The Fiat 500X is coming

Fiat will finally reveal the production version of its long-awaited ‘500X' crossover before the year is out, completing Fiat's rapid expansion of the 500 range.

We got wind of this 500X a couple of years back when we drove the 500L for the first time; at a Fiat presentation, a very, very brief shot of the upcoming crossover was shown, with Fiat revealing the 500 city car would spawn an entire family of cars.

So, this 500X is the final piece of the puzzle. It'll sit on the same base as the new baby Jeep (both will be built in the same factory, we're told), though the cars have been engineered very differently indeed. A Fiat spokesperson told us the 500X will contain more of the 500's DNA, and in fact will be "closer in spirit to the 500 city car than the 500L is to the 500 city car".

Details are thin on the ground at the moment, obviously, but we're promised a curvier and more aggressive design, with a wider stance than the 500L, to do proper battle with the Mini Countryman. Engines? You're looking at the 1.4-litre T-jet, and the 1.6-litre Multijet diesel.

The 500X is an important car in Fiat's bid to out-Mini Mini itself. We'll see it before the year is out, with the car expected to hit UK roads in very early 2015. Interested?

*Please note, the car in the picture above is a 500L, NOT a 500X. Because it hasn't been revealed yet.