A place for everything and everyone

By Ghaith Madadha - Mar 09,2015 - Last updated at Mar 09,2015

An old hand at practical and compact multi-purpose vehicles with quite a few tricks up the sleeve, Fiat’s latest effort into the segment capitalises on the unflinching popularity of its retro-chic 500 city car and the ever-growing trend for SUV-like vehicles.

Effectively replacing the face-lifted Fiat Multipla, in terms of styling cues and its position as a derivative of the 500 range, the 500L Trekking harks back to Fiat’s historic 1955-69 600 Multipla micro-MPV, rather than the more recent, hugely and innovatively practical but controversially styled 1998-2004 Multipla.

Larger and more practical than a family hatchback, the 500L Trekking offers fashionable SUV-flavoured design with MPV space efficiency and versatility.

Upbeat design

Practical, spacious, economic, comfortable and well-kitted, the 500L Trekking compact MPV is designed to reflect the cheeky and cheerful Fiat 500 hatchback, with similar retro bug-eyed headlamps chrome detailing, but features a higher ride height, more aggressive SUV-like design cues.

Improving on the basic 500L’s practical and manoeuvrable compact, tall and narrow design, the Trekking version’s prominent wheel arches, stylish 17-inch alloy wheels, SUV-like bumper and lower black cladding lend it a broader and chunkier road presence, and more versatile ability for mild off-road driving.

In a landscape of diversifying niches, the 500L Trekking is a stylised compact urban MPV/SUV crossover competing with cars like the Kia Soul and Peugeot 2008.

With its rounded lights and bodywork the 500L Trekking has a more “friendly” approach to design rather than more commonly “aggressive” contemporary designs, and is offered with a wide range of colours and personalisation options.

Available with choices including side graphics, Italian badge and upbeat colours such as the pictured model’s pastel yellow paint, blacked out pillars and a seemingly floating white roof combination, the 500L Trekking is similarly cheery, lively, user-friendly and stylish inside, with intuitive buttons and instrumentation, upright dashboard, thick sporty steering wheel and airy, bright and spacious ambiance, especially when combined with panoramic roof option.

Compact and comfortable

Powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with Fiat’s MultiAir electro-hydraulic multi-valve actuation system, the 500L Trekking features enhanced power, fuel efficiency and refinement.

The most powerful version available for Middle East markets, the 1.4 turbo is prodigious for its size, with 160BHP produced at 5500rpm, which allows for 9.3-second 0-100km/h acceleration and a 200km/h top speed. Developing 184lb/ft torque throughout a wide 2500-4000rpm mid-range range, the 500L Trekking delivered decent on-the-move responsiveness and flexibility, for comfortable overtaking ability.

The 500L trekking drives its front wheels through a dual-clutch six-speed automatic gearbox which lines up odd and even gears on separate clutches for swift and smooth shifting.

Driven on a short and winding track at the Fiat group’s Balocco proving ground, just north of Turin, 500L Trekking is a smooth and refined ride. It is well-insulated from noise, harshness and vibrations, and plenty of supple comfort dialled into its MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension, despite somewhat low profile 225/45R17 tyres.

High riding with high seating position and generous glasshouse the 500L Trekking offers excellent road visibility and commanding position for its segment. A tall and comfortably set-up car with some body lean through corners, the 500L Trekking is nevertheless reassuring on fast sweeping bends and faithful to cornering lines.

All-round ability

More surprising was the 500L Trekking’s willingness to be hustled at a brisk pace. With quick, light and direct steering, the Trekking’s turns-in tidy for a tall car, and with its compact size was more agile and responsive in sudden lane changes expected, as evident when pursuing a nimbler, quicker and more agile Fiat Abarth 595 Turismo hot hatch at Balocco.

Though it wears SUV-like cosmetics like black cladding and skid plate-like panel the 500L Trekking lacks four-wheel drive, locking differentials or low gears for serious off-road driving. However, its 13mm ride height rise over regular 500L models, compact wheelbase, all-season tyres and with engine above driven front wheels, it should easily tackle dusty and pocked dirt roads and other mild off-pavement tasks.

A practical, comfortable family car, the 500L Trekking features a range of safety systems and equipment starting with electronic traction and stability control systems, and ABS and electronic brake-force distribution to provide controlled and level braking. Standard as well are six airbags, automatic, fog and cornering lights, and Isofix child seat latches.

Depending on market, the 500L Trekking can also be optionally equipped with City Brake semi-autonomous driver assist system that stops the car automatically at up to 30km/h an imminent collision is detected. In European markets, the 500L earns a maximum five-star EuroNCAP safety rating.

Generous versatility

Bright and airy with multi-pane wraparound windscreen and glasshouse, the 500L feels particularly, the 500L Trekking is comfortable and utilitarian with generous headroom, easy cabin access and plenty of room for five passengers. A generous, uniform and versatile load area allows of utilitarian cargo carrying capacity, which can be configured from a 412 litres minimum to a 1480 litres maximum volume.

Split folding and sliding rear seats allow one to manage passenger and load space, while foldable front passenger seat, folding seat-back trays, big tailgate and height-adjustable load platforms add versatility. A practical car with a place for everything, the 500L features optional cargo organiser, luggage nets, clothes hook, roof rails and pet partition.

Well equipped with mod-cons and safety kit, the 500L Trekking’s long standard and optional spec list includes automatic climate control, standard electric windows and remote central locking.

Optional kit includes fragrance diffuser, velvet mats, sun blind, Beats audio system are a user-friendly and intuitive Uconnect infotainment system with SD/USB media hub, voice command, Bluetooth streaming and hands-free mobile connectivity, with either standard 5-inch or optional 6.5-inch touchscreen. And for a distinctly Italian touch, the 500L can be equipped with an on-board Lavazza Italian espresso machine. Optional equipment also includes bicycle, ski, snowboard, surfboard and kayak racks for sporty practicality and even a make-up organiser for lady drivers.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.4-litre, cast iron/aluminium, turbocharged transverse 4 cylinders

Bore x stroke: 72 x 84mm

Compression ratio: 9.8:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, SOHC

Gearbox: 6-speed twin-clutch auto, front-wheel drive

Gear ratios: 1st 4.154:1; 2nd 2.269:1; 3rd 1.435:1; 4th 0.978:1; 5th 0.755:1; 6th 0.622:1

Reverse/final drive: 4:1/4.118:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 160 (162) [119] @ 5,500rpm

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 184 (250) @ 2,500-4,000rpm

0-97km/h: 9.3 seconds

Top speed: 200km/h