The retro Fiat 500 is loved by enthusiasts and it needs no introduction. Fiat officially sold the vehicle in India but the 500 found very few takers since it was priced high and it belongs to a niche segment. The longer version of the 500 is called 500L which has been spotted by MotorBeam reader Mohammad Shahrukh Shah in Pune undergoing testing. There is a possibility that Fiat might be considering launching the vehicle in India or maybe it is just undergoing global testing, the latter being unlikely since the car was only recently launched in global markets. Whatever it is, the Fiat 500L is a very capable and practical vehicle with lots of appeal too.
The overall design of the Fiat 500L is good and not too quirky or weird. It will find hardly any haters and we are sure the ladies will love the cute looks. The 500L is a very spacious vehicle. It can easily carry five people in comfort and the huge boot can swallow five suitcases with ease. Every seat can be configured in 8 different ways which means that there are around 150 different seat configurations that you can do in the 500L. If you are out for a picnic and want to enjoy a cup of tea then the passenger seat can be folded and its back doubles up as a table. For storing mobile phones, bottles and other miscellaneous stuff you get 22 storage compartments inside this large hatchback.
Fiat provides a Uconnect 5-inch audio system that can sync with your mobile phone, radio and MP3s along with featuring Bluetooth functionality for attending phone calls and streaming music. The smart Uconnect system also provides real-time tips to improve your skills and drive the 500L efficiently. The audio unit is connected to high-quality Beats Audio speakers. The vehicle is also loaded with a host of safety features such as 7 airbags, ESC with Hill Hold, ABS with EBD and DST (Driving Steering Torque). The ESC system comes with ASR/MSR anti-slip functions along with ERM (Electronic Rollover Mitigation). Powering the car are the same set of engines which do duty on the regular 500; 1.3-litre MultiJet 2 diesel (85 HP, 200 Nm) and 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol (160 HP, 250 Nm).
The Fiat 500L seems like a very promising vehicle and Indians are sure going to love the blend of practicality and fun that this hatchback provides. Fiat should keep in mind the pricing and positioning when they launch the vehicle here. If the 500L is brought down via the CBU route then we can expect a price of at least Rs. 25 lakhs since the regular 500 used to cost around Rs. 20 lakhs. It would be preferable if Fiat gets the vehicle down via the CKD route or manufactures it in India to save costs.
If localisation is imposed heavily then we can expect Fiat to price the 500L at around Rs. 9 lakhs, putting it in direct competition against the upcoming Honda Jazz and Maruti Suzuki YRA hatchbacks. If Fiat chops out 15 cms from the length of the car, they can fall in the small car bracket, attracting lesser excise duties. The company is also testing the Doblo MPV in India and was rumoured to launch the 500XL in the country which was set to rival the Maruti Ertiga.
