The Fiat Group is putting all its weight behind the 500 series, which started off with the original three-door hatchback, but has now evolved to include the rag-top 500C, the Abarth performance variants and more recently, the mechanically unrelated, 500L small MPV (pictured above and below) that will be soon joined by a 7-passenger version.
The next 500 model in Fiat’s grand plan is a small crossover. Sources from within the Italian automaker told Automotive Europe that the car will be named the 500X and that it will be presented as early as next year.
The 500X will be based on the longer and wider platform of the 500L minivan, which is shared with the Punto supermini. Fiat’s sources said that it will measure around 4.2 meters (about 165 inches) long, making it the largest model in the Fiat 500 family.
While we still don’t know if the 500X will feature the same body as the 500L or if it will be designed from scratch, the report says that it will be offered in front and all-wheel-drive variants with engine options including Fiat’s 900cc, two-cylinder and 1.4-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engines, as well as the firm’s latest 1.3-liter diesel unit.
The 500X will form the base for a similar Jeep model, which will be smaller than the current Patriot and Compass crossovers. The as-of-yet unnamed Jeep variant will use the same powertrains in Europe (the North American model will likely get the 1.4-liter engine) and will also be offered in a more capable trail-rated version.
The Jeep model will be produced alongside the Fiat at the Italian company’s Mirafiori plant in Turin, with production set to start in 2014.
2012 FIAT 500L MPV 
