The 522 was offered in three different body styles : 522C (SWB), 522L (LWB) and 522S (Sport).

The engine was a 2,516 cc in-line six-cylinder with a claimed output of 52 PS (38 kW) or 65 PS (48 kW) for the Sport version.

The car also featured a four-speed all-synchromesh transmission, which set this Fiat ahead of its time.

The 522 was the first model to feature Fiat's subsequently familiar rectangular logo: the badge used here employed gold lettering on a red background.

A Fiat 522 CSS was also offered: in this version, the car had a higher compression ratio and twin carburetors.