Fiat 500L Trekking and 500L Living

2014 Fiat 500L Trekking

So, what do we have here? Another crossover? Sadly, yes. There's another one of those tall hatchbacks disguised themselves as a sport utility vehicle but sadly not as SUV as a normal SUV and this time it's in the work of Fiat by spawning themselves a more "adventurous" version of last year's 500L. It's called the Trekking and what this is is a 500L that some say it's fit enough for the whole 104 days of summer vacation with school starts to end it.

The annual problem for this new crossover version of the highly confusing 500L is finding a good way to spend it but how? How can we spend 104 days of summer vacation with this one? Well for starters, the 500L Trekking was made for those who want to wander around unknown roads from point A to point B regardless of which path they'll be choosing. Well, with the saying goes "the road less traveled", the 500L Trekking never seen it that way because even though it prefers the road less travelled, it still behaves like any other soft-roaders of today, even the likes of the Renault Captur and the Peugeot 2008.

2014 Fiat 500L Trekking interior

First and foremost, the 500L Trekking costs 19,650 Euros, about two thousand Euros more than the Panda 4x4 model and of course, being a 500L, it's not what you called "cute" either. Of course, you can still expect the same 500L practical stuff as well as the uConnect feature that seems to be as bland as a made-in-China digital camera or MP3 player from a made-in-China company you bought from Fry's. Talk about quality issues, eh? He he he...

Under the bonnet, the Trekking is available in different engine configurations such as a 1.4L 16V, a 0.9L TwinAir Turbo, a 1.3L Multijet, and the 1.6L Multijet engine. What seems odd to me that the 0.9L TwinAir Turbo engine develops about the same power output of 105PS as the 1.6L Multijet engine but for the fun of it, the TwinAir Turbo engine is my pick because with such a small engine dropped inside the Trekking's bonnet, it's not quite bad but as a concept, it's a tad old-fashioned to me. What bothers me that most of the engines the Trekking's offered do come with a START&STOP idling stop system which shuts the engine off when stopped and then start again when set off, to save fuel.

2014 Fiat 500L Trekking interior

Like any other crossovers, the Trekking is available only in front-wheel drive but there was a feature called the Traction+ system which some say it provides added grip on rough terrain but be warned though that even though it was an exclusive feature for the Trekking, it's just another traction control mashup like I examined on the 2008. It may not be quite as off-road capability as a Range Rover but it sure acts quite normally on light off-road use. Be warned though that comical behavior like what Clarkson did on the Auris back in New Zealand is unadvisable and doing so is stupid.

2014 Fiat 500L Trekking

So, the 500L Trekking, it may be more of another one of those non-sense crossovers of today but spending the whole 104 days of summer with this one isn't a bit of a rush unless you have a "do-nothing day" in your schedule but what about you're a family man and you want a more practical Fiat than this? Of course you might say Freemont but that's too expensive so what about a cheaper alternative to the Freemont?

2014 Fiat 500L Living

Okay, I'd be honest with you but, another 500L? Yes, another one but this time, this is the long-wheelbased big brother of the 500L called the Living. The 500L Living. Get it? Living as in..."I'm a little LIVING boy". He he he...

Although smaller than any other MPVs of today, there are things to consider about the 500L Living; first of all, it's available in either a 5-seater or a 7-seater model. Since there is now such thing as a 7-seater 500L, that's seem to be as absurd as Brainiacs running through a river full of custard or peeing someone. Awkward, isn't it?

2014 Fiat 500L Living interior

2014 Fiat 500L Living interior

That's not all, if you opted for the 7-seater option, access to the third row is done by the large door surround and the 'one hand' mechanism which permits the seat to be folded down completely. I know that sounds fine but because it's too small, I'm afraid that getting through the third row seats is a hassle, even for me of that weight because I might be experiencing some muscle pains by the time I get in or out through the third row seating. Ouch.

