When I was a little girl we had the most fabulous holidays. My parents would pack up a tent and we'd head for the continent for weeks of touring, always starting in France after a good breakfast on the Dover-Calais ferry.
One of my favourite trips was to Italy where we camped at Marina di Carrera and visited Pisa, Venice and Elba, the island where Napoleon was exiled in 1814.
Everywhere we drove of course there were Fiat vehicles along with the ubiquitous scooters whose rasping song makes me remember that holiday now if I hear one! At the time we were in a Fiat Strada - not my favourite car of all time If I'm honest -and I was very envious of the stylish little 500 nipping along picturesque streets.
My dad was a Fiat fan but until I went along to the launch of the Fiat 500L I had never driven one.
I love the style of the little Fiat 500, even the modern version which is a fitting tribute to the vintage version I remember from my trips abroad. I had a test drive - it was as fun as I expected and nippy too. I loved the styling which sings to my vintage-loving soul.
I was unsure how I'd feel about a larger version. Some manufacturer's attempts to inflate cute small cars have not always been altogether successful in my eyes. Thankfully at first glance it was clear the designers have done well honouring the little car in more family-friendly larger versions.
And the result? Well my first thought was that it was not terrible by any means! The 500 influence is very visible in the styling even though whopping total of 40% of all components are new.
Fiat boasts that this is not just a range, but three separate identities to cover all needs: Urban, Cross and Wagon with a choice of petrol and diesel engines to suit all drivers.
The new Fiat 500L is designed to
reinforce the family feeling of the model. The exterior style expresses all the distinctive elements which have
characterised the model throughout its history, ever since its iconic 1950s
forerunner.
One of my favourite trips was to Italy where we camped at Marina di Carrera and visited Pisa, Venice and Elba, the island where Napoleon was exiled in 1814.
Everywhere we drove of course there were Fiat vehicles along with the ubiquitous scooters whose rasping song makes me remember that holiday now if I hear one! At the time we were in a Fiat Strada - not my favourite car of all time If I'm honest -and I was very envious of the stylish little 500 nipping along picturesque streets.
My dad was a Fiat fan but until I went along to the launch of the Fiat 500L I had never driven one.
I love the style of the little Fiat 500, even the modern version which is a fitting tribute to the vintage version I remember from my trips abroad. I had a test drive - it was as fun as I expected and nippy too. I loved the styling which sings to my vintage-loving soul.
I was unsure how I'd feel about a larger version. Some manufacturer's attempts to inflate cute small cars have not always been altogether successful in my eyes. Thankfully at first glance it was clear the designers have done well honouring the little car in more family-friendly larger versions.
Apparently their goal was to make the new Fiat 500 even more 500, even more convenient with even more technology. They wanted to achieve a unique combination of spaciousness and personality hoping to capture all the style and excitement of the Fiat 500 with the spaciousness and functionality of an MPV.
And the result? Well my first thought was that it was not terrible by any means! The 500 influence is very visible in the styling even though whopping total of 40% of all components are new.
Fiat boasts that this is not just a range, but three separate identities to cover all needs: Urban, Cross and Wagon with a choice of petrol and diesel engines to suit all drivers.
The most obvious visual links are the "moustache and
badge" combo set on the trapezoidal nose, the upper headlights with
chrome-plated elements and the lower cluster, now with LED daytime running
lights, which pick up the graphics of the two "zeros" in 500. Cute eh? These elements ensure that this new car is
clearly identifiable as a Fiat 500L, even in the dark.
The chromed inserts at the rear
underline the 500 family feeling and horizontal trims reinforce the car's
presence on the road. The fog and reversing lights are now in the underside of
the bumper, increasing their effectiveness.
The new Fiat 500L is available in ten
pastel or metallic colours and with three types of roof: body-coloured, glossy
black or white or matt black, giving customers a choice of no less than 36
colour combinations.
I loved the Donatello Bronze colour way which I thought really stood out especially with a matt black roof - you'd have no trouble picking that out in the car park.
The
interior of the new Fiat 500L is completely new, starting with an updated
dashboard to give a more high-tech and iconic look with distinctive 500 touches, such as the bright "500" signature on the
dashboard. I have to say I wasn't too keen on this - it felt like it was trying too hard to remind you this was a Fiat 500. I'd have preferred a plain dash.
