500L: Simply More Multispace
02/20/2012
Fiat
The Geneva Motor Show is the occasion for the world premiere of the Fiat 500L, the new extension of the 500 range that in the wake of the Abarth and Cabrio develops the brand's strategy that aims at expanding its offer by introducing a brand-new model able to satisfy different types of customers.
With the 'L', the 500 grows in size 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 all of life's greatest emotions all together: children, friends, journeys. Every time great emotions become great experiences.
Produced at the Serbian plant in Kragujevac, the Fiat 500L will become available in Europe starting from the last quarter of 2012.
Made in Fiat
The 500L interprets and expresses the totally Fiat capability of conceiving and designing cars which are innovative in substance and in form. Substance turns into the modern equation of "space-efficient" that distinguishes all of the most innovative Fiats in history - from the 600 Multipla onwards.
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 winning emotional elements in unprecedented forms. It is a perfect match between solutions to make life simpler, with the generosity of a passenger room which is a benchmark for the category.
The Fiat 500L states all of the taste of a made in Italy product with a distinguishing, specific and lively look.
The new model of the 500 range emerges from the conventional distinctions owing to its passenger space typical of an MPV, its presence on the road characteristic of a small SUV and its compactness and efficiency worthy of a B segment car.
By following this novel recipe, the Fiat 500L puts together 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.
Design
The 500L was designed by the Centro Stile Fiat which drew inspiration from the cab forward concept, the modern reinterpretation of a car concept designed to achieve better external visibility and a large amount of internal light. This is where 'seamless' glazing comes into being. It runs all around the car to improve the sense of command of the road and to make parking manoeuvres easier. The glass roof - the largest in its category - also floods the 500L passenger compartment with plenty of light.
Bright inside, colourful outside. With more than 30 shades of colour, the 500L will offer the widest range of colours of the segment, combined with the specific colours of white, grey and black for the alloy wheels.
The interiors of the 500L are also distinguished in terms of variety and extent of solutions available to the customer. From the finish of the body-coloured dashboard that calls to mind the atmospheres and treatments typical of the 500 to the availability of soft-to-the-touch upholsteries with elegant finishes.
To then arrive at tasteful styling details like the sophisticated design of the steering wheel, the crystal-clear lighting of the dashboard, and the practical and original shapes of the handbrake and gear lever.
Space
The level of comfort that the new 500L offers will be a benchmark owing to the roominess of its interior, the best in its category in relation to the external dimensions.
The driver and passengers of a Fiat 500L will find many handy compartments on board that can hold all objects of everyday life: from remote controls and mobile phones to bottles of water and an umbrella.
Driving pleasure and on-board comfort will be helped by the multifunctionality of the seats, which can be adjusted on every axis of movement using 8 different modes.
The Fiat 500L will have a full range of accessories in perfect 500 style: customised graphics, chrome-plating and fragrance diffusers. And there are also ski roof bars and bicycle holder for the sportier at heart.
The size package of the new Fiat 500L - 414 cm long, 178 cm wide and 166 cm high - makes it an ideal living space for sitting and looking out onto the world. Perhaps for a great journey, made comfortable by a boot with a capacity of almost 400 litres that is able to hold up to 5 suitcases or a full-size push chair.
Technology
The 500L will offer outstanding performance matched with reference efficiency and fuel consumption levels. Standing out amongst the petrol engines is the new 0.9-litre TwinAir, the new generation of the multi-award-winning Fiat two-cylinder engine that set the world fuel consumption and emissions record thanks to its low displacement and inclusion of a high-efficiency turbocharger.
The emissions level will set the record amongst petrol engines for the MPV category in this latest evolution as well. A 1.4 petrol engine and a MultiJet 1.3 diesel engine will also be available as of the launch date, in addition to the TwinAir.
The 500L will represent the best of Fiat Air Technologies owing to its reduced fuel consumption and emissions and enhanced driving pleasure. Not just efficient engines, but advanced technologies as well. One of these is the innovative and multi-award-winning eco:Drive application. It provides customised driving advice for cutting fuel consumption and emissions, and for the first time will be available in the live version. This means that the 500L will offer a virtual personal trainer able to analyse your driving style in real time so you can improve it based on the actual parameters of use.
Fiat's "human-friendly" technology is also the hallmark of the passenger compartment thanks to its state-of-the-art features. These include the unique characteristics of the new touchscreen interface, that for the first time integrates all of the key functions of the car (navigation system, infotainment, self-diagnosis) through an easy and intuitive user experience.
The large touchscreen with built-in navigation system makes the hardware advanced for the category: 5 inches that make it a small tablet. The USB connections, Bluetooth and AUX-IN let you make calls hands-free, listen to received SMS messages and your favourite music through the most popular smartphones and MP3 players. Controls on the steering wheel and voice recognition make all of this possible, distraction-free.
What's more, the 500L will integrate all of the most modern digital applications. The most popular apps on the car's touchscreen provide access to social networking sites, news channels and all web content, starting from Internet streaming radio so you can listen to your favourite digital channels.
The dedicated software applications will also be particularly advanced. In addition to the previously mentioned eco:Drive Live, the 500L will also have the exclusive Fiat application called my:Car available. It will be able to diagnose, record and certify your car's history and state of maintenance at any time.