Car Reviews / Fiat 500L 1.6 Multijet 120 Lounge 2017 review

Fiat 500L 1.6 Multijet 120 Lounge 2017 review
The facelifted Fiat 500L gets a redesigned front end and a new interior, but no mechanical changes means its still only average to drive.

No matter how divisive its looks are, the Fiat 500L has been a sales success for Fiat, shifting more than 430,000 units since launching in 2012. However, here in the UK sales have been more stunted than those on the continent.
There was great interest in the immediate aftermath of its launch, but the arrival of the 500X crossover slowed sales as customers preferred the more traditional 500-look of the 500X, as opposed to the bloated 500L.
The 500L has now been facelifted, and although nothing mechanical has changed, Fiat says more than 40% of this model’s components are new.
These new bits are mainly styling tweaks, with the car having a redesigned front end – so it bears more resemblance to the 500 city car – and a new interior.
It’s available in three different forms: the 500L Urban is the standard car that will take the biggest chunk of sales, but there’s also a seven-seat 500L Wagon as well as a lightly off-road-styled 500L Cross, which replaces the old Trekking model.
The Urban and Wagon are available in Popstar and Lounge trims, while the Cross comes in one trim only.
We’re driving the 500L Urban with a 1.6-litre diesel engine - the combination thats expected to be the biggest seller in the UK – in range-topping Lounge trim.
Official pricing is yet to be confirmed, but it’s expected to stick closely to the outgoing model, which is priced from £15,000 to £22,000.
With no mechanical changes it’s a familiar story to the previous 500L in terms of how it drives. That means it’s inoffensive around town, handling predictably with urban-friendly light steering and firm damping that isn’t uncomfortable but is unsettled by imperfections.
While the engine is powerful enough around town, get to faster roads and you’ll be wishing for more oomph.
The throttle response is laggy, so pace is slow to build, and there’s very little action from low revs until a surge of power kicks in around 2500rpm.
When fully loaded with the family and their luggage, the 500L will feel gutless on long journeys.
When pushed hard the engine predictably groans, but at idle and on gentle urban journeys its pretty hushed, and refinement is generally good, with little wind or road noise entering the interior.
Although it’s a tall car, body roll in corners is well controlled. However, it doesn’t feel very agile and struggles to shift its weight quickly, with grabby brakes and light steering that doesn’t make cornering particularly confidence-inspiring.
The gearbox is at least accurate and slick, even if the gearlever is made from cheap-feeling plastic.
But for buyers looking at this kind of car, it will be town manners and interior quality that are likely to matter more than its dynamics.
The interior is a considerable step up from the old 500L, with a new 70in touchscreen with the latest Uconnect infotainment system available on top-spec Lounge models, and switchgear that mostly seems good quality, if still a little plasticky.
There’s decent space up front and the driving position is very upright; while that may not suit everyone, it does offer good visibility all round.
In the back seats, there’s plenty of leg room – and the bench can be handily moved forwards or back – but the panoramic sunroof, which comes as standard on Lounge trim, severely impedes on head room in the back, so much so that tall adults will struggle to sit upright.
As for the rivals, the 500L straddles the line between MPV and SUV. It’s not quite big enough to be an out-and-out people-carrier, but nor does it offer the off-road bias of an SUV.
In that respect, its similar to the new Vauxhall Crossland X. That cars boot is marginally bigger than the 500Ls, but the Fiat is better to drive and has a lot more character to it. Should I buy one?.
Even with its styling updates, the 500L still has a face that only a mother could love, but fashion-conscious family-types could well fall for its sized-up-500 allure.
For outright practicality though, bigger MPVs such as the Renault Scénic wipe the floor with the 500L (the Scénic has a 572-litre boot, while the 500Ls is 400 litres). The Scénic will be much more expensive, though.
So, in the 500Ls price bracket, the Citroën C3 Picasso offers more practicality and is likely to be cheaper, while the Crossland X is also fair competition.
The 500Ls facelift hasnt addressed its dynamic shortcomings, but the interior is a big step forwards and it still has that retro-influenced charm, so if it gets an attractive price this 500L could make more of an impact in the UK.
Turin, Italy September £21,000 (est) 4 cyls in line, 1598cc, turbocharged diesel 118bhp at 3750rpm 236lb ft at 1750rpm 6-spd manual 1380kg (est) 10. 3mpg 112g/km, 24% Vauxhall Crossland X, Citroen C3 Picasso.

Car Reviews / Fiat 500L 1.6 Multijet 120 Lounge 2017 review

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