Fiat has taken a leaf from Mini’s book and evolved its cute city car into a family hold-all. But its growth has not been without teething problems
How far can people’s perception of a brand be stretched? Marketers love finding out by introducing a popular brand into a different product category from where it originated. These offshoots often achieve great sales success and leverage brand equity. Just ask Mini. It has grown from a compact city car to an entire model range culminating in the compact SUV-cum-crossover Countryman. And all the Minis sell well, which is why the firm will soon launch spin-offs based on the third-generation Cooper.
But, sometimes, brand extensions can be ill-conceived and doomed to fail. There are a few examples of veritable long shots in the automotive market: BMW seems to be struggling to convince car buyers its awkward 5 Series GT is a true Beemer; Volkswagen is still flogging its Phaeton grand saloon even though no-one with the where-withal to buy one is interested; and history will show whether the upcoming Bentley SUV is a masterstroke – or an artichoke.
The point is, stretch the buying public’s perception of a brand too far and it might snap, rendering the product a sales dud and costing the parent company millions in development money and brand equity.
Which brings us in a round-about way to the Fiat 500L, the subject of this test. Piggybacking on the success of the 500, which has been a roaring sales success worldwide, Fiat hopes the larger of the two cars can trade off the equity of the chic city car’s name without damaging it. Because, on paper, the two vehicles have very little in common apart from a degree of parts commonality and design essentials. So, does the 500L have enough cheek to justify the name, or should Fiat have pad a marketing company millions to invent a catchy new one?
Visually, it’s not a love-at-first-sight affair like the 500 – the 500L is far too ungainly and tall for people to start cooing over it – but the newcomer has a goofy charm and admittedly doesn’t resemble anything in the segment. It’s undoubtedly retro-pastiche, but that attribute hasn’t stopped the Countryman from flying off showroom floors. There’s one caveat, though: we’d avoid the dour Minimal Grey finish and opt for a bright red or light blue, which complement the different roof shade and shiny 16-inch alloy wheels.
The cabin is a more conventional affair, but that’s not a criticism. The glass area is huge and includes a full-length panoramic roof with a shading net, the latter of which is ineffective in sunlight, as well as slim pillars (the A-pillars are split). As a result, all-round visibility out of the 500L is excellent, emphasized by a commanding driving position that is upright but comfortable (although some testers wished for longer squabs).
The dashboard is equally easy to use. The dials are dear, the infotainment system has large, clearly marked buttons and touchscreen controls. What’s more, the (very effective) climate control system on this Lounge model is controlled by chunky, solid-feeling rotary dials.
The cockpit has more in common with that of the Panda – again, not a criticism – but it can be specced to more closely resemble the 500′s in terms of colors and trim (including a suede-like material on the facia). The quality of the materials is beyond those of entry-level Fiat models, we’re happy to report, and our test unit rarely exhibited a rattle or squeak in two weeks of fairly strenuous use.
Practicality is another strong suit, and here the 500L bests more conventional rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai. Headroom is generous in front and good at the back (the second row is sited higher than the front pews, further aiding visibility for children), legroom abundant and the boot can swallow up to 352 dm3 with the seats in place and 1,144 dm3 with them flipped forward. It’s a very useful space, too, with pop-out bag grips and oddment storage spaces along the sides, and a three-position floor. In fact, the cabin is littered with thoughtful touches, including seats that fold and tumble in one action, a front-passenger seat that can be flattened to accommodate long items and a plethora of storage spaces (we counted 22) throughout.
