including our Trekking Plus tester - come with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Tigershark engine by Chrysler that makes 180 horsepower. The 2.4-liter engine propels the 500x from 0-60 miles per hour in about 8.7 seconds.
On our test drive on Highway 153, the nine-speed automatic transmission downshifted adroitly during aggressive passing. Overall, the 500X feels solid and substantial - dare we say, almost German? The steering is taut and relatively heavily weighted, which is good.
Shoulder and hip room for the driver and front seat passenger feel almost a class-above sub-compact, and the rear seat is usable for three adult passengers.
BOTTOM LINE
The interior refinements are comparable to the Buick Encore, which has become a hot product in the segment. Adding all-wheel-drive, a $1,900 upgrade, is a good bet for our mountain topography.
All in all, the 500X is a competent little SUV that could jump start sales for Fiat in the U.S.A.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.