Fiat’s 500X crossover will enter the pantheon of automotive history without a successor. Ending years of rumors and speculation, the company confirmed that the soft-roader will not be replaced in the United States once production of the current-generation model ends.
As we reported from the L.A. Auto Show, the 500X will be discontinued after it reaches the end of its lifecycle. “When it dies, it dies. We will not replace it,” Fiat boss Olivier François confirmed to Motor Trend.
With the Mazda MX-5 Miata-based 124 Spider and the 500L people-mover out of the picture, the 500X is the last Fiat standing in the United States. Its demise hardly comes as a surprise: Fiat sold merely 1,181 units in 2021, an 18% drop compared to 2020. Given those anemic numbers and the fact it debuted at the Paris Auto Show of 2014, the end of its lifecycle might not be that far off — 2023 might be its final model year.
François’ comments douse cold water on rumors claiming Fiat planned to merge the 500X and the 500L into one model tentatively called 500XL. When it does sail off into the history book, the Jeep Renegade’s Italian cousin will pass the torch to the electric 500e, which has been on sale in Europe since 2020 but won’t land in the United States until early 2024. Market-specific details will be announced in 2023.
Fiat seems content with offering a one-model range in the United States. “We have a clear plan not to do anything besides the 500. It’s the one model people like,” François candidly admitted. “Fiat is not here to be everything to everyone everywhere,” he added. And, the company knows a tiny EV with a range rating of under 200 miles will be a tough sell. François predicted American sales will be “a rounding error.”
European motorists see more of the Fiat iceberg. The Turin-based company notably still sells the last-generation 500 and its Abarth-tuned derivatives, which both left American showrooms in 2019. Its range also includes the massively popular Panda city car and the Tipo.
Source: www.autoblog.com