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New Models
AUTOS: Fiat Shows 3 New 500 Models
A larger, four-door 500L plus a convertible version of the sporty 500 Abarth and the all-electric 500e are on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Trekking version of the new Fiat 500L, presenting an adventure image for the new four-door, was unveiled in Los Angeles. (Photo: Fiat)
Fiat is showing three new renditions of its little 500 at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week: a flip-top version of the Abarth performance model, an all-electric city car and a stretch model with four doors.
Of the three, the lengthened 500L is of most interest to regular consumers, who can have their stylish little Italian minicar and still have room for the kids. The production car is 26 inches longer, six inches taller and six inches wider than the regular 500 coupe, with 42 percent more space inside.
Although the 500L (the L stands for large, naturally) bears a puffed-up family resemblance to the regular 500, it is based on a different platform than the coupe and is similar in size to the Mini Countryman. There is also an adventure version of the 500L named Trekking for those who want to at least look the part of a rugged off-roader.
The 500L was officially launched at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, and it’s scheduled for our shores during the second quarter of 2013. Power will come from Fiat’s 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four that motivates its sportier 500 models with 160 horsepower.
That engine will also appear in the new 500c Abarth Cabrio, which uses a sliding fabric roof panel to open up to the sky. The ragtop is added to the coupe version of the 500 Abarth, designed to bring Euro-style performance enthusiasts into the Fiat fold. The 500c Abarth get the same sporty bodywork as the coupe, stiffened suspension, race-style seats and steering wheel, and booming exhaust.
The electric 500e is a limited-production, all-electric model that Fiat claims can go 80 miles on the highway and 100 miles in the city between rechargings. It will be available initially only in California with a few other states to be added later, mainly because of their air-quality compliance regulations.
If the 500e looks more streamlined than the regular 500, that’s because it is. According to Fiat, the electric car’s aerodynamics are improved by wind-tunnel-designed body sculpting that along with a special rear spoiler lower the car’s drag coefficient and thus improve its driving range.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
Of the three, the lengthened 500L is of most interest to regular consumers, who can have their stylish little Italian minicar and still have room for the kids. The production car is 26 inches longer, six inches taller and six inches wider than the regular 500 coupe, with 42 percent more space inside.
Although the 500L (the L stands for large, naturally) bears a puffed-up family resemblance to the regular 500, it is based on a different platform than the coupe and is similar in size to the Mini Countryman. There is also an adventure version of the 500L named Trekking for those who want to at least look the part of a rugged off-roader.
The 500L was officially launched at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, and it’s scheduled for our shores during the second quarter of 2013. Power will come from Fiat’s 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four that motivates its sportier 500 models with 160 horsepower.
That engine will also appear in the new 500c Abarth Cabrio, which uses a sliding fabric roof panel to open up to the sky. The ragtop is added to the coupe version of the 500 Abarth, designed to bring Euro-style performance enthusiasts into the Fiat fold. The 500c Abarth get the same sporty bodywork as the coupe, stiffened suspension, race-style seats and steering wheel, and booming exhaust.
The electric 500e is a limited-production, all-electric model that Fiat claims can go 80 miles on the highway and 100 miles in the city between rechargings. It will be available initially only in California with a few other states to be added later, mainly because of their air-quality compliance regulations.
If the 500e looks more streamlined than the regular 500, that’s because it is. According to Fiat, the electric car’s aerodynamics are improved by wind-tunnel-designed body sculpting that along with a special rear spoiler lower the car’s drag coefficient and thus improve its driving range.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
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