Fiat 500X To Be Discontinued In North America After Current Vehicle’s Lifecycle Is Complete!

Fiat 500X To Be Discontinued In North America After Current Vehicle’s Lifecycle Is Complete!​

Replacement Will Continue On In Europe...​

Last week, FIAT CEO and Stellantis Global CMO, Olivier Francois officially announced plans to launch the third-generation Fiat 500e battery-electric vehicle (BEV) in North America at the 2022 LA Auto Show. Although the 500e has last been on sale in Europe for the past couple of years, the U.S. and Canada won’t receive the car until 2024.

Fiat 500X To Be Discontinued In North America After Current Vehicle's Lifecycle Is Complete!

On Monday, MotorTrend published an interview it had with Francois during the LA Auto Show. The article states that FIAT will drop the 500X from the North American market at the end of the current vehicle's lifecycle. Francois confirmed the notion by simply stating, “When it dies, it dies. We...

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[CloversPlusCats]

To be honest, just do not really like the US strategy for Fiat.

A decent fighter to the Cooper SE and Bolt, but more high priced because it's more premium positioned, closest thing to a discount will probably be the subscription service thing, as well as getting driven briefly in one to get to wherever you gotta be.
Worst part is this'll be the only thing in the lineup for the next couple of years, instead of Stellantis giving a more budget minded EV brand reboot of Fiat a try here, pretty much letting market get away by not giving us the EV Panda too along with couple others.

Things are probably more complicated than that, but GM and Honda are likely gonna put them in their place soon begining with the Ultium Bolt that's apparently for '25. Maybe I'd be entirely wrong about all this though.

 

[redriderbob]

To be honest, just do not really like the US strategy for Fiat.

A decent fighter to the Cooper SE and Bolt, but more high priced because it's more premium positioned, closest thing to a discount will probably be the subscription service thing, as well as getting driven briefly in one to get to wherever you gotta be.
Worst part is this'll be the only thing in the lineup for the next couple of years, instead of Stellantis giving a more budget minded EV brand reboot of Fiat a try here, pretty much letting market get away by not giving us the EV Panda too along with couple others.

Things are probably more complicated than that, but GM and Honda are likely gonna put them in their place soon begining with the Ultium Bolt that's apparently for '25. Maybe I'd be entirely wrong about all this though.

They need to forget the Dolcevita-themed commercials and go for the same marketing style they use in Brazil...

 

[patfromigh]

They need to forget the Dolcevita-themed commercials and go for the same marketing style they use in Brazil...

Fiat sold as many of the Pulse based Abarth models in just three days as they sell 500X models in the US in a year. Warning bad pun ahead. In Brazil Fiat/Abarth has a Pulse. Fiat in the USA currently has no pulse. Shouldn't a product have a life in order to have a life cycle?

The 500X is built on the same platform as the Jeep Compass, which now is offered with the GME-T4. Fiat USA could have created a modern day Omni GLH out of the 500X, but instead they chose to mold it into a mini SUV.

 

[bill burke]

This kind of puts a big hole in my argument on a Fiat rebirth in North America. Central to my thinking is the need for additional product to underpin Fiat in NA, but this decision has shaken me. The 500X is a fine product that never caught on with buyers in spite of its many outstanding attributes. This Fiat Pulse, possessing even more technology and practicality, not to mention less stylistic connection to the tainted 500, may just fulfill my thinking on Fiat’s future in North America.
Though weakened and questionable, my argument can be revived by the numerous global Fiat products that exist on the world stage that keeps my spirits of prognostication alive and possible. We shall see if Pulse has one in North America.

 

[redriderbob]

I have said it once before, the FIAT vehicles would have done better as members of the other brands.

500X would have made a great modern PT Cruiser replacement

124 Spider would have made an awesome Dodge sports car (ie Demon Concept Convertible)

500L should have never been here

500/500 Abarth could have been quirky entry-level Dodges

 

[redriderbob]

I have said it once before, the FIAT vehicles would have done better as members of the other brands.

500X would have made a great modern PT Cruiser replacement

124 Spider would have made an awesome Dodge sports car (ie Demon Concept Convertible)

500L should have never been here

500/500 Abarth could have been quirky entry-level Dodges

Not to mention Alfa would have also done better as rebadged Dodges and I am talking back in 2015. Would have saved millions for the dealer body instead of creating separate "studio" for a slow-selling brand.

 

[bill burke]

I have said it once before, the FIAT vehicles would have done better as members of the other brands.

500X would have made a great modern PT Cruiser replacement

124 Spider would have made an awesome Dodge sports car (ie Demon Concept Convertible)

500L should have never been here

500/500 Abarth could have been quirky entry-level Dodges

My thinking addresses Fiat relaunch in North America, a process enabled by new product.
I agree in principle that Stellantis needs to green light spinoffs of current or planned products from other brands, notably Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and DS to get more segments covered in North America by domestic brands. Chrysler in particular could use the help.

