A new Fiat 500 crossover, called the Fiat 500X will make its debut sometime in early 2014.
The Fiat 500X is an all wheel drive variant, based on the the chassis used by the upcoming Fiat 500L. The Fiat 500L is a much larger car than the Fiat 500 (162.9 versus 139.6 inches) and uses the all wheel drive capable, widened chassis of the Fiat Punto and Alfa Romeo MiTo models. There are no images of the Fiat 500X, but it is said to be larger than the Fiat 500L at approximately 165.4 inches.
Readers of this blog will not be surprised by this as I have discussed the all wheel drive capabilities of this chassis in a few posts last year (Fiat Models That May be Coming to the US and Future Fiat 500L Spotted).
The New Fiat 500X will replace the Fiat Sedici
The Fiat 500X crossover will replace the Fiat Sedici, a small crossover that Fiat sells in Europe. The Fiat Sedici is a joint venture with Suzuki, and folks in North America will recognize the car as the Suzuki SX4.
The New Fiat 500L replaces the Fiat IDEA MPV
The new Fiat 500X will be built along with a new Jeep model, code-named B-SUV, at Fiat's Mirafiore plant in Torino.* The B-SUV will be smaller than the Jeep Compass and Patriot, and will be sold in the United States, Europe and other markets.
The Fiat 500X production is rumored to begin at the end of 2013 ahead of Jeep production in the second quarter of 2014. If this is true, that means the small Jeep will have been delayed a year since plans were first published in June 2010.
When the Fiat 500X crossover shows up at North American Fiat Studios in 2014, it will join a very full range of cars: The Fiat 500, the 500c Cabrio, the 500EX electric car, the Fiat 500 Abarth and the Fiat 500L. Looks like Fiat Studios will be a very busy place.
*Update 7/2013: Fiat has shifted the manufacturing of the two crossovers to its Melfi plant in central Italy. Production time frames have also been changed, with the Fiat 500X following a few months after Jeep production, which is scheduled to kick off June 2014.
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