General A sensible move by Fiat?

[cowabunga]

As many are well aware, an issue with the 500x for some is the 18 inch wheels which make the ride too hard. Recently when I looked on the configurator I think the cross version was speccable with 16 inch wheels......why they dropped the 17 inch out of sight I have no idea.

I was just reading this https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...ive-prompts-price-drop-and-spec-update?page=1

The article is a bit incorrect, the "cross plus" trim has not been pruned, only the "cross" version has, and all off road look variants are now "cross plus".

However on all the cross plus versions only 2 versions of 18 inch alloys are selectable!!!!

https://www.fiat.co.uk/fiat-500x/fiat-500x-cross-configurator/#/version

Beats me why they simplified the range and also simplified the wheels too! Why not just keep 16 inchers and maybe add 17 inchers too?


If you read down the comments in the autocar article it says euro sales have dropped from 104k in 2016 to 90k last year, like the guy says hardly a catastrophe. Can't help thinking a reason for the poor 500x sales in the UK is a mixture of bad pricing and bad option selection.

 

[richie17]

Reducing the range and colour choice in the UK seems an odd way to try to boost sales to me. What about those who have had a Pop or Pop Star and might have upgraded to a Cross or Lounge? In the other major European markets, they've expanded the range by renaming the Cross 'City Cross' and increasing the engine choice. The remaining model in the UK is called Cross in one part of the website and Cross Plus on the configurator, so they can't even decide what to call it. The prices are different on the price list and configurator too.

Regarding the drop in European sales, it can almost entirely be attributed to the collapse in UK sales. I'm not taking the blame though, I bought a new one in 2017!

 

[gar074]

I read somewhere that the collapse in UK sales is because Fiat have stopped banging them out big-time to the rental sector?

 

[bluejohn125]

Seems that 16" and 17" wheels are being erased from history by Fiat..

https://www.fiat-accessories.com/fiat-500x-alloy-wheels-trims

I suppose some may be in stock somewhere, just not promoted anywhere.

Surely 17s are the optimum for the 500X, whatever the spec?

 

[cowabunga]

Id guess so. 18's i found too hard, 17's fine, never tried 16's but might be better.

One poster who went from 18's to 16's on here loved the difference, maybe they could be best.

Just been out in my cross 4*4 an hour ago, goes well in the snow, i keep it in auto mode.