Fiat has presented
the first official images of the ‘500L’, the
replacement for the aged Idea mini-MPV, which will
have its world preview at the Geneva Motor Show on
March 6.
The five-seater 500L
– the L stands for ‘Large’ – is the first car to be
based on Fiat’s new ‘Small US Wide’ platform, a
widened version of the existing Punto’s
architecture. It is 414cm long and 178cm wide –
values which represent an increase of 21cm and 8cm
respectively on the Idea’s measurements. Height
remains the same as the Idea’s, at 166cm. A
lengthened version with seven seats is expected to
follow later.
Aesthetically, the
500L – styled in-house – attempts to carry over many
of the 500 hatchback’s styling cues, especially its
frontal aspect, into a more practical five-door
offering. Moving beyond the niche variants of the
Cabrio and Abarth, the 500L is the first serious
attempt to leverage the 500 ‘brand’, in a similar
manner to that of MINI under BMW, or Land Rover’s
Range Rover nameplate. Fiat themselves describe the
500L as “the new addition to the 500 range”, with
the aim of “introducing models in a position to
satisfy different types of customers.” However,
while it incorporates styling cues from other Fiat
models, notably the Brazilian Uno and new Panda, it
also draws heavily from competitor models such as
MINI’s Countryman and the Citroën C3 Picasso.
Notable styling features include the large plastic
door rubbing strips rapidly becoming de rigeur
on Fiat’s latest models, and blacked-out screen
pillars, which give the impression of a ‘floating’
roof. Also noteworthy is the front quarterlight and
‘twin’ A-pillar, which borrows from the arrangement
used on the Sedici.
While the 500L
replaces the slow-selling Idea in Europe, it will
play an equally important role in the US market,
where it will be charged with turning around the
Fiat brand’s fortunes, which have fallen woefully
short of expectations. Fiat management is hoping
that the car, which will be pitched as a ‘more
practical’ but equally stylish alternative to the
baby 500 subcompact, will provide a much-needed shot
in the arm for the legion of dealers who have
struggled to pitch the 500 as anything more than a
niche boutique product.
Fiat’s marketing
literature highlights the driving characteristics of
a “small SUV”, combined with “MPV passenger space”
and “the restrained dimensions and efficiency of a
B-segment car”. Engine choice includes the 0.9-litre
TwinAir and 1.4-litre FIRE MultiAir petrols, as well
as the 1.3 16V MultiJet II turbodiesel. As well as
the Countryman and C3 Picasso, its competitors will
include Opel’s popular Meriva, and Ford’s new
Fiesta-based B-Max, also unveiled today, which
boasts a pillarless sliding-door arrangement.
The 500L will be
produced at the refitted Fiat factory in Kragujevac,
Serbia. It will go on sale in Europe in the last
quarter of this year, before being exported to the
US in 2013.
