the ‘fiat 500L’ compact SUV

fiat announces the ‘500L’, to be officially previewed at the geneva motor show 2012 in march.

the ‘L’ in the vehicle’s name stands for ‘large’. it is the third model in fiat’s ‘500’ line– which currently also comprises the ‘fiat 500 abarth‘ performance sports car and ‘fiat 500 cabrio‘ convertible– designed to offer under a single aesthetic a range of different vehicles to satisfy diverse market segments and needs.

at 13.6 feet long, 5.8 feet wide, and 5.4 feet high (414 x 178 x 166 cm), the multipurpose vehicle seats five, offering ‘the feel of a small SUV on the road and the restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car,‘ in the words of the italian manufacturers.

the ‘fiat 500L’ will be available in europe in late 2012 with either fiat’s inhouse ‘twin air’ or a 1.4-liter petrol engine or the company’s multijet II turbodiesel engine.

FIAT 500L at geneva motor show side view

FIAT 500L at geneva motor show the ‘500L’ joins the ‘abarth‘ (left) and ‘cabrio‘ (right) in fiat’s ‘500’ line