First Drive Review
Fiat has moved on from its initial marketing flop with J.Lo. The brand now deploys a little Italian cheek—literally—with scorpions snipping bikini tops and singer Pitbull fist-bumping the tiny 500 into the American psyche. Sexy sells, and sales are up, but now comes the five-door 2014 500L, in which the 500’s cutesy, bug-eyed face looks like it’s been pasted onto a mop bucket.
Fiat portrays the 500 as an emotional purchase. The 500L, on paper, isn’t. It was created to a calculus intended to stanch the outflow of buyers who are looking for something bigger than an espresso machine with a key. Thus, the 500L rides on a unique, larger—that’s the L in its name—B-segment platform, and it stretches 27.7 inches longer than a 500, is 5.7 inches wider, and stands 5.9 inches taller. Thus, the 500L casts roughly the same shadow as segment-cleaving oddballs such as the Kia Soul, Nissan Juke, Scion xB, and Mini Cooper Countryman.
Four real humans and their stuff can fit inside, and a fifth can ride along in a pinch that will pinch. The high roof and the huge front quarter-windows lend the interior a capacious feeling, and the cabin’s fun “squircle”-shaped design theme and its quality materials make it feel Euro-stylish. A Mini Cooper–like palette of custom cosmetic choices helps keep the 500L from being a total cold shower for the brand’s flirty, fun image. The base Pop trim, the mid-level Easy, the pseudo-SUV Trekking model, and an upscale Lounge trim each offer plenty of interior and exterior design schemes, including contrasting roof hues. The Trekking, in particular, might prove more acceptable to the furrier sex, thanks to its crossover-style body cladding.
In contrast to its smaller sibling’s choppier ride, the 500L’s is more grounded, the ride compliant and the steering accurate yet relaxed. All 500Ls are front-wheel drive and powered by a 160-hp, 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder shared with the Dodge Dart and 500 Abarth. Mercifully, the throttle calibration is closer to the Abarth’s than the frustratingly lazy Dart’s, but the 500L is not overtly sporty. The acceleration feels lively at city speeds but trails off after that. A six-speed manual with a ropy action is standard. A six-speed dual-clutch auto is optional and better suited to the car’s laid-back attitude. A conventional automatic will be available soon.
The Fiat’s fuel economy will please, ringing in at an estimated 25 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway with the manual and 24/33 with the dual-clutch automatic. Those figures aren’t far off from those of the 500 Turbo, which is rated for 28/34; the base 500 is good for up to 31/40. Tooling around the city of Baltimore—where the Serbian-built 500L makes port and Fiat chose to launch it—we saw an indicated 27 mpg after a mix of urban and highway driving.
Pricing for the 500L starts at $19,900 for the Pop, which includes the very intuitive five-inch Uconnect 5.0 touch-screen infotainment system, air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, a tilting-and-telescoping steering wheel, and folding rear seats. The Easy starts at $20,995 and unlocks the option for the dual-clutch, which will add $1350. The Trekking costs $21,995, and the fancy dual-clutch-only Lounge opens at $24,995.
Taken as a whole, the 500L makes a convincing cut-rate Mini Countryman or an Italian-accented PT Cruiser. Can practicality be sexy? We simply can’t wait to see how Fiat’s marketing geniuses figure this one out.
