The 500,000th Fiat 500L has just rolled off the production lines in Kragujevac, Serbia. The landmark example was a 500L Cross 1.6 MultiJet 120 HP in ‘bicolore’ with a Sicilia Orange body and a glossy black roof.
The new record confirms the strong reception this B-segment MPV model has enjoyed since its launch back in 2012. It’s been at the top of its segment in Europe for five years running and the leader in Italy and Spain.
Last year the 500L gained a market share of approximately 22% in Europe and exceeded 52% in Italy.
The new “Cross” and “City Cross” versions – which were launched last year – gave the 500L more of a ‘crossover’ feel to tap into a market segment that continues to thrive rapidly, and both these two new versions immediately contributed to the successful market share this MPV model recorded last year.
Sales for the first month of 2018 appear equally positive, in Europe, they were up 5% year-over-year, while in Italy the 500L accounted for more than half of sales in its segment, its 3,902 units sold on its home market in January was more than four hundred units up on the same month last year.
Now six years old, the Fiat 500L was given a lifecycle refresh in 2017 which mainly focused on upgrading the in-car entertainment systems but also included mild revisions to the front and rear clips. This model is based on a derivative of the Fiat-GM developed “Small Wide” architecture.
Currently, the 500L range includes three base versions, the “Cross” with crossover-style looks, 25mm more ground clearance and new Mode Selector; the “Urban”, targeted at city living consumers; and the “Wagon”, which comes with seven seats. The range is completed by the “City Cross”, which aims to project the feel of an urban crossover, and the new “Mirror” series which comes with the Uconnect LINK 7" HD LIVE touchscreen system and is Apple CarPlay-ready and Android Auto compatible.
The 500L is manufactured at the Kragujevac plant, which was acquired by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and after a few delays and changes of plans for both the facility and this model, as the 500L was originally scheduled to be assembled in Turin, the Serbian plant was eventually renovated specifically for making the 500L for all European markets as well as export to North American markets.
It opened in April 2012 following three years of intensive work and a billion-euro investment to upgrade the infrastructure, to renovate the buildings and install the new production departments, state-of-the-art machinery and manufacturing systems.
Today, Kragujevac is regarded by FCA as one its most advanced plants in the world.
