Fiat’s Freemont Crossroad muscles in

FIAT has introduced the new seven-seat Crossroad range-topper to its Freemont range, powered by the same 3.6-litre Pentastar petrol V6 from its Dodge Journey twin.

The Crossroad is priced from $36,500 excluding on-road costs, and will sit at the top of the Freemont range, which kicks off with the 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol Base variant with a six-speed automatic transmission for $27,990 and tops out at $32,000 for the seven-seat Lounge.

The inclusion of the 206kW/342Nm 3.6-litre V6 brings the engine choices to three, with entry and mid-spec variants powered by wither a 2.4-litrre four-cylinder petrol or a 2.0-litre diesel.

While it uses the same engine as the Dodge Journey SXT and R/T which the Freemont Crossroad is based on, the price of the new Fiat variant matches that of the top-spec Journey R/T.

The Crossroad uses a six-speed automatic transmission driven through the front wheels and Fiat says it will drink an average of 10.4 litres per 100km on the combined cycle. Towing capacity is 1100kg (braked).

A third seating row is standard on the Crossroad, as is an 8.4-inch touch-screen, satellite navigation, reversing camera and rear parking sensors, Alpine sound system, 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and idle stop , electric seats and a space-saver spare wheel.

To match the extra grunt, Fiat has given the Crossroad a beefy body-kit, with Hyper Black five-spoke wheels, a gloss-black grille, chrome-effect side skirts and black frames around the headlights and tail-lights.

The tough, sporty feel continues in the cabin thanks to black leather seats with mesh accents and grey stitching, while the dashboard, instrument cluster, door panels and steering wheel have been finished in a Liquid Graphite colour trim.

The steering wheel and gear knob are also offered with leather trim as standard.

The new variant made its debut at the Geneva motor show in February this year as the Freemont Cross, but the Italian car-maker has since changed its name.

The Freemont range arrived in Australia in April 2013 as a rival to other front-wheel drive family SUVs such as the Captiva 7 and entry level people-movers.

While Fiat's best-selling car in Australia is the tiny 500 hatch with 1696 sales so far this year, the Freemont is the next most popular model with 889 sold in the same period, which is a 110 per cent boost over the first six months of 2013.