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| 2015 Fiat 500X |
Meet the brand-new Fiat 500X. On paper, it looks like a Fiat 500 that's taking the blue pill and made it larger than the pensioner's erection, but even though this is a biggie compared to its high-value target, the Mini Countryman, the 500X is just one of the fine examples of why active lifestyle vehicles, no matter how big or small they are, are the IT thing of the century.
With prices start at 17,500 Euros, there are two styles to choose from such as the City Look, which offers a choice of either a 1.4L turbo petrol engine or a 1.6L turbodiesel engine, or this; the Off-Road Look, which comes with the same choice of engines as the City Look, only this time with the added 2.0L diesel engine exclusive to this trim. While most models come with a manual gearbox, some models do come with a 9-speed automatic gearbox, a first for Fiat, which is somewhat too much for a small crossover like this. That's like stuffing a sandwich it some unpeeled apples and that's a lot of cogs to handle for a small car.
What about driving? On the city streets, the 500X still feels like a city car despite its sizing, and it feels not half bad on the open roads. It may not be a sporty car to drive but it's still essentially fantastic for an active lifestyle hatchback. Its 4WD system is as odd as a fictional novel you bought at a local petrol station because it feels like a front wheel drive but in dire emergencies, half of the power goes to the back. Hmmm...
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| 2015 Fiat 500X interior |
Although it's a small crossover, the 500X still has some ample room fit enough for your garage sale shopping from one suburban to another, which is good for active lifestyle enthusiasts who want to spend the rest of their day off go out and do stuff rather than watching TV. It accommodates up to five people, which makes the 500X as convenient as the 500L MPV.
The Fiat 500X may be a decent active lifestyle vehicle but it doesn't feel like an active lifestyle vehicle even if it has 4WD. There's another issue with the 500X because thanks to this crossover, it spawned itself its American cousin...
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| 2015 Jeep Renegade |
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| 2015 Jeep Renegade interior |
Welcome everyone to the all new Jeep Renegade. Like the Fiat 500X, it's a compact crossover that can seat up to five people, comes with an optional 4WD and the standard 1.4L petrol engine but the one thing that differs it from the 500X is the Renegade comes with the optional 2.4L MultiAir Engine, as seen from the Dodge Dart and the latest Chrysler 200, and then there's the offroad-worthy Trailhawk model, for $24,995, which has the best 4x4 capability in its class.
As a result, this particular Renegade could be the ideal active lifestyle vehicle for the job; made to picking up friends and family, doing things straight from the bucket list, and overall, this crossover can go places where no other compact crossovers can't. As for the interior, it looks as rugged as a female soldier who forgot to put on her jacket. Now that's an adventure!
But there are some flaws for the Renegade and one of them is the styling because here's the scenario; if you park this one next to the smaller Suzuki Hustler, you can see that they're both similar from the front and back and if you have problems with your eyes or when you're recovering from an eye surgery, chances are you might mistake them both. There's also another flaw and with prices start at $17,995, it's a sheer sign that you can't afford Jeep's greatest hits such as the luxurious Grand Cherokee, the offroad-favorite Wrangler, and the horrifyingly ugly Cherokee which has the face of a certain video game baddie that eats the little good guys. Lastly, there's this; the Renegade is made in Italy, just like the Fiat 500X, so when you're having your little 4th of July BBQ party, your neighbors might see your Renegade, saying that's not an American car, it's Italian, and yes, that's true...sorta.
The Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade are relatives but even though they come from the same womb, they still behave differently because while the 500X is designed to be more of a city car rather than being an outdoorsy type of car, the Renegade is a crossover built for their everyday adventures. It's going to be quite a long-term job to decide which one but a little heads or tails might decide the outcome.