Fiat official press release: 

The 500L combines the iconic nature of the 500 style with the functionality of Fiat's design. Expanded on the concept of 'space efficiency', the new model defies the conventional distinctions owing to its MPV passenger space, the feel of a small SUV on the road and levels of efficiency typical of a compact car. By following this novel recipe, the Fiat 500L combines characteristics peculiar to different classes to offer a concept of distinctive and versatile first car that is an alternative to the traditional saloons of the B and C segments.

After more than 800,000 cars have been sold in 110 countries worldwide, today the 500 has grown up to accommodate new experiences and needs once more. If the 500 is the super-compact car perfect for young people and the city, the Fiat 500L is the first car of the 500 family able to contain the small pleasures and life's greatest emotions all together: children, friends, journeys, music and community.

The 500L is totally new in the way it expresses its styling individuality, communicates with the outside world and opens its doors to a new on-board experience. The letter 'L' sums up the three dimensions enclosed in the new Fiat solution: Large, meant as functionality and space; Light, when 'lightness' means user-friendly technology and eco-friendliness; and Loft, a trend-setting environment where one can live life to the fullest.

The Fiat 500L can be ordered in Italy and on the major European markets starting from July. The commercial launch is scheduled in Italy with an Open Day on the first weekend in October, to then progressively expand to all the other markets. Altogether, during 2013 the Fiat 500L will go on sale in more than 100 countries around the world, including the United States.

Large: efficient space 

The 500L expresses the taste of Italian style with a distinctive look and interprets the peculiar Fiat capability of conceiving and designing cars which are innovative in substance and in form. Substance turns into the 'space efficiency' concept that distinguishes all of the most innovative Fiats in history. Just as the 600 Multipla was the forerunner of the concept of compact people carrier, the 500L is the new Fiat interpretation of the Simply More philosophy applied to the 'Multispace' concept. The 500L reformulates the category of compact cars for the modern family in an emotional vein by developing some of the 500's stylistic details in unprecedented forms.

According to the latest research, 4.1 metres is the average length of cars sold in Europe. It is a standard size that allows you to travel and easily move around in traffic. The Fiat 500L is 4 metres and 15 centimetres long.  But its real competitive advantage is that with only 7 cm more than a Fiat Punto, the Fiat 500L easily accommodates five passengers 2 meters tall with their five suitcases without ever compromising passenger room.  Suffice it to say that the Fiat 500L boasts the best passenger volume index in the segment: with front and rear volumes combined, passengers have a space of 3.17 cubic metres available.

The new model is leader in its category in terms of ratio between external dimensions - 415 cm long, 178 cm wide, 166 cm high and 261 cm wheelbase - and interior space understood both as passenger compartment and luggage compartment, which boasts a capacity of almost 400 litres, which means being able to transport up to five roller suitcases. The rear seats are longitudinally adjustable and separately folding to further increase rear passenger comfort. Then thanks to the 'Fold&Tumble' function it is also possible to completely tilt the rear seat forwards to get a totally flat load compartment.

The Fiat 500L is then Large also in terms of functionality, as the 1,500 possible configurations of the interior space demonstrate. For example, the customer can easily transport any material up to 2.4 metres long by folding the front passenger seat and only one rear seat forward. Even if you have to use the passenger seat equipped with "table" adjustment, you can fold it forward to get a complete support surface.

Regarding exterior dimensions, its load capacity is the best of its category. Cargo Magic Space, adjustable in three levels, is also in the luggage compartment so you can separate fragile objects from heavy ones, clean objects from dirty ones, and wet objects from dry ones.

Light: altruistic technology

L also stands for Light meant as that 'lightness' feeling that improves and simplifies the quality of life, that innovation that is not an end in itself, but always to man's benefit. Besides, Fiat has always been a byword for innovative cars that offer sophisticated technological solutions which are nonetheless straightforward to use and satisfy both the concrete needs of everyday mobility as well as the growing social awareness of others, the environment and safety issues.

