Moving away from the retro cues that define the rest of its 500 lineup, Fiat has introduced a new small van variant called 500L.
While the nameplate actually revives a the moniker once used on a more luxurious version of the standard 500, L means “large” in this case. Aimed primarily at the European mini-MPV segment that includes rivals from most major automakers, the 500L will slot in below the Dodge Journey-based Fiat Freemont in the Italian automaker’s range.
Fita promises “MPV passenger space” and the “feel of a small SUV on the road” in the B-segment-sized 500L, which stretches just 163 inches from head to toe. Those compact dimensions nonetheless add about 15 inches to the standard 500. Fiat says that the 500L will be roomier than it looks thanks to “cab forward”-style architecture like that seen in the 600 Multipla sold in the 1950s and 1960. Despite earlier reports, Fiat says that the 500L is a five-seater.
Initially, two gas engines and one diesel will be on offer: A 0.9-liter TwinAir two-cylinder producing about 84 will be the base gas engine, while a 1.4-liter four-cylinder with around 100 horsepower will be optional. Fiat’s high-tech 1.3-liter MultiJet II diesel four-cylinder will top the range with 94 horsepower and 150 lb-ft. of torque.
Fiat says that European buyers can take delivery of their Kragujevac, Serbia-built 500Ls during the last quarter of 2012. Don’t look for the 500L to be offered in North America, although its larger-than-500 footprint could provide the basis for a new subcompact in the Dodge range here.
The 500L will formally debut in early March at the Geneva Motor Show. Nguồn:
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21/02/2012 07:30:50 PM |