Just a few days ago news of Fiat expanding the 500 range to offer 5 and 7-seat versions tricked in. Now the Italian automaker has gone ahead and released images of the Fiat 500L, which is scheduled for its world preview at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The Fiat 500L is the large version of the 500 and is the 4th model in the 500 range. The other 3 models are the standard 500, Abarth 500 and the 500 Cabrio. Fiat claims the space to be MPV passenger space level and that the 500L will give owners a feel of a small SUV on the road.

The Fiat 500L features a 5-seater configuration and is 414 cm long, 178 cm wide and 166 cm tall. The design is cab forward just like the 600 Multipla. Production will take place at Serbia and power will come in from 1.4-litre TwinAir and a 1.3-litre MultiJet II engines. We love the Fiat 500 and are wondering why Fiat wants to play with the iconic brand. The cuteness of the standard Fiat 500 has diss appeared and the car does not look that impressive as the original. Fiat is trying to replicate BMW’s MINI but all MINI vehicles have a similar front!

FIAT plans to do with the 500 what BMW has done with the MINI. The Italian automaker has confirmed its plans to launch more variants of the 500, including a 5-seater and 7-seater version. The longer vehicle will be known as the 500L, with the L signifying large. The FIAT 500L will have 5-doors, a high roof and will debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March. The front will be unchanged and will resemble the 3-door 500. It will be based on a widened version of the FIAT’s small vehicle architecture, which is used on the Grande Punto. Measure a length of 4150mm, the 500L is 60mm longer than the regular 500.

Read the Fiat 500 Test Drive Review

There will be two versions of the 500L, a 5-seater standard version which will be the first to debut, with the 7-seater debuting by May, 2012. The 7-seater version of the FIAT 500 will be 10mm longer than the 5-seater version and fill the void when the Idea will leave. FIAT will commence sales of the 500L in Europe in July and will offer both the versions in the continent. US will only get the 5-seater model, with sales beginning in early-2013. FIAT does not see a market for a small 7-seater vehicle in the States.

The FIAT 500L will be powered by both petrol and diesel engines. The 900cc, 2-cylinder, turbo, TwinAir producing 85 hp, 1.4-liter petrol producing 77 / 105 hp and the 1.3-liter Multijet diesel producing 75 / 95 hp. The FIAT 500L will compete with the Mini Countryman and Ford B-Max in Europe and will be produced at the Italian automakers Serbia facility, which is 2/3rd owned by FIAT and the rest by the Serbian government. An investment of Euro 700 million is being undertaken in the plant to produce these models. FIAT has sold a 500L model in the 1960s, where the L stood for Lusso (Italian for luxury).

Update - The Fiat 500L has been spotted undergoing tests already by an Italian blog Alvonate. Here are the spy pictures. They even have created a rendering based on the spy pics, how does it look to you?

Source – AutoNews and Alvolante

The Italian car maker, Fiat is all set to come out with a bigger version of its hot, small hatch, the Fiat 500 at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March. The Fiat 500 has been a huge success for the company in Europe but it didn’t gather so much attention when it was launched in US market about 2 years back. Fiat sold only 26,000 5000s in the first year in North America, almost half of what the company had predicted the volumes to be. Basically, what we understand is that America is all about big cars and a tiny car like the 500 is never going to make headlines in such a market. Now it seems Fiat has also understood this point very well and are poised to bring out a wagon version of the 500 in the American market.

With 5 doors and with more legroom, the new Fiat 500 Wagon will get closer to the BMW MINI Countryman, but not the Clubman Wagon. Size is indeed one problem with the vehicle why it didn’t work very well in the US market. Also, the 500 has received a poor NHTSA crash test rating to make matters worse. Fiat is hoping to improve on that too when the Wagon version is showcased. Though an official name is yet to be decided, the wagon version might carry the 500 badge over and can think of including “Giardiniea”, a name used way back in 1950s and 1960s to denote the extended, wagon version of the original. Even the iconic BMW MINI didn’t get a good response when it was launched in US market but sales eventually picked up later. Fiat can take some inspiration from the MINI story and introduce models which will definitely help its turn around. Mr. Timothy Kuniskis, Head of the Fiat brand in North America said that the company will also expand its dealerships to over 150 to increase its brand presence in the country.

