In-depth reviews

Fiat 500X review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The 500X is not the ultimate family hauler, but there aren’t too many compromises in the name of style

Overall Auto Express Rating

3.5 out of 5

Practicality, comfort and boot space Rating

3.5 out of 5

Price
£29,955 to £29,955
Find your Fiat 500
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

The 500X is only available in a single body type, and it’s essentially a five-door hatchback in the pumped-up crossover style. It sits between the 500 and the 500L in terms of interior space, and should be big enough for most young families.

The driving position is higher overall than the 500, but you sit in a lower, sportier position within the car. Up front there are two glove boxes, large door pockets and a deep storage bin underneath the armrest.

• Best city cars to buy now

There have been compromises to practicality in the pursuit of style though – the rear window is tiny, which makes visibility a pain, and the seats are not the most supportive. 

Size

The 500X is vast compared to the old Fiat 500s, and it’s even bigger than the van-like 500L - at 4,248mm nose-to-tail it will take up 10cms more of your drive. The 500X is a little lower (1,600mm vs 1,665mm) and a few cms wider (1,796mm vs 1,784mm).

The 500X is also noticeably bigger than the 4,135mm Nissan Juke, the 4,122mm Renault Captur and the 4,222mm Skoda Yeti, but a few mms shorter than the 4,255mm Jeep Renegade, with which it shares a platform.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

Rear passengers who are shorter than six-foot will have enough headroom and legroom, but if you're any taller it starts to become a squeeze. There are ISOFIX points for child seats in the rear bench as standard.

Boot

At 350 litres, expanding to 1,000 litres with the 60/40 split rear seats folded down, the boot is actually smaller than the Countryman, Juke and Captur, but considering 60% of buyers in this class name styling as their number one motivation, Fiat won’t be too worried about that.

The boot space itself has a useful wide opening, while a moveable boot floor can be set at two levels - one level with the boot lip for easy loading and a flat boot floor with the rear seats folded down, and the other lower down to maximise space.

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.6 E-torQ Urban 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £16,236

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.6 E-torQ Urban 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £16,236

Fastest

  • Name
    1.3 120th Anniversary 5dr DCT
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £20,996

Most Popular

UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case
MINI Hatch exhaust
News

UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case

A successful court action against a workshop advertising and fitting non-standard exhaust parts is ‘a lesson for businesses’ from the DVSA
23 Nov 2023
New Renault Scenic 2023 review: the famous nameplate returns in style
Renault Scenic - front
Road tests

New Renault Scenic 2023 review: the famous nameplate returns in style

We get behind the wheel of new all-electric Renault Scenic to see what all the fuss is about
27 Nov 2023
“Renault is taking over as the manufacturer of cars for the people”
Opinion - Renault Twingo
Opinion

“Renault is taking over as the manufacturer of cars for the people”

Mike Rutherford thinks Renault is doing more than any other manufacturer when it comes to making affordable electric cars
26 Nov 2023