At launch, the Fiat 500L will propose three efficient engines distinguished by their lower polluting emissions and CO2 levels, corresponding to real economic benefit in everyday use for the customer: two petrol (105 HP 0.9 TwinAir and 95 HP 1.4 litres) engines and one turbodiesel (85 HP 1.3 MultiJet 2) engine. In particular, the 105 HP Turbo TwinAir engine boasts record-breaking emissions in its segment of only 112 g/km. The new development of the multi-award-winning Fiat two-cylinder engine, the TwinAir is at the top of the segment in terms of fuel consumption and emissions thanks to its low displacement and inclusion of a high-efficiency turbocharger.

Furthermore, starting next year, the 500L will be even more 'eco-friendly' due to the cleanest fuel available today: methane. Natural Power will debut in 2013 on the Turbo TwinAir engine. It combines - in a single product - the cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness of the methane fuel system with the power of the Turbo TwinAir.

Light also is the simplicity of use of the on-board technology of the new car. An example? The 5" touchscreen of the 500L UConnect multimedia system, one of the largest of its class, lets you manage all the major media content of the car such as radio, mobile phone, Media Player, iPod or smartphone, all rigorously wireless. Integrated navigation will also be offered in the near future. It is an excellent example of the 'human-friendly' interfaces by Fiat that have been properly simplified so you are always connected easier and immediately.

The new UConnect system lets you listen to classic or preferred radio through your smartphone. With it, you can make calls hands-free and listen to incoming SMS messages without taking your hands off the steering wheel thanks to the voice recognition function and the controls on the steering wheel. A future development will also let the customer - through smartphone integration - use many apps on the on-board system in order to always be in contact with Facebook and Twitter friends or be updated in real time on traffic, news and weather.

It is also possible to view all the information supplied by the brand new eco:Drive live software on the 5" touchscreen in real time. The software is the latest evolution of the eco-friendly application developed by Fiat in 2009. Today there are over 80,000 eco:Drive users. The system can analyse your driving style thanks to the data collected on the car and provide personalised suggestions in order to reduce up to 16% of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. With the 500L eco:Drive becomes LIVE, meaning you can receive feedback about your driving style in real time, thus attaining immediate fuel consumption and emission reductions. It is also possible to save the data of every journey on a compatible USB memory stick and smartphone. By analysing the results on a PC and receiving tailored driving lessons, emissions can be reduced up to 16%.

Loft: personal size

Loft is a contemporary, wide, open and luminous dimension. Just like the new 500L that has been imagined and produced in the same way as a beautiful and functional design house. Designed by the Centro Stile Fiat which drew inspiration from the cab forward concept, the modern reinterpretation of a car concept designed to achieve greater external visibility and a large amount of internal light, the 500L has 360° glazing to ensure that its visibility is the best of class in addition to increasing the sense of command of the road and to make parking manoeuvres easier.

The glass roof - the largest in its category with a size of 1.5 square metres - floods the passenger compartment with plenty of light. It is available in two versions: electric roof or Skydome. Also the colour range, with no less than 11 body colours, is record-breaking for its segment. You get to have 333 possible combinations if 3 different roof colours, 4 trim levels (Pop, Pop Star, Easy and Lounge) and 3 alloy rim colours are added.

Turning your car into a unique and personalised object. With this goal in mind, the Lineaccessori for the new 500L designed by the Centro Stile Fiat and produced by Mopar was created.  It is the brand of the Group dedicated to the Service & Parts activities and Customer Care operations. More than 140 products increase comfort and improve enjoyment of leisure activities and the quality of life on board. 

Just like you would expect from a home Hi-Fi system, for the first time in the Fiat Group the Fiat 500L offers a new premium sound system developed in collaboration with Beats Audio. The system exploits an advanced equalizer algorithm, creating a high definition and clean sound that the Beats founders (the artist and record producer Dr. Dre, the Interscope Geffen A&M Records chairman and record producer Jimmy Iovine) require in their recording studios.