Of course, like the 500L and its Trekking brother, the Living comes with a 0.9L TwinAir Turbo, 1.3L Multijet, and a 1.6L Multijet engine but for the Living, it comes with a 0.9 TwinAir Turbo Natural Power 80cv, the engine that was awarded BEST GREEN ENGINE of 2013. This engine though, has 163kph of flatout speed and CO2 emissions of a low 105g/km. It's Euro 5 compliant so this natural gas-powered engine does meet European emissions regulations, making it a a well-mannered eco-car for the masses.

2014 Fiat 500L Living

Sounds reasonable though and then with the pricing of 19,200 Euros, that's amazingly cheaper to own than the Freemont, which is essentially a Dodge Journey imported from North America and then slapped some Fiat badges on the face.

Anyway, enough about that, what about what is like to be a family car? I was expecting to be as smooth as Jon Tickle walking through a pool of custard. He he he. Anyone remember that? I do. Sadly, it isn't. Although being an MPV, the Living doesn't stand up to its name and ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Bang goes the comfort zone. If I was a mom feeding a baby with a bottle of milk, most of the milk will spill out on my favorite clothes. And then when junior tries to drink a bottle of fizzy pop, most of it will spill out. That's the experience I might be talking about when it comes to the Living's comfort zone but when taking it so slow, it feels fine. It's a good thing it's not as Asian as a cheap Japanese MPV with less features because if it were, most of my bones will warp through my head right now.

So, conclusion time. The 500L Trekking is a summer vacation car that all's well at first but the fun doesn't last for long when you reached through the boundaries of the world while the 500L Living is a family car that all seems fine for the whole summer but with little space for the third row seats, that's giving me the cramps. Question is, what would you prefer?

Photo: Fiat

Fiat 500L

The 500L name is highly coveted by classic car enthusiasts and this L in the 500L name stands for Lusso, which is Italian for luxury. Right, the L stands for luxury and it was produced from 1969 to 1972. Now, when Fiat launched the all new 500L to the public, it was like what the heck? L stands for Lusso but to justify this confusion...

2013 Fiat 500L

...The L in the all new Fiat 500L stands for large. Yep, this is the larger, fatter, brother of the Fiat 500 with two extra doors making it a five-door compact MPV that once said it could be the answer to my most hatred Mini Countryman. Yep, I do really hate the Mini Countryman because this car brought me nothing but Dressy Alice, Rainy Suzuran, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Cutie Insect, Weeping Wisteria, Burning Performer, or Stratos Butterfly.

What?! Those were from the PS3 version of THE IDOLM@STER 2. The costumes that the XBOX 360 version didn't have! I used those as a metaphor for my most hatred vehicle! Now, if you excuse me, would you let Commodore Clarksonio continue, okay? Ahem, to continue...

The thing about the new 500L is unlike the Countryman, the 500L looks a bit more well detailed, well dressed, and well made but sadly though, this is more like an altered version of the car which is claimed to be James May's perennial favorite....the new Fiat Panda! No wait, this isn't more of an altered Panda but this kind of look harks back to the Fiat 500K Giardiniera, built from 1960-77. All that retro-futuristic look really put some spice on it but what about on the inside?

2013 Fiat 500L interior

The inside is more like the Fiat Panda rather than the 500 but if you think this little fella is bigger on the inside, better do the math folks because with a capacity of almost 400 litres, you can fill up to five roller suitcases! Also, the 500L comes with the Cargo Magic Space system that you can adjust the load by three levels separating precious objects from the biggies. This is a wonderful thinking that Fiat's good at because with all that 415 cm long, 178 cm wide, 166 cm high and 261 wheelbase of dimensions, I was very impressed about this but I'm afraid this would get bullied by my Mini Countryman foe but no matter. You know that the Fiat 500L can seat up to five people while the Countryman seats four because of something that separates them. A clear win for the 500L though but this is only the beginning. Yep, Fiat's working on an long-wheelbase version of the 500L and it will have two more seats at the back!

