A petrol-powered SUV doesn't have to be thirsty. The 500X from Fiat shows how a powerful drive, automatic transmission and moderate consumption can be reconciled.
The former variety of drives with diesel and petrol engines is history with Fiat's compact SUV 500X. The now only selectable alternative, the 1.5 Hybrid, is more versatile. Mild hybrid technology allows electric driving, switches itself, drives quickly and frugally. This means that the drive, which has had no alternative since this year, meets today's requirements to some extent.
The first impression
The fresh hybrid lettering on the rear does not hide the fact that the 500X is getting on in years. The sufficiently spacious interior looks a bit dusty, at least in one place or another. A start button? none. According to old fathers custom, the ignition key is put in the lock and turned to start.
In the street
After that it remains quiet, because the hybrid drive with 1.5-liter petrol engine and 20 hp starter generator starts in EV mode and is therefore acoustically quiet. A 48-volt machine and mini-battery enable electric driving at crawl speed for a few hundred meters. What is impressive, however, is how the electric motor helps the 130 hp petrol engine: 9.4 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h and a top speed of 194 km/h are decent. Gear changes are smooth, if a bit sluggish. Rough load change reactions of the e-machine, doughy steering and the bumpy chassis convey a rather inharmonious overall impression.
With 6.6 liters per 100 kilometers we were 0.6 liters above the standard consumption. A special feature of the Yacht Club we tested is the fabric sunroof, which conveys a cabriolet feeling. In winter, however, you mainly hear wind and driving noise.
The costs
Until recently, the 500X was available for less than 20,000 euros, but as a hybrid it starts at at least 30,000 euros. For our copy with the "Red" equipment as a fabric roof variant "Dolce Vita" it was even around 36,000 euros. With the "Comfort" and "Tech" packages, each costing 1500 euros, you end up at 39,000 euros, which marks the upper limit of the series.
The Competitors
While the closed 500X has many competitors, the only opponent of our fabric roof variant is the VW T-Roc Cabriolet. With a comparable drive and equipment, you end up in comparable price regions with this one.
Finally
Powerful, brisk and efficient at the same time - the new 1.5-litre mild hybrid petrol engine is a good, but currently the only choice for the Fiat 500X. With the new double-heart technology, the Italian has penetrated into higher price regions. Low costs have traditionally been a strong argument for the compact SUV.
Fiat 500X 1.5 Hybrid - specifications
