2014 Fiat 500L Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

Fiat dealers have not been happy about having a single model to sell, especially because of continued delays in bringing the Alfa Romeo brand to the U.S. Multiple variants of the 500 model have tried to assuage retailers – 500C, 500 Abarth – but the brand needs something that can carry more than two people in comfort. The new 2014 Fiat 500L plugs that gaping hole in the product lineup. For now.

A compact multi-purpose vehicle, the 5-passenger Fiat 500L is similar in concept to the Ford C-MAX, the Mazda 5, the Mini Countryman, and the Nissan Cube.

2014 Fiat 500L Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

• 5-passenger multi-purpose vehicle
• Pop, Easy, Lounge, and Trekking trim levels
• 42% larger inside than standard 500 model
• 26.2 cu.-ft. of cargo room behind the rear seat
• Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine from 500 Abarth
• 6-speed manual or 6-speed dual dry-clutch transmission
• Optional Uconnect technology
• Optional panoramic sunroof
• Optional navigation system
• Optional Beats Audio premium sound system
• Built in Kragujevac, Serbia

2014 Fiat 500L Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

Multi-purpose vehicles are designed to be practical and functional, not beautiful. In that respect, the new 2014 Fiat 500L delivers, gaining 26 inches of length, six inches in height, and six inches in width over the standard 500 model. The result is an interior with 42% more space, enough to qualify the 500L as a large car, according to the EPA. Cargo capacity behind the 60/40-split folding rear seat measures 26.2 cu.-ft., and the front passenger’s seat folds in half to carry long items.

The focus model at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, where the 500L debuted to North American consumers, was the 500L Trekking model. Evidently styled to entice people who would otherwise be shopping for a crossover suv, the 500L Trekking is equipped with flared wheel arches, revised front and rear styling intended to give the Trekking model “distinct, rugged looks,” and bigger 17-inch aluminum wheels “to support its adventurous personality.” Ground clearance is unchanged at 4.7 inches. Inside, the 500L Trekking has “an athletic two-tone interior environment.”

In most respects, the 500L Trekking reminded me of the old Mazda MPV All-Sport, a minivan that was trying to be something it so clearly was not.

2014 Fiat 500L Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

The new 2014 Fiat 500L is equipped with a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, the same one found in the FIAT 500 Abarth and Dodge Dart sedan, which offers plenty of oomph for the 3,203-lb. 500L. The engine generates 160 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 184 lb.-ft. of torque between 2,500 rpm and 4,000 rpm, delivered to the 500L’s front wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed dual dry-clutch transmission.

2014 Fiat 500L Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

When the Fiat 500L goes on sale in the spring of 2013, it will be sold in Pop, Easy, Lounge, and Trekking trim levels. Aluminum wheels are standard on all except the Pop, and a 20.7 sq.-ft. panoramic sunroof – one that Fiat claims is the largest in the 500L’s class – is optional. The 500L can also be equipped with a premium Beats Audio sound system, satellite radio, and a navigation system.

Two different Uconnect systems will be offered on the Fiat 500L. The Uconnect 5.0 system includes a 5-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth hands-free calling and music streaming, voice control of the radio, and a media hub for connecting portable devices. The Fiat 500L Trekking is available with a Uconnect 6.5 system with a larger 6.5-inch touchscreen, a navigation system, and an SD card reader for the media hub.

2014 Fiat 500L Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

When you fly into a European airport, something very similar to the 2014 Fiat 500L is likely to transport you to your hotel. Spacious, comfortable, and functional vehicles like these, wrapped in compact packaging and able to get good gas mileage, are perfect for a family looking for a blend of maximum affordability and maximum practicality.

Is the Fiat 500L going to drive enough foot traffic into Fiat showrooms? That remains to be seen.