Fiat 500X review - Reliability and safety

Reliability and build quality have traditionally been a sticking point for Italian cars, and customer feedback suggests Fiat still has a way to go when it comes to quality and service. The manufacturer finished in 23rd place out of 30 manufacturers in our latest Driver Power customer satisfaction survey.

The regular Fiat 500 achieved 45th position out of the top 75 cars when it came to reliability. Although, you can’t read too much into this because the 500X uses an entirely different platform (it's based on the Jeep Renegade, which didn't feature in our survey) to the 500, and feels better built than you might expect.

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In terms of cutting-edge safety equipment, the 500X breaks new ground for Fiat. Buyers can choose from different option packs (which save them up to 30% compared to buying the options separately), one of which, called the City & Safety Plus Pack, includes high-end tech including adaptive cruise control, city brake control, blind spot assist and a rear parking camera for squeezing into and out of tight spots.

Sadly, that wasn’t enough to convince the Euro NCAP crash testers, who only awarded the 500X four out of five stars in 2015. Adult occupant protection was rated at 86% and child protection at 85%.

Warranty

It has a three-year warranty, but the 500X does get the benefit of unlimited mileage. Many three-year packages from other manufacturers include a 60,000 mile limit – although you can’t ignore the fact that Hyundai and Kia offer five- and seven-year deals. The Jeep Renegade, which shares many parts with the 500X, gets a five-year warranty.

Servicing

Annual interim service intervals for the 500X are recommended, while the petrol models have a major service at two years or 30,000 miles.