The results of the 2011 International Engine of the Year Awards have been announced at Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany. The global jury, consisting of some of the world’s most respected and popular motoring journalists, voted Fiat’s 875cc two-cylinder TwinAir the greatest automotive engine available today. The tiny turbocharged engine impressed judges with its extremely low emissions, high fuel economy and impressive power of 85bhp. The unit powers none other than the Fiat 500. The engine also received the Best New Engine, Best Sub 1-litre, and Best Green Engine categories, even beating zero-emission pure electric vehicle engines from Nissan and Mitsubishi in the latter category.

BMW bagged four category wins, including the ’3-litre to 4-litre’ category for its 4-litre V8 found in the M3; the ’2.5-litre to 3-litre’ category for its 3-litre DI Twin Turbo fitted across much of its range; the ’1.8-litre to 2-litre’ category for its 2-litre Twin Turbo diesel engine found in the 123d and X1; and the ’1.4-litre to 1.8-litre’ category for its 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine co-developed with PSA Peugeot Citroën, which also scooped the same Award. Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger engine, which won the overall International Engine of the Year title in both 2009 and 2010, once again defended its crown in the ’1-litre to 1.4-litre’ category. The ‘Best Performance Engine’ and ‘Above 4-litre’ category trophies went to the new 570bhp, 4.5-litre V8 engine which does duty in the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Last year we had revealed Fiat India’s plans to aggressively market the 500. The company had planned to launch a new version along with re-positioning the cute little car. However there has been no news since then and Fiat has all of a sudden gone into hibernation. We went to a Fiat dealer asking to purchase a 500 and he told us the car cannot be sold in 11 cities as it does not meet the new emission norms. Further he told us that Fiat will launch a BS4 complaint 500 soon, with the engine being manufactured locally. Does this mean Fiat will move to CKD from CBU. This will help the company to price the 500 more aggressively. By the time the new 2011 Fiat 500 hits the road in India, Volkswagen would have launched the 2012 Beetle. Its competition yet again in the retro segment and this time Fiat should have a significant price advantage.

Good news for Fiat 500 fans. The 500 Zagato Coupe Concept which was shown at the recent 2011 Geneva Motor Show is set to go into production soon. However the car would be available to only European and Mexican customers. No details on engine and colours has been revealed yet but going by the pictures, we expect the limited edition run of the 500 Zagato to be grabbed up quickly.

The Fiat 500 Coupe Zagato, the concept created by one of the most famous automotive design names in the world, with the collaboration of the Fiat Group makes its debut at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show. Inspired by the namesake predecessor built in the 1950 by the famous Italian bodyworker on the chassis of the 500. Yet while Zagato had then completely revamped the exterior style of the basic model, today the designers emphasised the silhouette of the Fiat 500, already similar to a coupé, giving it an even more aggressive appeal. In addition, the unique shape of the roof features the characteristic “double hump”, the true emblem of Zagato, teaming the lowering of the car with retaining excellent interior comfort.

Like many historic custom-built cars, the concept car affords the classic “2+2 seater” formula, retaining the compact dimensions of the basic model, indeed, it is 355 centimetres long, 163 cm wide and 149 cm high, with a 230 centimetre wheelbase. So it is a compact car which “conceals” under the bonnet the revolutionary TwinAir 105 HP engine which maximizes the “fun to drive” of this car, while ensuring, consistently with the downsizing philosophy, excellent performance levels against a considerable reduction in fuel consumption and emission levels. To achieve this objective, the engine features a specific “turbomatching” (engine-turbocharger coupling).

The 105 HP TwinAir engine, which has never been used on any of the Group’s models yet, is therefore the ideal engine to be installed in compact sized sporty cars, as demonstrated by the high torque delivered (155 Nm at 2,500 rpm) and the absolute world record in terms of absolute power (105 HP at 5,500 rpm). In addition, at 124 HP/litre, this engine is also one of the world leaders in specific power. All while ensuring reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions unrivalled in this category: 95 g/km. In perfect synch with its sporty personality, the “500 Coupé Zagato” features burnished chrome exterior elements, 17″ “chrome shadow” wheels with a brand new double spoked shape and synthetic inserts (made of APP-TECH), 205/40 R17 tyres and 4 perforated brake discs.