The area
behind the restyled multifunctional steering wheel, now with added chrome
accents, has an updated design with two circular instrument gauges on either
side of a 3.5-inch colour graphic display.
This combination of new steering
wheel and dashboard aims to improve the visibility of the instrument cluster, which some customers complained was not clearly visible with some steering wheel positions.
There's a TFT colour digital display, with a full set of useful information including instructions on when to shift gear. I initially thought this was a bit patronising but as the cost of fuel rises ever upwards think it might be a useful tool to maximise fuel
The new Fiat
500L displays an innovative wraparound glazing concept to improve visibility and ease of parking, with its glazed A-pillar. Available as a fixed panel or electrically
opening, the 1.5m2 optional panoramic glass roof of Fiat 500L means
that occupants can enjoy a light, bright passenger compartment. I'd say that's well worth the upgrade as it makes the car even more fun.
There are new,
larger storage compartments in the car and new comfort features, such
as the central armrest. My legs are so short those are never any good for me when I am driving as my seat is so close to the wheel the arm rest ends up almost behind me!
The gear lever has also been redesigned and placed
higher up for greater driving comfort.
Now as a busy mum it's worth mentioning boot volume as I'm sure I am not alone in needing to cram as much stuff in the boot for a day out as most people take for a year touring the world.
This was one of the things I was most impressed with on the Fiat 500L. OK so starting with size - with the
rear seat in the forward position the boot volume is 455 litres for the Urban and Cross models. The boot on the Wagon offers up to 493 litres
when the two additional seats are folded. With the rear seats folded and
tumbled, capacity rises to 1480 litres for Urban and Cross and 1509 litres for
the Wagon. There's also a handy height-adjustable load platform available - more on that later.
So I mentioned the new Fiat 500L is
available with three distinctive personalities: Urban, Cross and Wagon. The more adventurous
character of the Fiat 500L is represented by the Cross version.
The new Fiat
500L Cross has a one-of-a-kind crossover look with new bumpers and skid plate,
new two-colour diamond-finish 17-inch alloy wheels and a bold grille to give it
a sporty appearance. It has crossover substance, as well as looks, with ground
clearance raised by 25mm, new Uconnect™ HD Live 7-inch touchscreen and the new
Mode Selector; with a choice of Normal, Traction+ and Gravity Control.
Normal is the default function and provides
a comfortable, safe ride in ordinary conditions. Traction+, which can be activated
at speeds of less than 18mph, helps the car to start on slippery surfaces and providing more grip.
Gravity Control keeps the speed constant when descending steep slopes, and can
be enabled when the Traction+ function is active.
I drove this model on and off road and found it an easy if not terribly thrilling ride. But when you are driving your precious family around you aren't really hoping for anything but easy and safe are you?
You aren't going to smoke anyone at the traffic lights- no super quick getaways- but it's a smooth enough drive with a firm seat and everything you need for temperature control, navigation and entertainment at your finger tips.
After just a short drive I was very comfortable and navigated unfamiliar roads confidently without being distracted by the physical act of operating the vehicle.
Off road the car felt stable even on fresh mud and I may have been a bit squeally, having lots of fun negotiating some slippy corners around a lake much to the bewilderment of a lone fisherman.
The metropolitan soul of the Fiat 500L
finds expression in the Urban version, available in Pop Star and Lounge trim
levels. In Pop Star trim, also available in the new Bellagio Blue colour, the new
Fiat 500L Urban come complete with ABS, ESP, 6 airbags, air conditioning,
cruise control, multifunction Techno-leather steering wheel, electrically
adjustable & heated door mirrors, 3.5-inch colour TFT display, 5-inch Uconnect™
radio with Bluetooth, voice control, USB port and Aux-in, rear seat with 60/40
split, LED daytime running lights and 16-inch alloy wheels.
In the more luxurious Lounge trim, it features upgraded seat upholstery, a
dashboard fascia finished with technical fabric, dual zone climate control,
fixed glass roof, chromed inserts, fog lights, Uconnect™ HD Live 7-inch
touchscreen with Bluetooth, voice control, DAB radio, 2 USB ports and Aux-in, rain
and dusk sensors, rear parking sensors and Cargo Magic Space height-adjustable
load platform.
