Why Lease The 500X?
by: Donna KellyDonna Kelly has over 14 years of experience in the motoring industry, writing, test driving and tweeting about cars. Her weekends are spent trackside, covering racing events.
Fiat 500X Review 2022
The Fiat 500X is a small stylish SUV that combines the retro looks of the 500 city car and a small crossover body. The spec is also better than most others in its class, with a well-finished interior and easy-to-use controls.
Rivals to the Fiat 500X include the Jeep Renegade, SEAT Arona, Citroen C3 Aircross, Mini Countryman, Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.
Our Fiat 500X review covers:
Fiat 500X Key Features
- Choice of two stylish body designs, the Urban Look and Cross Look
- Playful minimalist interior layout with body-coloured plastic
- 350-litre boot, which expands to 1,000 litres with the rear seats folded
- Petrol engines now power all 500X models with optional hybrid variants
- Four trim levels are available, including Club, Hey Google, Cross and Sport
Design, Practicality and Boot Space
The Fiat 500X comes with two retro-looking exterior body styles. The Urban Look has standard body-coloured bumpers, and the Cross Look has chunkier bumpers and skid plates. The latest 500X model also adds all-new daytime running lights and rear LEDs, which sets it apart from its predecessor.
Inside, the Fiat 500X gets the same retro fiat look as the outside, with a large swathe of body-coloured plastic across the dashboard, giving the 500X a playful comforting feel. As for space inside the 500X, passengers shorter than six foot will have plenty of headroom and legroom, but it can be a squeeze for taller passengers.
At the rear, the 500X has a boot space of 350 litres, which expands to 1,000 litres with the rear seats folded. Compared to its rivals, the Fiat's boot space is smaller than the boot in Mini Countryman, Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. However, if you have young children, the Fiat 500X makes an excellent family car leasing option as it comes with standard ISOFIX points for child seats in the rear bench.
Interior and Trims
The Fiat 500X's interior is filled with retro touches, and its body-coloured trim makes the cabin pop compared to its rivals, such as the SEAT Arona. However, the interior quality could be improved as some plastics look cheap in places with switches and buttons that feel a little flimsy. The information system has a clear, easy-to-use 7.0-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
Four trim levels are available, including Club, Hey Google, Cross and Sport.
The entry-level Club trim includes 16-inch alloy wheels, manual air conditioning, cruise control, rear tinted windows, an electronic handbrake, a height-adjustable driver's seat, lane assist, traffic sign recognition and a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with DAB radio, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring.
The Hey Google trim comes with Google-inspired exterior details such as multicoloured dots on the b-pillars, a 'Hey Google' logo on the bumper and a Google 'Welcome Kit' that includes a Nest Hub.
The Cross trim comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, automatic dual-zone climate control, LED daytime running lights and a built-in satnav. The Cross trim also adds the option of adding automatic emergency braking.
The range-topping Sport trims come with 18-inch alloy wheels, a 3D satnav, part-Techno leather upholstery, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a chrome exhaust, and adds slightly sportier styling inside and out.
Power and Performance
Petrol engines now power all 500X models with optional hybrid variants. The new entry-level motor is the 1.0-litre turbocharged FireFly, available in all model grades and gives the Fiat 118bhp with a 0-62mph time of 10.9 seconds and a 117mph top speed.
There's also a four-cylinder 1.3-litre FireFly engine with 148bhp, a twin-clutch DCT semi-automatic gearbox, and a 0-62mph time of 9.1 seconds with a top speed of 124mph.
Fiat has added a hybrid variant to the 500X range for Cross trims and above. The 1.5L GSE T4 engine, capable of producing 130 hp, is combined with a 48-volt, 15 kW e-motor and a 12-volt Belt Starter Generator for a quieter, more powerful and eco-friendly driving experience.
The Fiat 500X is excellent for city driving since it can quickly weave in and out of traffic gaps. At higher speeds, there is less body lean to be concerned about, and the Fiat's hefty steering makes it simple to manoeuvre through turns.
The 500X is also great on the motorway as the suspension smooths out bumps better than it does at slower speeds. However, the cabin does suffer from a fair amount of wind noise.
Leasing vs Buying
Prices for the new Fiat 500X start from £27,474.00 OTR* or to lease from £320.29 per month.
Want to know more about leasing the Fiat 500X? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the largest car leasing providers in the UK. All of our car leasing deals include the manufacturer's warranty, road tax for the duration of the lease, breakdown cover, and free mainland GB delivery (exclusions apply).
Plus, with fixed monthly rentals, a low initial outlay and flexible mileage and contract terms, leasing a Fiat 500X might be cheaper than buying outright with a bank loan or dealer finance.
*'On the road' price is correct at time of publication and typically includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Always check with the manufacturer.
