Fiat 500X to target Mini Countryman

The Fiat 500 that isn't - because it's a crossover for families - is being readied to go head-to-head with the Mini Countryman in 2016.

The curves of the 500X link it visually to the baby 500 that currently sells from $16,000 driveway, but it's really a twin to the Jeep Renegade that's about to hit showrooms, and likely to be priced against the Countryman's starting sticker of $34,100.

It could not be more different to the boxy Renegade, but Fiat Chrysler Automotive sees a clear opportunity to position the Jeep for Gen Y adventurers and the 500X for Gen X families.

"The tough part for us is that everyone is looking at the market and asking where the 500X fits. The answer is that it's a proper, ground-up CUV and SUV. There are front-drive and all-wheel drive versions available," the director of marketing and product strategy at FCA Australia, Zac Loo, tells CarsGuide.

"We definitely see X as a core model for us. And that's really speaking out of the 500 family as well.

Its curves link it to the 500 hatch but also disguise its bulk

"The models that have resonated most strongly with our customers are the ones that have led with design."

The first 500Xs have just landed in Melbourne for Australian certification and an early preview, including a Renegade parked alongside the family Fiat, shows it's much, much bigger than it looks. Its curves link it to the 500 hatch but also disguise its bulk.

"I think the design story is going to be a massive piece of this car. It has instant appeal," Loo says.

"We're still shaking it out on position. From our side, we see this as a C-Class hatchback conquest. So we're talking Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf.

"On size, it's somewhere between Mazda's CX-3 and CX-5."

There is every opportunity that it could be our best seller

Loo flat refuses to discuss pricing, despite hinting toward Countryman, but is confident that there is a place for the 500X and it could become the best selling Fiat in Australia.

That's easier because the Punto and Panda have been dumped, leaving only the underwhelming Freemont SUV alongside the 500.

"We think there is every opportunity that it could be our best seller," he says.

"But I cannot talk about pricing just yet. I can say we won't have a base-base car, but we won't just bring in a top-spec model. There will be some lower-spec cars."

With the Punto and Panda gone, Loo says the search has begun for Fiat newcomers beyond the 500X but he's not giving anything away.

"We're always looking for other opportunities. At the end of the day we don't want to force a car onto people, it's about finding what they want."