A lot of cars, even from different manufacturers, look the same. But in recent years, Nissan, Kia, Scion and MINI have all strayed from the usual conformity of car styles. And now the 2014 Fiat 500L has joined the non-conformists.
Nissan has the Cube. Kia has the Soul. Scion has the xB. And even MINI has strayed from tradition in recent years with the Countryman, its compact wagon.
The 2014 Fiat 500L is not as outrageous, but it’s a five-door compact hatchback wagon with a lot of character, innovation and a unique design.
The Fiat 500L is more than two feet longer than its more well-known sibling. It’s equipped with a 1.6-liter, 160-horsepower turbo-charged four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Fiat 500L is also among an increasing number of cars with a lot more interior space than its appears from the outside of the car. The new compact wagon is as spacious as many small SUVs. It seems even bigger via is vast supply of windows and large moonscape roof that retracts nearly the entire length of the car.
Videographer Bruce Aldrich (www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com) and I collaborated on the video below for TheWeeklyDriver.com.
Article Last Updated: April 22, 2014.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
