A stylish compact car with a touch of SUV. The Fiat 500X is a car with two faces. A couple, both working at fashion brands, took this distinctive car on a short trip to Hakone.

The Fiat 500X Cross heads west from Tokyo on the Tomei Expressway. "I did some research, but I was surprised it was bigger than I imagined from the photos," said Yuhei Murata, who was driving, about his first impression.

Meanwhile, Shiho Murata, in the passenger seat, was impressed by the comfort, saying, "The ride is so smooth." Whether you look at it or ride in it, this car is a little different from an ordinary compact car.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Murata work for Japanese fashion brands; Yuhei is in public relations for "WACKO MARIA," and Shiho is in product planning for "MOUSSY."

Yuhei continued his thoughts on the Fiat 500X Cross's design.

"My previous job was at Gucci, and at that time, Fiat and Gucci collaborated on the Fiat 500 by Gucci model. I remember how incredibly cool that was, and I felt this car retained that design aesthetic while having a more spacious interior."

Shiho shared her thoughts on the interior design.

"The repetition of circular motifs and the panels matching the body color show the attention to detail in the interior design."

Today's destination is Hakone. The couple used to go on many drives before their work became so demanding, but surprisingly, they had hardly ever been to Hakone. "That's why I was looking forward to today," Yuhei said as he turned the wheel, and the Fiat 500X Cross entered the Odawara-Atsugi Road from the Tomei Expressway.

In the crisp early autumn air, the sound of the 1.3-liter inline 4-cylinder turbo engine echoed lightly.