2016 Fiat 500X: More Fun, Safer, and Aimed Squarely at Americans
There’s a new crossover in town — and it’s turning heads. The Fiat 500X, a crossover model redesigned for 2016, may now be positioned to propel the relatively-new Chrysler-Fiat partnership to new heights.
One big advantage of the Fiat 500X is its wealth of new tech features, including the kinds of critical safety features that make modern cars much more intelligent. The 2016 Fiat 500X comes with 70 available safety and security features, including a Lane Departure Sensing Warning System, Front Collision Warning System, Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection.
The way that Fiat loaded this vehicle up with safety gear is a big part of the reason that the IIHS recently named the 2016 model a “Top Safety Pick” – IIHS officials cited a “unique application of sensor fusion” and noted that some of the model’s most progressive safety features merit an “elite rating.”
In times when companies are quickly developing research on self-driving or autonomous cars, the new Fiat 500X safety features are more than just convenience or “peace of mind” features — they’re part of a profoundly forward-thinking design when it comes to integrating modern traffic on the road. The kinds of sophisticated sensors built into self-driving cars aren’t going to do much good unless traditional vehicles also have to things like lane departure sensor systems and forward collision systems, so Fiat’s move brings the 2016 500X squarely into the car community of the future.
There’s also the 2016 500X’s TigerShark engine, a 2.4 liter block with a modern twist. Here, engineers included an “electro-hydraulic” system between the cam lobe and the intake valve, which, according to the company, “marks even further improvements in fuel economy and exhaust emissions without compromising performance.” In the Tigershark inside the 2016 500X, there’s also variable valve timing and variable valve lift technology.
For more on why customers are flocking to the 2016 Fiat 500X, check out this recent article from the Palm Beach Post where California dealerships praise the style and fashion sense of this new vehicle.
“Reaction to the brand-new 500X has been phenomenal,” says Redick Brown, general manager of Arrigo Alfa Romeo Fiat, in the Palm Beach Post story. “This is a really fun car to drive. … It’s safe and sturdy, yet also has the funky fresh look that Fiat is known for.”
Across the country in Mechanicsburg, Pa., the 500X is also selling well.
Jason Haring, Fiat Specialist at Faulkner Fiat, says the biggest draw for customers is a Fiat all-wheel drive, which, he says, people have been waiting for a long time. Haring says customers are flocking to Fiat 500X models with all the trimmings.
The IIHS selection, he says, doesn’t hurt either. “That’s another little feather in our cap,” Haring says, talking about the blind-spot monitoring, seven air bags and other top safety features of the new 2016 model. “They’re selling pretty well,” Haring says. “They’re fun to drive.”
In general, it looks like part of the appeal of the 2016 500X is that it’s something that seems more designed for an American audience. Unlike the 500 coupe and 500L models, the 500X offers a little more grit with AWD and other performance features. And that makes it a modern compact crossover to reckon with.
Like classics? It’s always Throwback Thursday somewhere.
