After the success of the Fiat 500, Fiat pursued a Mini-esque brand extension with vigour, developing what it calls a ‘500 family’, which expands to the 500L, 500L MPW, 500L Trekking and the 500X.
That’s why this 500L model - a much bigger car than the 500, and based on an adapted Punto platform, still retains the marketable ‘500’ badge.
The hope is to retain current 500 buyers as their needs evolve, with inspiration from the space efficient 600 Multipla of 1956. With the Fiat’s endless customisation options and yesteryear appeal, the Mini Countryman comes to mind, but in reality the two cars are quite different, the 500L is a small MPV with added retro-influenced charm – an alternative to a Citroen C3 Picasso or Mini Clubman.
There’s a choice of three engines: a 1.4-litre 94bhp four-cylinder petrol powered unit and a 94bhp 1.3-litre turbo-diesel and a 118bhp 1.6-litre Mulitjet II diesel.
Inside, you sit high and upright on seats with a short squab, your eye seduced by the clever A-pillar/quarterlight design that gives the impression of a curved windscreen like that of the original 50s Multipla. In fact, the quarterlights allow for decent visibility at junctions, unlike many modern cars, and this, added to the painted sections of the dashboard, lift the interior despite some distinctly average plastics in places.
