With its beefy stance and go-anywhere attitude, the Fiat 500L offers brilliant all-round driving dynamics. It is fun, funky and also very practical.

The good

Nicely designed, practical and drives well

The bad

Competitive market to make an impact in

Tech Specs

Price from

£13,130

Combined Fuel up to

72.4mpg

0-62 from

10.2 seconds

max speed up to

117mph

co2 from

104g/km

Test Drive

Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 105bhp Trekking

The popular Fiat 500 line-up is growing by the day and the very impressive 500L Trekking is guaranteed to make buyers sit up and take note.

Boasting a rugged, ready for action and sporty stance, the car is certain to turn heads thanks to its metallic Beatbox Green paintwork with contrasting white roof, mirrors and pillars. It has 17-inch matt black alloys, tinted windows, flashes of brushed aluminium trim and extra Trekking body kit such as side mouldings that also add to its beefy appearance.

The interior is feature-rich with techno treats and the bright and spacious cabin can easily accommodate four adults in comfort.

The first thing to really grab your attention is the stunning interior design quality. The test model boasted a beautiful black and brown colour combination with the part leather seats featuring the 500 logo below the headrests.

Even the sporty multi-function steering wheel features the same colour scheme and the sturdy floor mats carry the 500 labelling too.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include a five-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with excellent DAB sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic dual zone air con, cruise control and plenty more besides.

Another factor worth noting is how solid the car feels. When you shut the doors with an Audi-esque type thud all the outside noise and distractions are completely silenced.

So the Trekking looks the business, is packed with quality features and offers great comfort for all occupants, but how does it handle?

The answer is exceptionally well.

The 1.6-litre diesel-powered engine delivers plenty of oomph as the car weaves its way through the six-speed manual transmission.

The road-holding is excellent as it sprints from 0-62mph in just 12 seconds and on to a top speed of 109mph.

According to Fiat, the Trekking can achieve an impressive 60.1mpg on a combined run and has carbon emissions of 122g/km.

Storage options are pretty respectable too with a boot that can easily accommodate the weekly shopping and the 60:40 split-folding rear seats increase capacity as and when required.

There is also an under-floor section. Elsewhere there are a number of handy storage compartments, including a double glovebox (one chilled) and useful solid pockets in the back of the front seats.

Fiat has packed a comprehensive list of safety features into the Trekking such as anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability control, hill holder and six airbags.

The car is fitted with Traction+ which is advanced tracking system that resembles four-wheel drive. It is that with the addition of raised ground clearance that enables the Trekking to cope with a certain amount of rougher terrain, but it’s no off-roader and doesn’t claim to be.

All in all, the Trekking which is priced at £19,590 (£21,740 with optional extras) oozes class and elegance.

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