This moveable boot floor was my favourite feature. It effectively gives you two boots with lots of versatile and easily changeable storage space.
So for instance you can remove the boot "floor", drop the buggy or scooters or skateboards into that space then slide the floor above it as a shelf leaving plenty of room for picnic bags, shopping, coats and all the other stuff you end up throwing in just in case.
Finally, the Wagon, available in a seven seat
configuration, is the ideal solution for combining spaciousness and versatility
with the distinctive 500 style.
Available in Pop Star or Lounge trim, the new Fiat 500L Wagon is the
most compact seven-seater on the market at 4.38m long.
As a veteran of seven-seaters I am hoping to trial this one soon - I'll let you know how I get on.
Customising the driving experience
Exclusive packs are available across the new
Fiat 500L range to enhance the driving
experience, comfort and safety. Every
version can customise its style, connectivity, comfort and safety features by
adding one of these great value packages; City, Comfort, Safety, Style and
Style Plus packs.
Autonomous City Brake, available as
part of the Safety Pack, consists of a laser sensor located on the top of the
windscreen to monitor the position of the cars ahead. When travelling at less
than 18mph, the system automatically brakes the new Fiat 500L if a potential
collision is imminent.
Other key equipment include the child
monitoring mirror to keep an eye on rear seat passengers, LED daylight running
lights and parking lights, which ensure excellent visibility. As well as electrical adjustment
and heating, the door mirrors can be upgraded to fold electrically and add
puddle lights, to illuminate the area around the car when light is poor.
The Style Plus Pack provides ambient light in the
base of the central console, on the central tunnel and on the doors. The optional
rear parking camera, included in the City Pack, has an improved resolution and
active grid lines to assist parking.
Now lets talk tech. New
advanced smartphone integration systems are debuting on the new Fiat 500L. Smartphone
apps can be accessed directly on the 7-inch high-resolution touchscreen of the
Uconnect™ HD Live system integrated in the dashboard. The system is also
available with Apple Car Play and Android Auto™.
The next-generation Uconnect™ system
features a hands-free Bluetooth interface, audio streaming, text reader and
voice recognition, AUX-in and USB ports with iPod integration, controls on the
steering wheel.
A rear parking camera
and the new TomTom 3D built-in navigation system are also optionally available.
The Uconnect™ LIVE app offers music streaming with Deezer and TuneIn, news from
Reuters and connected navigation with TomTom LIVE, as well as updating Facebook
and Twitter. Users can also monitor their driving style with eco:Drive and
my:Car.
The Fiat 500L
is now available with the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™. Apple CarPlay perfectly integrates the iPhone
with the display and native controls of the car so users can make calls, play
their music, send and receive messages, get directions optimised for traffic
conditions and much more, while staying focused on the road.
With Android
Auto™ drivers can access Google Maps, with
voice-guided navigation, real time traffic information and lane guidance and
Google Play Music, among other music services. They can also make and receive
calls and send messages while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the
road.
The Fiat 500L can be upgraded with the
BeatsAudio™ system, with loads of speakers to make that Disney sing-a-long album really fill the car. Or Muse. You choose.
The
package is completed by an amplifier with DSP and 8 channels, featuring a
built-in advanced equalisation algorithm capable of reproducing the entire
spectrum of sound that an artist experiences in the recording studio. Apparently.
Engines
and pricing
The
petrol engine line-up includes the 1.4-litre 16V, delivering 95hp, and the
1.4-litre 16V T-Jet, delivering 120hp. The offering is completed by two diesel
engines: the 95hp 1,300cc 16V MultiJet, also available with Dualogic
transmission, and the 120hp 1,600cc 16V MultiJet. All engines comply with the
Euro 6 standards and combine optimal performance with impressive fuel economy.
The new Fiat 500L will
be priced from £16,195 OTR (for a Fiat 500L 1.4 95hp Pop Star.)
Disclaimer: I enjoyed a day of test-driving some of the vehicles in the Fiat 500 range for the purpose of this honest review.