Fiat 500X review

Even in the face of a raft of newer rivals, the 500X's interior stands up well for its looks and quality. It's also colourful but stops short of silly garishness. A trick the VW T-Cross misses by a mile.

The control interfaces work well. Simple and well-made climate controls help. The instruments, a neat mix of actual and TFT, are clear too. Logical menus in the centre screen avoid common frustrations, and the system holds as standard phone mirroring for Apple and Android.

There isn't much wrong with the front seats and if the driving position is slightly bent-legged, it doesn't deform you painfully even on long trips. In the back, headroom isn't great, but it still feels roomier than a supermini because there's good space under the front seats to tuck your feet and ankles. Even so, the boxier rivals such as the Arona, T-Cross and C3 Aircross have the legs of it. Literally.

The boot is bigger than a supermini's but laughed at by say a Ford Focus. That said, there's useful under-floor space, but only if you don't spec a spare wheel, which is optional. Feeling lucky?