The same styling effect can be found in the interiors, specifically the seats, inspired by the traditional sporty “diamond” seats and high-tech fabric teamed with yellow chamois leather and the black natural leather of the surrounds which give it a young, contemporary look. The decidedly sporty appearance can also be found on the steering wheel – also covered in leather with contrasting stitching the same colour as the yellow chamois leather grips – and on the dashboard surround, matching the exterior colour, which was treated in burnished “eco-chrome” to give it a more aggressive appeal. Lastly, another typical feature of coupé vehicles is the lining of the roof panel with dark high-tech fabric embellished by a transparent single filament yarn that gives it a delicate shine.

2010 Fiat 500 - Click above for high resolution picture gallery

Car tested: 2010 Fiat 500 Sports

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 17,07,431/-

The new year parties may be playing the latest beats but nothing is complete without a bit of retro. Old retro hits always strike the right chords and add a bit of nostalgic feel to them. When we talk of cars retrospectively, quite literally speaking, the Fiat 500 immediately comes to mind. The Fiat 500 was developed by Fiat in 1957 and was one of the first city cars in that era. Powered by a 497cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, the 500 produced a whooping 13 bhp, yeah, 13 bhp was a big deal at that time. The 500 went to do tremendously well and exactly 50 years after it was launched, Fiat introduced the new Fiat 500 as a tribute to the successful model and it retained its retro styling. The popularity of the Fiat 500 is so immense that ace Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher has a Fiat 500 in his collection of cars.

Exteriors – The Fiat 500 is the cutest car to ever leave, not only the Fiat factory but possibly any factory and the new generation 500 maintains the same cute feel. Drive around in a 500 and its almost impossible for people not to notice you. The looks of the 500 are based on its 50 year old predecessor but just like the Mini Cooper is modern. The small front end reminds you of a small car but the 500 is everything but that, thanks to modern mechanicals and underpinnings. The wheels fill the wheel arches well and the 500 looks rightly tyred. The 500 is almost as small as a Tata Nano but it is the cutest thing on wheels, which makes it stand apart from all other small cars.

Indians love chrome and the 500 offers it in abundance. There is alot of chrome present on the car right from the grille to the door handles and the bumpers. The 3-door makes the 500 a complete head turner and Fiat has managed to successfully make the 500 modern, keeping the retro look intact. Fiat should have offered the roof in complete black as the half black effect (due to the sunroof) does not gel well with the overall look of the car. The rear of the car is not the best angle to look at it but still looks the part.

 ★★★★★ 

Interiors – Step in and the retro styled dash and dials are catchy and look fabulous. The modern touch to the interiors include blue and me, a multi-information display in the center of the speedometer. The steering feels great to hold (just like all Fiats) and the funky colours on the dashboard will make you fall in love with it, even if you are the sober types. The use of white and red colour combination has been very tastefully done. Large sunroof allows light to pass into the cabin and is tinted to provide protection from the sun. The theme of the interior can be summarised as sporty retro.

Small yet functional instrument cluster with every feature you would find in a D-segment car.

A body coloured panel looks classic with typical dials.

Audio system provides for USB and CD with controls on the steering wheel.

 ★★★★¼ 

Built Quality – Fiat is renowned for the build quality of their cars. Agreed that the Punto have Linea have come under criticism but the Fiat 500 is imported as a CBU and build quality is the best Fiat has to offer. No inconsistent panel gaps, fantastic fit and finish and no rattling whatsover. Even after an grueling all India diesel drive, our test drive car drove like new.