2013 Fiat 500L

Anyway, while we're diddling right about that for a while, let's take a look at the performance. Because the L in the 500L name not only means large or lofty, it's Light, when 'lightness' means user-friendly technology and eco-friendliness. It comes with a "light" engine range of two petrol - 105 HP 0.9 Turbo TwinAir and 95 HP 1.4 l 16V Fire engines and one turbodiesel engine, the 85 HP 1.3 MultiJet 2, mated with the combination with the 5- or 6-speed manual gearboxes.

The all new 0.9 Turbo TwinAir engine generates 105 HP of power, 0-100kph in 12.3 seconds, and top speed of 180kph, which of course the top speed you can only achieve on most Japanese cars. Right, most but not many Japanese cars' speedos always read up to 180kph. Take note of that and anyway, this has the class-top fuel consumptionand emissions in the homologation combined cycle at the same time (4.8 litres/100 km and 112 g/km of CO2).

The 1.4 16V Fire engine though, it's just 6.2 litres/100 km with CO2 emissions staying within 145 g/km while the 1.3 16V MultiJet 2 engine consumes just 4.2 litres/100 km with 110 g/km of CO2 emissions in the homologation combined cycle. There you are folks, the 500L's light fuel consumption really adapts the concept of being a fuel-efficient compact MPV for the masses.

Here's some bits that you'll never noticed because the all new 500L comes with the all new "City Brake Control" which is capable of recognising obstacles in front of the car and of braking automatically when the driver fails to do so to avoid crashing into them. Remind you of any? Oh yeah! It was the same technology I'd expect from Volvo's City Safety or Subaru Eyesight Driver Assist System! How cool was that but better take precautions about this Assisted Brake feature because sometimes it doesn't work and you have to brake by yourself in an alert and vigilant way.

Aside from those, the Fiat 500L do come with Electronic Stability Control, Anti Slip Regulation, Hill Holder, Motor Schleppmoment Reelung, Driving Steering Torque, and Electronic Rollover Mitigation. Sadly however, there was one person who raised a hand and said "What is Motor Schleppmoment Reelung?" Simple; when there is a brisk gear change in poor grip conditions, the MSR function intervenes, restoring engine torque and preventing the wheels from locking and slipping. Simple as that.

Price? It's 15,550 Euros, that is the suggested retail price for the 500L. For a good side though, this car is all about personalization thanks to 11 exterior body colours, 3 different shades for the roof (black, white or selected body colour), 4 trim levels (Pop, Pop Star, Easy and Lounge), 3 rim colours (black, white, grey), 3 engine versions and 7 different interior configurations in addition to 140 accessories specially created for the model are available. Despite it's quintessentially Italian, the fact is though it's made in Kragujevac, Serbia, which I believe it's in Russia. Spoilers!

My comment:

Those senior people who have a classic Fiat 500-dedicated car clubs may seem to be disappointed when Fiat proposes to resurrect the “L” designation for a 2013 model being introduced in Geneva since March. That's a shame though that the L for this new 500L doesn't mean lusso or luxury because what Fiat said, the L stands for Large, Light, and Lofty.

Sadly though, the new 500L is a bit too lame, it's a bit too girly, it's a bit too good for a kissogram to get in, and it's as soft as an...Adipose. Gosh, I don't wanna be fat but hey, this fat version of the 500 compact with extra doors and extended length is a bit too perfect for those who want to go out for some shopping spree in Milan and you know what, that doesn't seem to be good enough to take down the Mini Countryman, which is essentially the Mini I always hate because it brought me nothing but Dressy Alice, Rainy Suzuran, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Cutie Insect, Weeping Wisteria, Burning Performer, or Stratos Butterfly. Metaphors!

You know what? If I accidentally bought the 500L, I'm afraid I have to leave it to the firing range and continue my trip on foot while letting it rot but not a chance pal. Not a chance. Besides, it's still to young to get some preparen, abunten, fuego on the spot. I have to give it to some kissogram who likes it. Kissogram...What is a kissogram anyway?

Photo: Fiat