Fiat 500X review

The Fiat 500X has front seats that slide a long way back if you need them to, giving more leg room than some rivals, while the high roof means tall occupants will still have room to spare. Access is good, with the high roof, raised seating position and fairly broad door openings making it easy to slide in without having to bend too much.

There are plenty of storage cubbies around the 500X’s interior, too, with a large, chilled glovebox standard on all, a shallow dish just ahead of the gear lever that's ideal for a phone, and two cupholders between the front seats.

If you add the Comfort Pack, with its front centre armrest, you get another shallow storage area. The door bins are big enough to store a litre bottle.

There’s plenty of head and leg room in the back of the Fiat 500X, so two average-sized adults will be comfortable enough on a long journey. Taller adults might find that their heads are a bit close to the roof, though, and three adults side by side will be rather cosy, as the car is narrower than its rivals. A third central headrest in the back of the 500X is optional, as part of the Comfort Pack.

The door bins in the back are quite small but will each hold a 500ml drinks bottle, and you get two document pockets on the back of the front seats as standard. Access is good, thanks to the high roofline and doors that open to almost 90deg, so ducking in to access child seats will be easy.

Every Fiat 500X comes with rear seats that are split 60/40 and fold almost flat when you release the lock on their outer shoulders. It’s a shame there are no extra party tricks in terms of flexibility, like the sliding rear seats in the Citroën C3 Aircross, but for general family use the 500X will still do the job nicely.

Opting for the Electric Pack adds an electrically adjustable passenger seat, while the Comfort Pack brings a height-adjustable front passenger seat.

The Fiat 500X doesn't have the biggest boot in the class and most rivals have bigger claimed capacities. It will happily take a set of golf clubs or a buggy, though.

It’s not as easy to load as some cars. There’s a step down to the boot floor over the lip and another up to the folded seat back if you flatten the rear seats.