 ★★★★☆ 

Ride, Handling and Braking – The Fiat 500 comes on low profile 185/55/15 tyres which offer exceptional handling and the car literally drives as if its running on rails. Ride is a bit stiff owing to the profile of the tyres but its hits the sweet spot with the handling. By virtue of being small, it easily negotiates traffic and steering, inspite of feeling heavy responds to sharp inputs and gives decent feedback at high speeds. High speed cornering is a pleasure. ABS and EBD make sure that the braking is spot on. Even in wet conditions the tyres continue to grip well.

 ★★★★½ 

Performance – The 500 looks harmless to competition but as we know looks can be deceptive. The 1248cc Multijet engine which powers the 500 churns out 75 bhp of power at 4000 RPM and 145 Nm of torque at 1500 RPM. Low end torque makes sure that the 500 gets off the line in a jiffy and is upto a challenge anytime. The turbo charged, inter-cooled engine is superbly refined without the hint of any clatter. Surprisingly the Swift and the Ritz, which run on the same Multijet powerplant fall leagues behind when it comes to engine refinement. Gearshift is slick and the gear ratios have been tweaked to ensure that the low end torque comes to good use.

A 0-100 kmph sprint comes in 12.57 seconds and the car hits a little more than 160 kmph on the far end of the speedometer. Most people who buy the 500 will not consider mileage as a vital factor but for those who do, the Mutlijet engine is renowned to deliver superb mileage and it does it in style. A regular city + highway figure will be anywhere between 16 – 18.5kmpl. Hit the redline and the light weight contributes to a favourable power to weight ratio and all you will feel is eternal bliss.

 ★★★★¾ 

Conclusion – The Fiat 500 will turn heads and is a fantastic car for a even better price. Being the cheapest car in the retro segment, the Fiat 500 is a fantastic car which has an all around appeal. Its really hard not to fall in love with it. If Fiat India promotes the car well, we could see more of this cute machine on the roads. Also local assembly would help in a hefty price reduction which will ensure more 500s fly of the showrooms then they currently do.

 ★★★★½ 

Whats Kool

• Ride quality
• Stunning looks
• Handling
• Blue and Me
• Accessibility of controls
• Engine sound
• Stability
• Very well damped and lack of any kind of NVH
• 2 Years unlimited mileage warranty

Whats UnKool

• Tata service

Fiat 500 Specifications : -

* Engine: 1248cc, 16V, Multijet, DOHC
* Power: 75bhp @ 4000rpm
* Torque: 145Nm @ 1500rpm
* Transmission: 5 speed manual
* Top Speed: 165kmph
* 0-100kmph: 12.50 seconds
* Fuel Consumption: 14-15 kmpl (City), 18-19 kmpl (highway)
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Suspension: Independent with Mcpherson setup with lower wishbones anchored to a subsidiary cross member stabiliser bar connected to a shock absorber (Front), Torsion Beam (Rear)
* Tires: 185/55/15 Tubeless Radials
* Brakes: 240mm Ventilated Disc (Front), 180mm Drums ( Rear), ABS, EBD
* Safety: ABS, EBD, Dual SRS Front Airbags, Immobilizer With Rolling Code, Fire Prevention System
* EURO NCAP Rating: 5 Star

Fiat 500 Dimensions : -

* Overall length x width x height: 3546mm X 1627mm X 1488mm
* Wheelbase: 2300mm
* Ground clearance: 160mm
* Turning Radius – 4.6m
* Boot Volume: 185 liters
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 35 liters
* Kerb Weight: 865kgs

Official Website

Fiat India is all set to relaunch its iconic small car, the Fiat 500, in the coming months. The 500 was first launched in 2008 and it received a cold response from perspective buyers due to its high cost, owning to government duties and taxes on imported cars. Rumors are that Fiat is going to start production of the Cinquecento (Fiat 500) at their Ranjangaon facility, near Pune. If it turns out to be that way, the cost will come down by a whooping 40 – 50 %.

“Retro cars with distinctive looks are a big hit and that’s what we would capture in our new campaign to be rolled out in a few months” – Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India

The VW Beetle’s sales have exceeded expectations giving Fiat the inspiration to launch the 500. The Indian version of the Fiat 500 will be powered by a 1.3 Multijet engine, which is also doing its duty on the Grande Punto and Linea.