Italian auto brand Fiat is throwing its hat in the increasingly competitive sub-compact SUV ring with the North American arrival of the 2016 Fiat 500X.
DETROIT, MI – Italian automobile brand Fiat is throwing its hat in the increasingly competitive sub-compact SUV ring with the North American arrival of the 2016 Fiat 500X.
The all-wheel-drive crossover, which shares its architecture with the Jeep Renegade, was first unveiled last October in Paris and made its American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show Thursday.
In North America, where it will go on sale in the first half of 2015, it will come equipped with a 1.4L, 160-horsepower engine with a six-speed manual transmission and a 2.4L, 180-horsepower engine with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
"The Fiat 500X will significantly expand the reach of the FIAT brand in North America," Jason Stoicevich, head of Fiat brand for Chrysler Group LLC in North America, said in a statement. "The all-new 500X delivers the Italian design and personality that we are known for, along with an unprecedented level of equipment and technology. In addition, it will be the first vehicle in our portfolio to offer an advanced all-wheel-drive system that will provide customers with peace of mind in all driving conditions."
The Fiat 500X was designed at the Italian brand's studios in Turin, and is being built at Fiat's Melfi assembly plant.
That's also where parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is producing the Jeep Renegade, although engine and transmission offerings for the Jeep are being produced at numerous facilities, including the Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan and Kokomo Transmission Plant in Indiana.
Fiat shareholders approved a merger with Chrysler Aug. 1, effectively ending the company's 115-year history in Italy while paving the way for Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne to list it on the NYSE under the "FCAU" ticker.
Fiat first bought a 16-percent stake in Chrysler during the auto bailouts in 2008 and 2009. Chrysler became a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat in January after a $4.35 billion deal with the United Auto Workers union trust fund, which owned 41.5 percent of the Auburn Hills automaker.
The resulting company is headquartered in London but incorporated in the Netherlands. Chrysler Group LLC, now its subsidiary, remains based in Auburn Hills.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter