Fiat 500L Trekking
Fiat is presenting the 500L Living and 500L Trekking to the international press, two developments of the 500's identity that lead the 500 family to explore new territory, breaking the conventional segment barriers. Two cars very different in form and character, but which have the same roots in common: the Fiat 500, the icon of Italian manufacturing par excellence, which establishes itself throughout the world thanks to Italian style, continuous innovation, respect for the environment and premium quality. This is the magic formula with which the 500 has belied the conventional wisdom of its market, demonstrating that a small city car can become a global success, as well as establish a family of attractive, accessible cars that ensure the utmost choice and versatility.
Fiat has chosen to present the two new additions to the 500 family in Zona Tortona, Milan, a symbol of the city that reinvented itself, transforming its industrial roots - there were some important factories in this area - into an international present, made up of design, fashion and modern art. It's an evocative location that perfectly represents the continuous transformation of Milan, which today is opening up to new ideas and the future reflected in Expo 2015, of which both Fiat Spa and Fiat Industrial will be Global Partners.
The same attitude towards reinventing itself which distinguishes Fiat, which undertook a profound transformation in 2007 with its iconic 500, marking the beginning of a new stylistic and industrial journey. In fact, upon its appearance it was christened as the manifesto of the "new Fiat", a model which still today carries with it a new approach to construction, renewed brand strategies and another way to see the car, which concentrates more on quality, emotions and unique features. In this sense, Milan and Fiat - with the whole 500 family - speak the same language and are alike in terms of identity, ability to reinvent themselves and the never conventional ways with which they relate to the people living there.
500L Trekking
The Fiat 500L Trekking is a free spirit with two perfectly fused souls which love to play off one another every day: one metropolitan, for breezing through the city, and one more adventurous, perfect for those little weekend pleasures that make life worth living.
The new car sports a distinctive all-round look teamed with a high ride and specially designed bumpers with protective shield. In addition, the stylish exterior is enhanced by new 17" diamond-finish alloy wheels, satin finish handles and brushed steel side mouldings.
The new model offers a range of features as standard, including smart front-wheel drive with Traction+ technology which, together with M+S "snowflake" tyres (also standard), improves the vehicle's handling on terrain with poor grip. All this, without compromising the space and functionality of the 500L, the Fiat 'City Lounge' has been designed to easily accommodate life's little pleasures and greatest joys all together - children, friends, travelling - thanks to its 3.17 m³ of passenger volume and a spacious, regular-shaped boot (up to 455 litres).
The Fiat 500L Trekking is available with two petrol engines - the 95 HP 1.4 16v and the 105 HP 0.9 TwinAir Turbo - and two turbo diesel engines - the 105 HP 1.6 MultiJet II and the 85 HP 1.3 MultiJet II, the latter also with Dualogic robotised automatic transmission.
All of the new Trekking's engine versions come packed with high value features. In addition to the equipment of the 500L Pop Star, the Trekking offers important standard features such as an automatic climate control system, electric rear windows, fog lights, Traction+ system, CD/MP3 UConnect radio with 5" touchscreen display, automatic headlights and rain sensor.
One of the engine options which best demonstrates the new model's explorer's spirit is certainly the 105 HP 1.6 MultiJet II, the turbodiesel recently launched as part of the 500L range. It is a highly adaptable engine offering high torque at low rpm, the best in its segment. This makes it the perfect power unit for any situation on any road, a true all-rounder which has been received extremely positively by 500L owners - the figures say it all: in just 4 months since its introduction, it has been chosen by 20% of Fiat City Lounge customers.
The same engine has been chosen for the exclusive 500L Trekking Opening Edition, a Limited Edition launched in June in Italy - through the 'Facebook offer' and 'Google offer' - which has received 500 orders thanks to the plethora of features available as standard and included in the price: two-tone paintwork, rear parking sensors, City Brake Control, Beats Hi-Fi sound system and Comfort Pack (front armrest and electric lumbar front seat adjustment).
