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Fiat 500X bodywork uncovered
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Part-assembled production bodywork for new Fiat 500X unveiled alongside SUV's official badging
Images showing the bodywork of Fiat’s upcoming 500X SUV have surfaced online, providing a few more clues as to how the compact SUV will look.
Clearly at an early stage in the production line, only part of the bodywork is in place, however the overall shape is easier to make out than on the heavily disguised 500X we caught testing on the road earlier this month.
As you can see, the bonnet is longer and less curved than the Fiat 500, although the family resemblance will be maintained by overlarge rounded headlights – which will be accommodated by cut outs in the front fascia metalwork.
Taken at Fiat’s factory in Melfi, Italy, these photographs also show sculpted lines running along the lower flanks, as well as bulging wheel arches - like on the 500L MPV.
This common design language is hardly surprising. Not only does it further link Fiat’s new SUV to the 500 range, but both the X and L variants are built on Fiat-Chrysler’s ‘Small Wide’ platform.
The 500X’s sister car, the Jeep Renegade, is underpinned by this chassis as well, and can be seen in the background of these pictures on a separate production line. It’s unlikely to be the only resemblance between the co-developed cars, with similar engine line-ups also expected – including a 2.0-litre diesel with either 136bhp or 165bhp.
Although the uncaptioned pictures are not official, we’re fairly certain they’re the real deal, given they appeared in slideshows used to outline the FCA’s five-year product plan.
Squirreled away in a separate presentation was yet another revealing image, showing what appears to be the official 500X badge. The rather conventional 500L-inspired design was leaked earlier this year, but it’s now clear the colour scheme will follow the same pattern, too.
An official debut at the Paris Motor Show in October is possible, with the 500X set to go on sale toward the end of the year.
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Dear Fiat: please make this look better than the porky 500L.
The front end is pure MkI Corsa. No bad thing I suppose, but not exactly progressive.
really, i think you need to pop to Specsavers.
It is funny how they would just start mass production of a car with no concept to show off first.
They will need to build them more quickly than this if they want to make any money out of them!
From the pictures it's obvious the car is in production already, why wait until September? Previous modern 500 models have all been launched in July, on the anniversary of the original's introduction in 1957: this won't be different.
Hey, at least you've stopped saying "2015"...
Why not? Alfa Giulietta and Mito were launched into production without being shown as concepts, as were the new 500, new Panda, Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli.
A picture of an early version of this 500x was shown at the launch of the 500L, though...
The new 500 was first shown as the Trepiuno concept in 2004.
The 500X will be launched on 4 July.
Trepiuno is an exception, alright, but it was still three years between showing the concept in 2004 and launching the 500 in 2007. I'm also not 100% sure that Trepiuno was ever originally intended for production: FIAT was still (just) with GM at that time, and GM weren't interested in partnering on a "risky" project like this. Even once they had split from GM, FIAT needed to do a deal with Ford (to develop and build the Ka) to reduce the financial risks involved with bringing 500 into production.