 

[patfromigh]

The business model which worked in the past was the old Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi partnership from 1970 into the 1990's. The two door 500 can't be anything but a Fiat, because it's iconic to the brand. On the other hand, there is only room for one A-segment vehicle in the Fiat USA lineup. The 500e is a perfect city car, but it's not meant for our interstate highways. The Pulse, Strada, and Panda sure are cool, but they are too small to play in our traffic. The upcoming Centoventi sounds great, but is also Panda sized. There is a rumored B-segamnt SUV which would be a good addition. The dilemma for Fiat is anything that works on the continent is usually too small for here and what would work here might not work over there. Americans like the idea a Panda/Centoventi type of vehicle, but it has to be in a size Americans will buy.

 

[CloversPlusCats]

The business model which worked in the past was the old Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi partnership from 1970 into the 1990's. The two door 500 can't be anything but a Fiat, because it's iconic to the brand. On the other hand, there is only room for one A-segment vehicle in the Fiat USA lineup. The 500e is a perfect city car, but it's not meant for our interstate highways. The Pulse, Strada, and Panda sure are cool, but they are too small to play in our traffic. The upcoming Centoventi sounds great, but is also Panda sized. There is a rumored B-segamnt SUV which would be a good addition. The dilemma for Fiat is anything that works on the continent is usually too small for here and what would work here might not work over there. Americans like the idea a Panda/Centoventi type of vehicle, but it has to be in a size Americans will buy.

The Pulse might do okay with the right marketing, it just needs engines that Americans will improve of.
You'll obviously never fit a Scat Pack/Hellcat in there, don't know about any 6 cylinder, but hand it the Hornet 2 liter, and it shouldn't be too bad should it?
Actually, I just wish they tested it for the US and brought over a '''brand engineered''' Dodge version instead of taking the kinda beautiful Tonale and calling it a day if they really couldn't fork out enough for a ground up Dodge CUV.
Abarth powered R/T, anyone?

The production Centoventi could be marketed as a step above the Bolt EUV in some key areas, plus being a generally more fashionable and customers preference centric car with different customization options...if much of the options in the concept ever sees the green light.

The rest can honestly stay where they come from while Fiat would develop new models for the STLA platforms and sees which ones CAN have a go on our streets. Good marketing can do wonders for a Silverado obsessed general market.

 

[patfromigh]

With the exception of Austin, Texas or Miami any of the places in the USA where Fiat brand does well has EV mandates. The power train going forward in Fiats here will be battery electric. Even if Fiat decided to sell the Pulse here, it's not the motor which would hold it back. The Abarth Pulse and Jeep Renegade both use the same engine, the 1.3-T GSE. The Pulse is quicker than the Renegade because it is smaller and lighter than the Renegade. The Jeep Renegade, Compass and the Fiat 500X all share the SUSW platform which is a legacy FCA design. The Pulse, Strada and Panda use a smaller platform. They are too small to attract most American buyers.

 

[CloversPlusCats]

With the exception of Austin, Texas or Miami any of the places in the USA where Fiat brand does well has EV mandates. The power train going forward in Fiats here will be battery electric. Even if Fiat decided to sell the Pulse here, it's not the motor which would hold it back. The Abarth Pulse and Jeep Renegade both use the same engine, the 1.3-T GSE. The Pulse is quicker than the Renegade because it is smaller and lighter than the Renegade. The Jeep Renegade, Compass and the Fiat 500X all share the SUSW platform which is a legacy FCA design. The Pulse, Strada and Panda use a smaller platform. They are too small to attract most American buyers.

Well, I simply wish Fiat thought their next chapter for the US a little more through. Even with only BEVs going forward, they're still leaving behind plenty of market share for the country by this whole "We don't need more sales in the US, but since we have a fanbase here, we'll treat them with this new shiny 500 that they'll probably only get picked up in, maybe they can buy it if they have the money" schtick.

Really hoping they know what they're doing with this.

 

[patfromigh]

The Fiat brand is restricted to smaller vehicles in North America, which makes sense. The larger Fiat vehicles have been badge engineered to great success. The Ram ProMaster series is a good example. The only vehicle the Fiat brand needs to compliment their 500 is a B-segment sized Panda like vehicle. Fiat's last attempt was the 500L. The 500L failed because a last minute decision was made to give a 500 face instead of having a Panda persona, and it was given a drive train combination which Americans found was bizarre. I don't know if Fiat has learned the right lessons from this. They might think the Fiat 500L failed because our market hates small utility vehicles like the Honda HRV, Nissan Kicks and the Toyota Corolla Cross.