THERE is yet another new addition to the ever-growing Fiat 500 range, and one that will certainly turn a few more heads towards this winning little Italian gem.

The new Fiat 500X Sport joins the 500X Urban family with more aggressively sporty styling and greater performance and having a combination of tuned suspension settings, lowered ride height, steering system calibration and 19-inch wheels with high-performance tyres leading to improved agility and greater driving pleasure.

The new Sport model asserts its credentials with a host of exterior styling cues including body coloured side skirts and wheel arches, diffuser-style rear bumper, dual chrome exhaust and full LED headlights and fog lamps.

Sport Red pastel paint is available exclusively on the Sport model, while titanium grey details on the handles, front bumper inserts, front moulding, mirror caps and a Myron ‘500’ logo on the boot-lid.

The sporty style of the exterior continues inside with an aluminium gear-knob, techno-leather flat-based sports steering wheel with Alcantara inserts, Titanium grey dashboard, red elements on the instrument panel and specific TFT graphics, and Myron details finished with red stitching.

The standard Alcantara upholstered steering wheel and the instrument panel cover provide a touch of sporting elegance, unique in this segment.

There is exclusive new black fabric with techno-leather upholstery, with a grey ‘500’ logo on the seats., a Myron steering wheel bezel, aluminium pedals and ambient interior lighting complete the 500X Sport’s unique interior.

The new 500X has a host of innovative driving assistance systems as standard, including Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Assist. Uconnect seven-inch infotainment system with satellite navigation, compatible with Apple CarPlay and with Android Auto, automatic climate control, rear parking sensors and Cruise Control are also standard.

Finally, the new 500X Sport can be equipped with a choice of two petrol engines, a 1.0 with 120hp and six-speed manual gearbox, and a 1.3 with 150hp and six-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission, complete with steering wheel controls.

Prices for the brand new 500X Sport start from £22,500 on-the-road.

Would you switch?

A RECENT Ford-commissioned survey into electric car ownership has revealed:

Nearly nine in 10 (84 per cent) of hybrid and electric vehicle owners or ‘intenders’ agree that electric vehicles are fun to drive;

Three in four people aspire to own an electric vehicle one day, including 92 per cent of Chinese people, 73 per cent of Europeans and 53 per cent of Americans;

Nearly three in four (73 per cent) of owners or intenders of hybrid and electric vehicles agree that electric vehicles are easy to own.

Nearly 9 in 10 (87 per cent) people think they need a special plug to charge an electric vehicle;

Lack of charging stations (49 per cent), short battery life (43 per cent) and a need to charge frequently (38 per cent) are the main concerns about owning an electric vehicle.