It's been teased, it's been covertly promoted, and it's been previewed – and now it's been leaked, the secrecy around the Fiat 500X's design completely evaporated.
An Italian forum has posted the first undisguised photo of the new Fiat 500X – a bigger, more robust version of the popular Fiat 500 hatchback – in an empty alley.
The photo confirms the new Fiat 500X shares only a handful of design cues with the bambino Fiat 500 compact hatch, such as the circular headlights, while the lower bumper, roofline, pumped wheel arches and five-door layout give the car an identity of its own.
Fiat's new baby SUV is likewise completely different in its outward appearance to its US-badged brethren, the Jeep Renegade, with which it shares its underpinnings.
The Italian car-maker plans to officially reveal the new-look 500X at the 2014 Paris motor show and it's widely expected to be powered by Fiat's compact 900cc (0.9-litre) two-cylinder turbo-petrol TwinAir engine to deliver impressive fuel economy.
Other details expected to be confirmed at Paris 2014 include the availability of larger engines shared with the Jeep Renegade, including 1.4-, 1.6- and even 2.4-litre four-cylinder. Again like the Jeep, front- and all-wheel drives are probable.
The new high-riding Fiat is likely to land in Australia in early 2016, priced from under $25,000, ensuring it will compete in the entry-level SUV market currently populated by the likes of the Holden Trax, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Juke and Ford EcoSport.
Slotting in to the Fiat 500 range between the five-seat 500L and seven-seat 500L Living compact people movers, the new Fiat 500X could become one of the Italian company's best-sellers, and will certainly be a strong chance to be Fiat's most popular in Australia where compact SUVs are booming.
Stay tuned to motoring.com.au for more details from the 2014 Paris motor show.