The 2019 Fiat 500X is a small crossover SUV that speaks with a faint Italian accent. It’s built in Italy and is chock full of retro design cues from the smaller Fiat 500, but the 2019 500X shares its underpinnings with the Jeep Renegade.

Overall, we rate the 500X lineup at 5.6 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

This year, the 500X lineup is streamlined with a new engine that’s standard on all three Pop, Trekking, and Trekking Plus trim levels. Caveat: We haven’t driven a 500X with the new engine yet, so we’re basing our evaluation on prior experience with the 500X and we plan to update this space once we’ve had some time behind the wheel.

Review continues below

The new 1.3-liter turbo-4 is not short on output, at least on paper. Fiat rates it at 177 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque, and it pairs to a 9-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Last year’s standard manual transmission and front-wheel drive are gone, which may limit the 500X’s appeal to some buyers.

Previous 500X crossovers we’ve driven have had a soft, composed ride and nimble handling.

The EPA ratings of 24 mpg city, 30 highway, 26 combined are good, but not great, for a small crossover SUV with all-wheel drive.

The 500X’s rounded styling recalls the 500 city car in all the right ways. The Trekking package includes unpainted bits that give it a more rugged look, but leave it to the Jeep Renegade should the going actually get dirty.

Inside, the 500X has an upmarket feel, but it’s not especially spacious. The optional sunroof cuts into head room and the 18.5 cubic feet of cargo room with the rear seat upright is just so-so.

The 500X costs around $26,000 to start, including an unusually hefty mandatory $1,495 destination charge. The 500X Trekking is about $1,500 more, and serves as the gateway to active safety tech we consider essential.

The federal government hasn’t crashed the 500X yet, but the IIHS gave it mostly “Good” marks in its barrage of testing.