Fiat 500L review

Perhaps the car’s biggest asset is its flexible interior. There’s up to 400 litres of storage in the boot with the rear seats pushed forward – with them slid back the rear legroom is very generous. A clever mechanism means that with one pull of the handle the rear seats flip up and forward in one automatic movement, although the backrests can simply be folded flat too if desired.

The same can be achieved with the front passenger seat, so a very long object can be laid across rear and front seats. A false floor in the boot means a choice of three different floor heights, and there are purportedly 22 individual storage areas throughout the cabin.

As for what the 500L can be trimmed out in, there are three choices - Pop, Pop Star and Lounge. The entry-level Pop models come with 16in steel wheels, hill start assist, remote central locking, electric front windows, while inside there is height and reach adjustable steering, a leather clad steering wheel and Fiat's Uconnect infotainment system with a 5.0in touchscreen display and Bluetooth.

Upgrade to Pop Star and you will find air conditioning, cruise control, DAB radio, alloy wheels and lashings of chrome included as standard, while opting for the range-topper gets convenience features such as rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, and automatic wipers and lights.

The diminutive 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel tested here is a decent partner for the car, with much more useable acceleration than the 1.4-litre petrol, if not the infectious character of the TwinAir, which is no longer offered with the 500L. Refinement is good enough, and while 0-62mph in 14.9 seconds sounds painfully tardy, in practise it surges through the gears pleasantly thanks to its ample torque.

Sadly, the cheeky 500 character hasn’t made it though the enlargement process: it steers with town-friendly lightness, but the rack has a remote, obviously electrically assisted feel and it’s certainly no terrier of a car – goading you on to nip through the next gap in the traffic like a 500. Thankfully, the suspension copes reasonably well with urban road decay.

In the end, the 500L trades principally on it’s style – it’s a useable, neat package, but cars like this are sold heavily on their image –  starting at £13,665 there are cheaper alternatives if space is at the top of your shopping list. Whether Fiat has managed to transpose enough of the regular 500’s vivacity onto this much bigger, less cute vehicle, only Fiat’s marketing, and the market itself, will decide.