2020 FIAT 500X

 The 2020 Fiat 500X has a stylish and handsome cabin, and the infotainment system is easy to use. However, the seats are firm, and space for passengers and cargo is on the short side.

• "Unlike its rugged Jeep cousin, the 500X's interior feels as if its designers spent some time among the couture shops of Milan. The layout is stylish and possesses some flair, with body-color panels and whimsical -- though cheap-feeling -- buttons, knobs, and switches." -- Consumer Reports
• "The materials quality is superior compared to many in this class." -- Edmunds (2019)
• "One of the best attributes of the 2019 500X is its interior: stylish and surprisingly refined, with soft-touch points, and high-quality controls all sensibly arranged." -- Kelley Blue Book (2019)

Seating

The 500X seats five people, and cloth upholstery is standard. Available upgrades include leather upholstery, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, and front sport seats.

Critics deliver mixed reviews regarding seat comfort. While most praise the seat adjustments, some note the padding is insufficient, and what cushioning the seats have is overly firm. Head- and legroom are mostly passable, though taller riders may feel cramped in the rear.

For securing child safety seats, the 500X has two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats, as well as an upper tether for the rear middle seat.

• "The 500X's unsupportive seats won no friends. Padding is minimal, feeling overly hard on first sitting. As trip time goes by, support fades further and the cushioning, such as it were, feels spongy or lumpy. A short bottom seat cushion robs thigh support. We're happy that the optional power seats have a full assortment of adjustments, including lumbar support that alters for both height and pressure. … But those adjustments just aren't enough to atone for the seats' other sins. Average-height adults will have enough room in the rear seat, but taller people will find it snug." -- Consumer Reports
• "Seat comfort is excellent and benefits from ample adjustment, including passenger-seat height adjustment, which is rare for this class." -- Edmunds (2019)
• The front seats are comfortable, and it's easy to find a good driving position. Rear headroom is pretty good, although there's not a lot of legroom." -- Kelley Blue Book (2019)

Interior Features

The 500X’s roster of standard equipment includes remote start and the Uconnect infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a six-speaker sound system, a USB port, and Bluetooth. A rearview camera comes standard too.

The Uconnect interface is relatively easy to use, and the touch screen is responsive, but there are a few odd quirks, such as the clock readout disappearing when the radio is turned off.

Available equipment includes navigation, a Beats stereo with eight or nine speakers, satellite radio, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a dual-pane sunroof.

Optional safety features include lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

See 2020 Fiat 500X specs »

• Fiat incorporated Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system into the 500X with an easy to use touch screen. Still, the displays have some quirks. You have to configure the gauge cluster to show the outside temperature, and if you shut off the radio, the time display inexplicably goes away." -- Consumer Reports
• "Buyers who want an easy-to-use interface will be pleased with the 500X's interior tech." -- Edmunds (2019)
• "We also like the optional, configurable color display between the gauges. The space above the dash is occupied by the well-regarded 7-inch Uconnect touch-screen infotainment system." -- Kelley Blue Book (2019)

Cargo

With 14.1 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 32.1 cubic feet of space behind the front seats, the 500X has one of the smallest cargo holds among subcompact SUVs. On the plus side, the 500X has split-folding rear seats, and the front passenger seat can fold down, which helps with carrying longer items.

• The 500X is basically an oversized hatchback. The cargo area can hold a few bags, and there is an area under the cargo floor for storing small items. The rear seats are easy to fold, and lay flat with the cargo floor. This opens up a little more room for carrying additional cargo or larger/longer items." -- Consumer Reports
• "The 500X's cargo volume is tiny, though the 500X isn't the only extra-small SUV to suffer from this downside." -- Edmunds (2019)
• "Cargo space expands quickly thanks to fold-down rear seats, and the flip-forward passenger seat helps this little SUV handle items like a surfboard." -- Kelley Blue Book (2019)