This is the new Fiat 500L, which will have its world preview at the International Geneva Motor Show on 6 March 2012.
500L – the L stands for ‘Large’, hardly a revolutionary concept but it does make an already attractive car likely to be more widely appealing to other markets (such as it is, the 500L will now also occupy the small family car sector).
The 500L features a 5-seater single-volume structure which is 414 cm long, 178 cm wide and 166 cm high. It is a further development of the concept of ‘cab forward’ introduced by Fiat with the 600 Multipla, a precursor to the concept of the compact people carrier.
The Fiat 500L will be introduced to Europe in the last quarter of 2012, with an engine range which will initially comprise two petrol engines (TwinAir and 1.4-litre) and a turbodiesel engine (1.3 MultiJet II) and the most advanced, state-of-the-art technology from Fiat Group Automobiles.
I guarantee this will fly out of showroom doors, though perhaps not quite as quickly as the standard 500.
ECU Remapping says
February 19, 2012 at 3:49 pmA bit of an ugly looking car but then again Fiat are not really known for their looks!
Mel says
February 21, 2012 at 9:16 amYou can see that it’s based on the 500 – the front end’s the real giveaway, unless we’re counting the name – but this seems to have more in common with the Panda. The 500 has such a cheeky, happy personality (I don’t care what anyone says, my car feels like it’s cheerful and it makes me cheerful when I drive it) but I’m not getting that impression with the 500L.
Not that there’s anything wrong with it in itself, it just doesn’t seem to have much connection with the original 500. It’s a much better option if you happen to have a family though. I love my little 500, but if I were to start a family, I’d have to start shopping around for new cars. It’s just too small to fit a couple of kids and a husband in as well as myself.
Mr Butterscotch says
February 22, 2012 at 11:31 amHi Mel,
Thanks for the comment. I agree with you that the 500 is a happy car. If they can inject some of the same magic with this variant then many people will be equally happy motorists!