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New car road test: Fiat 500X 2.0 Multijet II 140bhp; Jonathan Crouch and Andy Enright from caranddriving.com look at the Fiat 500X 2.0 Multijet II 140bhp.

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Byline: nechronicle

Fiat 500X 2.0 Multijet II 140bhp

Fiat comes winging back into form with the perky 500X crossover. Bigger than it looks, you get a choice of front or all-wheel drive, manual, twin clutch or nine-speed automatic gearboxes and a whole stack of personalisation options. The ultimate version is the one we're looking at here, the 2.0 Multijet II 140bhp diesel Cross Plus 4WD variant. It's the one that really shows what this car can do.

The 500X handles very well for such a high-riding car, resisting understeer really well. The steering doesn't offer too much in the way of feedback, but it's very accurate and well-weighted. The brakes are well up to the task too. In other words, show it the right road and you can have fun in this little crossover. As much fun as you'd have in a rival Nissan Juke? You might well think so.

Standard models get a 'Drive Mood' selector including an 'All Weather' mode which adjusts the ESC stability control for greater traction. Those wanting more off piste ability can opt for 'Cross' or 'Cross Plus' variants (we tried the latter one), which replaces this mode with a 'Traction' function that speeds up the transmission of torque to the rear axle on four-wheel drive versions or activates the Traction Plus electronic front differential system on front wheel drive cars.

The 500X's four-wheel drive system uses an ingenious rear axle disconnection system that seamlessly switches between two- and four-wheel drive for full-time torque management without requiring input from the driver. we can imagine it'd be an absolute hoot in the snow. Under the bonnet of the variant we tried lay Fiat's well-regarded 140bhp 2.0 Multijet II diesel, capable of 62mph from rest in 9.8s on the way to 118mph.

There aren't too many small crossovers whose styling gets an almost universal vote of confidence, but we really haven't chanced upon anyone who doesn't like the 500X. Designed in-house by Centro Stile, the 500X not only has clear links to its siblings in the current 500 family but also the iconic 1957 original, most notably its large, circular headlamps the brightwork on the nose and its distinctive clamshell bonnet.

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