Distinctive appearance, more utility in 2017 Fiat 500L
Overview: The 500L arrived as a 2014 model, giving hungry Fiat dealers something that would have more utility — and hence a broader appeal — than the cute but tiny standard 500. With four doors and actual room for four (there’s a fifth seatbelt, but only those shorter than four-feet tall will commit to the rear center seat without complaint), the 500L technically fulfilled a need. Although dynamically challenged, the 500L has respectable cargo capacity and is reasonably handy around town. The Fiat design team sought to stretch the 500’s cuteness to the 500L’s bigger dimensions, and, love it or hate it, the results speak for themselves.
The power source is Fiat’s widely employed, turbocharged
1.4-liter MultiAir inline-four. Horsepower — 160 at 5500 rpm — is modest, but the little turbo’s 184 lb-ft of torque makes it a decent performer around town. EPA fuel-economy ratings are only so-so: 22 mpg city, 30 highway, and 25 combined, with premium fuel recommended. Fiat enhances the 500L’s persona with a color palette sure to send you scurrying for your Italian-English dictionaries: Grigio Chiaro, Grigio Scuro, Verde Bosco Perla, Rosso, Rosso Perla, Mocha Latte, Bianco, Nero, Giallo, and Blu Tornado. There’s also a two-tone option, with a Bianco, Nero, or Rosso roof available, depending on body color.
What’s new: Fiat has simplified the 2017 500L lineup, reducing trim levels to three, although the remaining trio continues with some of the funkiest names in the industry: the base-model Pop, SUV-like Trekking, and more luxurious Lounge. The Trekking trim also offers a dress-up option, the Urbana Appearance package. It includes 17-inch wheels in Matte Nero (black), a color that’s repeated on the side mirrors, side sills, and moldings; door handles in satin silver; and a contrasting roof. But the biggest news is something that’s gone: the sixspeed manual transmission, which means that all 2017 500Ls have a six-speed automatic.
What we like: Most designers will tell you it’s better to create a polarizing design than one that’s bland, and the 500L definitely scores on that scale. The question is whether the polarity is out of balance — too strong on the negative side of the equation. Be that as it may, the 500L has a distinctive appearance in a market segment populated by vehicles that look all too similar. Other strong suits: comfortable urban ride, good cargo capacity, and interior décor treatments that verge on exotic.
What we don’t like: Thanks to the likes of Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and Alfa Romeo, we’ve been conditioned to equate all Italian makes with a bit of dynamic passion. But that trait is essentially absent in the 500L. The steering is rubbery, the automatic transmission takes its time shifting, body motions are significant, understeer quickly escalates to mulish, and throttle response and acceleration are languid. Ride quality that’s creamy on metropolitan streets is not so pleasant on pavement with nasty irregularities.
Verdict: While the 500L once made some sense next to the wee 500, the arrival of the 500X — similar in size and price, more agile, and with the option of more power and all-wheel drive — has us asking why the L persists.
2017 Fiat 500L Base prices: Pop, $21,990; Trekking, $23,990; Lounge, $24,690 Zero to 60 mph: 8.0 sec Top speed (drag limited): 126 mph Fuel economy: EPA combined/city/highway: 25/22/30 mpg