Fiat 500X boot space, practicality and safety

• Fairly large boot with split floor
• Shouldn’t prove too difficult to park
• Cabin will seat four with ease

Although not as spacious as some other bigger SUVs, for its class the 500X is very good indeed with enough room for four adults. Those in the front have good head and legroom, with a reasonable amount of scope for adjustment in the seat. The steering wheel has a relatively limited range of reach and rake adjustment however.

In the rear, taller adults will find that legroom and headroom are a little restricted, but there are plenty of cubbies to place your personal items like your smartphone, wallet and keys, as well as a useful dual glove compartment with two separate areas to store items. Cupholders cater for four occupants.

Depending on trim the front centre armrest can also be equipped with a handy storage compartment. In the back there are nets behind the rear seats and various cubbies to store items, too. 

How big is it on the outside?

The 500X isn’t a large car, with a footprint no bigger than a mid-sized family hatchback. Its high driving position means excellent visibility, while higher trim levels get acoustic parking sensors to help work out how close objects are around the car.

What’s the luggage capacity like?

The boot is a fair size with 350 litres available, which is easily big enough for the weekly shop or a couple of medium sized suitcases, but trails the MINI Countryman and its 450-litre boot. The rear seats fold down easily too in a 60:40 format expanding boot volume to 1,000 litres and there’s a removable shelf to create a two-level area if required.

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There is an optional split floor for the boot which is reversible and height-adjustable, meaning you can securely store your more valuable items while on the move.

Fiat 500X safety

With four stars during its Euro NCAP crash tests in 2015, you’d be forgiven for expecting the 500X would fare badly when it comes to safety, but that’s not the case. In fact, thanks to its facelift in 2018, it’s among the safer small cars around. The newer 500X hasn’t been tested though, and is unlikely to be now.

All versions post-update get Traffic Sign Recognition with an integrated speed limiter, so you’re physically unable to accelerate quicker than the posted limit (though it’s switchable in case you don’t want it). Active lane-keeping technology features too, alongside a suite of six airbags. As you move up the range the following become available:

• LED headlights
• Automatic headlights and wipers
• Rear-view parking camera
• Automatic low-speed braking
• Blindspot alert
• Adaptive cruise control

WATCH: Fiat 500X SUV Euro NCAP crash test