Finally, another world premiere is the brand new coffee machine created in collaboration with Lavazza. The 500L is the first standard-production car in the world to offer a true espresso coffee machine that utilises the technology of the 'A Modo Mio' pods. It is perfectly integrated in the car with a deck designed expressly by Fiat. 

Production

The Fiat 500L is produced at the Kragujevac (Serbia) plant, inaugurated last April after three years of intense and continuous work carried out to upgrade the infrastructures and restore the buildings, with new roof coverings, new production departments, reclamation of lands and installation of advanced machinery and production systems. 

Over 1 billion Euros have been invested from 2010 to today, in addition to Fiat's best professional resources.  Every day 2500 workers and suppliers took part in the plant's reconstruction.  In addition, 1,100,000 hours of staff training were provided to create a new industrial culture. Besides, its great engineering tradition and culture, and also the presence of universities and technical schools, reinforced the decision to invest in Serbia, a country where Fiat has been present in collaboration with the Zastava group since long ago in 1953.

The new Kragujevac plant production capacity exceeds 700 cars per day thanks to the new design and structure. With its compact, flexible and modular structure - it can indeed produce various models - the industrial site was built to last for years, to be productive and competitive, in addition to abiding by the principles of World Class Manufacturing, the production system applied throughout the Fiat Group. 

New technological standards have been applied for the production of the 500L in order to support other production cycles (flexibility), to make maintenance easier and to reduce energy consumption (simplicity) and to assure quality (sturdiness). More specifically, every production station has been designed taking all the essential parameters into consideration. Those parameters include safety; quality, with over 1,900 controls on the line; logistic flow, developed on the basis of the operation station; efficient maintenance; environmental sustainability by reducing consumption; and ergonomics, which cuts stress and fatigue factors to a minimum.

The Fiat 500L is also Large in terms of quality. As the innovative metrology room, where all the components are physically taken to be controlled, measured and tested, demonstrates.  Nonetheless, product quality also depends on quality of the process in terms of geometry, and on a rigorous execution. The walls, roof and floor of the coach building department are all assembled with precision. The coach building department of the Serbian plant, for example, was studied to have a sound geometric structure of utmost precision by adopting a method and a level of well-reasoned automation.

As they have been designed for more than one life cycle, the systems are large and simple to make maintenance easier while at the same time boasting high performance and reliability. What's more is that they stand out in terms of flexibility. They can house a number of models, including various platforms, without having to interrupt the production line.

A solvent methodology for "high solid" metallic paints has been introduced for the first time in the paint shop. Interiors are painted by hand while the exteriors are painted by robots, and then go to the solvent-based GAS oven booth for transparent coating. Let's move on to the assembly line, where the level of complexity is amazing with more than 5,000 components to manage and have delivered to the line in the correct quantity, at the right place and at the right time. The professionalism of the personnel is essential here. In fact, experience and manual skills add value to the product. This is why the operation station and the entire logistic system have been defined based on the movements of the hands. All this promotes quality in an integrated fashion.

The Serbian plant was built in keeping with the concept of sustainability, both by reducing negative effects on the environment in industrial production by way of planning attentive to environmental issues and workers, and by implementing the FIAT Biodiversity Value Index as the ratio between human activities and biodiversity. The planting of over 1000 indigenous trees in the plant area together with the employees' children and the creating a bio lake that is the home to many dying species, for example, are proof of that.

Range (Italian Market)

Everyone can find the Fiat 500L that best suits his or her demands and tastes. At launch, 11 exterior body colours, 3 different shades for the roof (black, white or selected body colour), 4 trim levels (Pop, Pop Star, Easy and Lounge), 3 rim colours (black, white, grey), 3 engine versions and 7 different interior configurations in addition to 140 accessories specially created for the model are available.

