Instrumented Test
TESTED
Although the diminutive Fiat 500 led the brand’s return to the U.S. when it bowed here in 2012, the second product in Fiat showrooms is the new-for-2014 500L. It takes the Cinquecento formula and adds inflated proportions and four proper passenger doors and is aimed squarely at the fast-growing compact-crossover market. More practical but less exciting than the plucky 500 it joins in the lineup, the 500L tests the limits of Italian charm.
My, How You’ve Grown
The L is more than two feet longer than the subcompact, three-door 500 and nearly six inches taller and wider, casting a similar shadow to those of the Kia Soul, Mini Countryman, and Scion xB. The 500L’s swollen dimensions are good for a usable back seat and 22 cubic feet of seats-up storage versus the 500’s measly 10 cubes. The L is also good for about 800 additional pounds of curb weight. Acres of glass deliver great outward visibility, and the high-roof design provides enough headroom to accommodate an Abe Lincoln impersonator wearing a top hat.
We didn’t expect much performance from the 500L, what with its weighing about the same as our long-term Dodge Dart Rallye (3300-ish pounds) and saddled with the same 160-hp, 1.4-liter turbo four that has proven frustratingly recalcitrant to throttle inputs unless kept on the boil. As in the Dart, meaningful thrust here doesn’t materialize until the 2500-rpm torque peak, which necessitates excessive prodding with the right foot just to keep up with traffic.
A six-speed manual with a long, ropy shifter is standard on the base $19,995 Pop model and allows the greatest control over the peaky 1.4’s power delivery. Stepping up to the $21,195 Easy trim makes a six-speed dual-clutch automatic available for $1350. But as we learned in a test of a similarly equipped Dart, that pairing leaves room for improvement in shift quality and speed, as well as coordination with the turbo four’s nonlinear power band. EPA city/highway ratings are 25/33 mpg for the manual and 24/33 for the dual-clutch, with our observed, throttle-heavy averages coming in at 23 and 27.
Slow and Not So Steady
The manual 500L was able to reach 60 mph in a sleepy 8.7 seconds and eclipsed the quarter-mile in 16.6 at 84 mph. That makes it slower than many of its competitors and about as quick as a 4.5-ton Ram 3500 diesel pickup we recently tested. The 75-pound-heavier automatic 500L needed an additional 0.4 second to 60 and 0.5 in the quarter but nearly eliminated the gap by the 100-mph mark. Conversely, the dual-clutch version carried a half-second advantage over the manual in the 5-to-60-mph rolling start.
