Fiat sees 500X SUV outselling 500 microcar in US

Los Angeles

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles NV expects its yet-to-be launched Fiat 500X crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) to be even more popular in North America than its 500 microcar, senior executives said on Wednesday.

Fiat will begin selling the 500X in the second quarter of next year. It is intended to appeal to consumers looking for a larger car than the tiny, retro-styled 500. "If you look at the 500, the No1 reason for rejection is the size of the vehicle. We no longer have that," Jason Stoicevich, head of Fiat in North America, said in an interview at the Los Angeles Auto Show. "Our expectations would be to outsell (the 500)." He declined to give specific sales targets.