PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Fiat to reveal 500X

Fiat Chrysler has commenced production of its all-new compact SUV siblings, the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade, as evidenced by these three official images.

Both models are expected to be volume-selling vehicles for the Fiat and Jeep brands in Australia, where they will go on sale in early 2016.

While the Renegade was revealed in hard-core Trailhawk form at the Geneva motor show the production 500X has only been seen in spy shots.

Now motoring.com.au can confirm, via Fiat Chrysler sources, that the 500X will make its global public debut at the Paris motor show on October 2 and will not be revealed, as widely reported, on July 4 – the 57th anniversary of the original Fiat 500.

Buried at the end of the Europe, Middle East and Africa part of Fiat Chrysler’s five-year business plan, which was presented to investors in Detroit last week, the images show multiple versions of both new models running down the production line.

Apart from confirming both models are already in production ahead of their European releases later this year, the images show the 500X will look significantly different to both the Renegade and the five-door Fiat 500L people-mover upon which both models are based.

Indeed, while the square-backed, slab-sided Renegade looks like a shrunken version of the Patriot, the 500X’s curved roof and bulging shoulder line and wheel-arches make it more of a high-riding five-door version of the Fiat 500 hatch.

Neither the five-door 500L or seven-seat 500 Living people-movers are on the cards for Australia, but Fiat Chrysler Australia expects both the 500X and Renegade to become among the most popular Fiat and Jeep models here respectively, following their early 2016 arrival.

Expect both the 500X and Renegade to be priced from under $25,000 here, in line with small SUV rivals like the Holden Trax, Ford EcoSport, Nissan JUKE, Mitsubishi ASX, Skoda Yeti and Peugeot 2008.