2018 Fiat 500X vs 2019

What's the difference?

Compact SUV buyers are probably the most spoilt for choice. We've got products from South Korea, Japan, the USA, Germany, Britain, China (yep, MG is Chinese now), France and Italy.

Yet Fiat's 500X isn't generally on the shopping list, partly because if you see one, you're probably in denial that it isn't the tiny Cinquecento. Obviously it isn't. Longer, wider and, apart from the Fiat badge, it's almost completely unrelated to the fun-loving two door with which it shares its name. In fact, it's more closely related to the Jeep Renegade.

Look, it's complicated...

Fiat's indomitable 500 is one of the great survivors - not even VW's recently deceased New Beetle could keep riding the nostalgia wave, partly because it made itself just that little bit out-of-touch by not being a car anyone can buy. The 500 avoided that, particularly in its home market, and is still going strong.

Fiat added the 500X compact SUV a few years ago and at first I thought it was a daft idea. It's a polarising car, partly because some people complain it's capitalising on the 500's history. Well, duh. It's worked out well for Mini, so why not?

I've driven one every year for the last couple so I was keen to see what's up and whether it's still one of the weirdest cars on the road.