The 500 family: from the founding member in 2007 to the new 500L in 2012
Launched on 4 July 2007, the new Fiat 500 is the iconic Italian car, a successful model which has taken over the world with its cheerful style and lust for life. Suffice to say, it's the Fiat model with the highest level of sales outside of Italy: more than 1,100,000 units sold from 2007 to date, 65% of which have been registered abroad.
Produced in Poland since 2007 and in Toluca (Mexico) since 2010, the Fiat 500 is sold in more than 100 countries worldwide - from Italy to Brazil, South Africa to Poland, the United States to Japan - and it also marked the return of the Fiat brand to the United States, where it has been beating its own sales records for 15 months, and has now sold over 100,000 vehicles.
The model has been equally well received by critics the world over, winning over 40 international awards to date, including the prestigious 'Car of The Year 2008', and has 357,000 fans registered on the official Facebook Fan Page (www.facebook.com/fiat500). To this extraordinary collection of recognitions, we can add the numerous records set by the Fiat 500 within its segment. To name just a few: it was the first city car to offer 7 airbags as standard, the first to win the Euro NCAP 5 star rating, the first to make ESP available throughout the entire range, and the first Fiat Group car to introduce the two-cylinder TwinAir engine family.
One of the secrets of the vehicle's global success is without a doubt the 500 family's ability to continuously evolve and offer new interpretations: consider the 500 Abarth (March 2008), 500 by Diesel (September 2008), 500 Pink (June 2009), 500C (July 2009), 500C Abarth (March 2010), 500C by Diesel (June 2010), 500 TwinAir (July 2010), 500 Matt Black (September 2010), 500 two-tone (December 2010), 500 and 500C by Gucci (April and August 2011 respectively), 500 America Limited Edition (February 2012), 500S and 500 Color Therapy Lounge (December 2012) and the latest arrival, the 500 GQ (June 2013).
Boosted by the icon's global success in 2007, last year the 500 family decided to explore new territory, and created the 500L, the Fiat 'City Lounge' which effectively combines characteristics you would normally consider to be mutually incompatible: the compact external dimensions typical of the B segment, with the performance, generous interior and rich equipment typical of the C segment. All this comes at an accessible city-car price and with added value you won't find elsewhere: this is the distinctive personality of the Fiat 500, a real Italian design icon.
Recently refreshed with the introduction of two new engines - the 105 HP 1.6 MultiJet II and the 105 HP 0.9 TwinAir Turbo - the Fiat 500L offers reduced emissions and fuel consumption, a wide range of passenger space configurations and excellent flexibility in luggage carrying solutions. In fact, it boasts the best passenger space index in its class. Panoramic windows also guarantee segment topping visibility, and running costs and performance are another two best-in-class features.
It is thanks to these special features - in combination with the vehicle's all-round protection, certified by the prestigious Euro NCAP 5 star rating - that the Fiat 500L is the only model in its segment with constantly growing sales in Europe, despite the difficult economic climate. Since its launch, 41,000 units have been sold and registered. Interestingly, 52% of 500L customers come from other brands and 61% from very different vehicles types among them: 35% from the B segment, 15% from the C segment and 10% from the A segment. In short, the 500L is a trans-segment car that satisfies a wide clientele with a range of inclinations, ages and daily vehicle usage requirements. For example, with its functional nature, the 500L appeals to this segment's more traditional customers - 40% are aged between 36 and 50, and 30% between 50 and 65 - including adult families who, traditionally opting for higher segment models, choose the Fiat City Lounge because they want a functional, roomy and comfortable car.
Similarly, the smiley, fun-loving look of the 500L appeals to a clientele which is much younger than the segment average (16% of customers are aged between 18 and 35), who like its sophisticated but easily accessible technological solutions and its contents which provide practical answers to the needs of daily mobility and rising environmental awareness. Incidentally, Fiat is the brand with the lowest average CO2 emissions of cars sold in Europe - only 119.8 g/km - for the sixth year running.
The 500L is therefore the perfect example to demonstrate how the future of the 500 family lies in its transversal development: in fact, if the 500 is the 'cool' city car par excellence, the 500L adds the functionality that makes it unbeatable in day-to-day life, the performance and contents that let it live new experiences outside of the city limits.
