Eric's Autos: Reviewing the 2016 Fiat 500 X
It makes 160 hp pushing 22 pounds of turbo boost. That's heap strong compared with the Honda HR-V's 1.8 liter, 138 hp engine, the Mazda CX-3's 2.0 liter, 146 hp engine - and absolutely blows the poor little Chevy Trax's 1.4 liter, 138 hp engine right out of the water. None of these models offer a more powerful optional engine, either. The Fiat does.
Other-than-Pop trims come with a larger 2.4 liter four (no turbo) that makes 180 hp - a number matched only by the Mini Country S All-4 (which starts at $27,850 vs. $22,300 for a 500 X Easy with FWD; $24,200 with AWD).
You can also get a manual (six-speed) transmission in the Fiat - a rare feature in the class and new crossovers, generally.
Unfortunately, Fiat only offers the manual gearbox with the base 1.4 engine - and that engine is only available in the base Pop trim, and only with front-wheel-drive. If you want the larger engine - or all-wheel-drive - you have to accept the nine-speed automatic transmission, which has some issues (more on this below).
Acceleration is good for this class of vehicle: 0-60 takes about 8.8 seconds with the 2.4 liter engine and FWD. That's right there with the HR-V and CX-3 (and much speedier than the under-engined Chevy Trax, which needs 10-plus seconds to break 60).
However, the Fiat's gas mileage is lower than rivals when the car is equipped with the optional 2.4 liter engine.
Best-case is 22 city, 31 highway (21 city, 30 highway with AWD) which is about 5-8 MPG below what rivals like the HR-V (28 city, 35 highway with FWD; 27 city/32 highway with FWD) and CX-3 (29 city, 35 highway; 27 city/32 highway with AWD) deliver.
The 1.4 engine's mileage is good - 25 city, 34 highway - however this engine requires premium unleaded fuel. Remember that bit about 22 pounds of turbo boost?
The X's rivals - including the Chevy Trax, which is turbo'd, too - all take regular. As they probably ought to, given these are budget-minded buggies.
The nine-speed automatic has sport/manual modes and there are three driver-selectable settings (Normal, Rain/Snow and Sport) for the optional AWD system. It's an on-road/street-driving-intended set-up, like the available AWD systems in rivals like the HR-V, Trax and CX-3.
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