The Fiat 500L can be ordered in Italy and on the major European markets starting from July. The commercial launch is scheduled in Italy with an Open Day on the first weekend in October, to then progressively expand to all the other markets. Altogether, during 2013 the Fiat 500L will go on sale in more than 100 countries around the world, including the United States.

In Italy, the range starts from the Pop version, which comes with standard equipment bound to appeal. When it comes to safety, for example, there are two front airbags, two window bags and two side bags in addition to the ABS with EBD, front headlights with DRL (Daytime Running Lights) function and the sophisticated ESC system complete with the ASR, Hill Holder, MSR, DST and ERM functions.  In the same way, the following are included as standard equipment to enhance comfort: steering wheel adjustable in height and depth, electric front windows, Dualdrive electric power steering with City function, driver's seat adjustable in height, central locking system and remote control for opening the doors. The Fiat 500L Pop trim level also offers the sliding split (40/60) rear seat accommodating 3 passengers that can be closed using the "Fold&Tumble System" function, handy storage compartments on the dashboard (one open and two with flap closing) and the useful "magic space" cargo. Completing the equipment of this version are the Start&Stop system (on the 0.9 Twin Air and 1.3 MultiJet), audio set-up with 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, rear window wiper and Fix&Go system.

Compared to the previous version, the Pop Star trim level is richer owing to the protective side strips with stainless steel insert, the electric door mirrors with demister painted in the body colour and the 16" alloy rims in the colours of grey, white or black. Added to the already full set of standard equipment of the 500L Pop, the Pop Star version also offers the manual climate control system with pollen filter and cruise control.

Then for those who want the most in terms of functionality, there are the Easy and Lounge trim levels. The is in particular the right combination between end price, good looks and technical equipment. Compared to the Pop version, it offers the added  Cruise Control, manual climate control system, electric door mirrors with demister, CD/MP3 radio with 5" touchscreen, also with digital radio (optional), leather steering wheel with radio and UConnect controls and leather gear knob. The top of the range Lounge version comes with all this equipment and more: 16" alloy rims, protective side strips with stainless steel insert, fog lights, automatic headlights, rear armrest, rain sensor, internal chromic rear-view mirror, fixed-glass roof, accessorised front seats, rear electric windows, automatic dual-zone climate control system with pollen filter.

Finally, depending on the markets and outfit, numerous optionals and accessories are available that, for the customer's convenience of choice and economic benefit, can also be purchased in specific Packs. The many contents available on request include the UConnect CD/MP3 radio with 5" touchscreen, parking sensors, 17" alloy rims, knee bags, heated windscreen, Premium Beats audio system, Lavazza coffee machine, heated front seats, electrically controlled Skydome roof and baby surveillance rear-view mirror.

Officine Grandi Riparazioni, Turin

Fiat has chosen Officine Grandi Riparazioni (OGR) in Turin to present the new 500L to the international media. This place full of charm is where trains were repaired until the 1970's and since 2011 has been the venue of a major center for contemporary culture. To remember the extraordinary success of the 'Fare gli italiani' exhibition set up last year and brought back in 2012 with a new section. The exhibition revisits the history of the Italian people from the pre-unitary phase to the unification of Italy, up to the present day. A route constructed to think on the long process of forming the national identity, where the elements that fostered aggregation, and also the elements that stopped it in some phases, are highlighted.

With this location of great charm and historic value Fiat cements the strong bond with the major Piedmont city that witnessed its birth in 1899. It was from here that its century-old history started, which in 1957 gave birth to the Fiat 500, the car that united Italy with the first mass motoring phase of the country. From here, with the fundamental contribution of Officine Grandi Riparazioni, the railway transport that reduced geographical distances, boosting both Italy's industrialisation and the free movement of the Italian people with its dreams, desires and ambitions, was born.

Fiat 500L - Technical Specifications

Main standard and optional equipment (Italian market)

S = standard/O = optional/- = not available