Filed under: Wagon, Hatchback, First Drives, Fiat
Unexpectedly, This Opposite Attracts
Back in 2007 when the Fiat 500 was launched, I was unrepentantly nuts about the thing. From the first time my eyes clapped on the Nuevo Cinquecento at the Geneva Motor Show that year, I wanted one. Since there were no plans for a North American model at the time, I had to settle for purchasing a 1/18th-scale diecast at the expo. When Fiat finally returned to the US and the Cinquecento went on sale in 2011, I was no less excited.
And then I drove one, and the bloom was off my little Italian rose. Oh, I still appreciated its size and high style, but I found it wholly unsatisfying to drive, something that wouldn’t be rectified until the Abarth arrived. It wasn’t that the standard 500 was slow – I expected that – it was that its wonky driving position, lackluster transmissions and ropey steering all stood in the way of appreciating its other virtues. The Abarth’s characterful powertrain would eventually come along to alleviate most of those pains, but not all of them.
Now with the advent of the 500L for 2014, it appears I’m living the same scenario, albeit in reverse. My first encounter with this new, larger Fiat was also at the Geneva show, only this time, when the sheet was yanked off its flanks in 2012, I didn’t like what I saw. The Italian marque hadn’t just name-checked the Cinquecento with this larger five-door, it attempted to appropriate its amusing and iconic design by repeating key styling elements like its circular light fixtures and simple chrome bar grille (collectively known as the “whiskers and logo face”), along with rounded interior forms painted in body colors. To my eyes, the design just didn’t work, yet I was still intrigued about the promise of a larger 500 and more polished driving experience.
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2014 Fiat 500L originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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