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Our Verdict
Fiat 500L
Bigger take on 500 recipe forsakes some style for much more practicality, but loses some charm in the process
First Drive
Fiat 500L 1.6 Multijet 120 Lounge 2017 review
First Drive
Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 120 Beats Edition first drive review
What is it?
The Beats Edition is the new range-topper for the Fiat 500L compact MPV. It’s based on the lavishly equipped Fiat 500L Trekking – the slightly higher-riding 500L with soft-road pretences – and adds various styling and equipment upgrades for a likely premium of around £1600.
Exterior changes are focused on colours: the Beats Edition is available in different two-tone combinations of black and grey, with a choice of matt or gloss finishes. There also subtle touches of red, such as on the brake calipers that sit within dark, 17-inch alloy wheels.
The colour scheme continues inside, with a matte grey dashboard panel and black seats of fabric and faux leather with red ‘500’ logos on the backrests. Dual-zone climate control is an upgrade over Trekking spec, as is the seven-speaker, 520-watt Beats Audio sound system that lends the model its name.
Coinciding with the introduction of the Beats Edition is the introduction of two new engines that will be available across the 500L range. Both four-cylinder units generating 118bhp, they are a 1.4-litre T-Jet turbo petrol turning out 159lb ft at 2500rpm and a 1.6-litre MultiJet diesel that’s good for a sturdy 236lb ft at 1750rpm.
The other engines available in the Beats Edition are 104bhp units in the form of the 0.9 TwinAir petrol and a lesser-powered but equally torquey version of the 1.6 MultiJet.
What's it like?
The styling changes give the Beats Edition a more ‘urban’ look, especially in the striking matte grey finish, and the sound system certainly packs a punch.
Look hard and you’ll find a few rough plastic edges inside, but cabin quality is generally good and betters the three-door 500, albeit the 500L’s styling is a little more conservative. The special seats are firm but supportive at the sides, and while the driving position is high-ish, you don’t feel perched like in the 500.
The 118bhp MultiJet – likely to cost £500 more than the 104bhp version – gains its extra power via a variable-geometry turbocharger at the meagre cost of 1.4mpg and 3g/km of CO2. Although the newer unit is noticeably brisker (10.7sec to 62mph versus 11.3sec) and pulls strongly from 2000rpm after a moment’s lag, it suffers the same refinement shortfalls as the lesser version.
It also sounds busy at idle and boomy under full throttle, and a resonance chimed in at 4000rpm in our test car. It settles at a cruise but is never truly hushed. The six-speed manual gearbox is both positive-feeling and precise.
The car’s ride (10 per cent higher than standard 500Ls) is comfort-focused and produces a generally relaxed gait. Body roll is quite strong if you do choose to push on through corners, but it’s never unstable. The steering is equally relaxed, and offers a City mode that feels like you’re pawing at air for close-quarter manoeuvres, but it is accurate.
Lower-mileage users might prefer the 1.4 T-Jet version, which is a full 110kg lighter and slightly nimbler as a result. You need to push beyond 4000rpm for a strong response, but there’s less lag than in the diesel, and the T-Jet – near-silent at idle and when cruising – has much better manners. It should cost around £1000 less than the equally powerful diesel but delivers a middling 40.9mpg and emits 159g/km of CO2.
Should I buy one?
In 118bhp MultiJet form, the Fiat 500L Beats Edition is closely matched against the front-drive, £22,240 Mini Countryman Cooper SD.
Subjective considerations may decide which is preferable if you’re in the market for a stylised compact MPV, but from a dynamic perspective keener drivers will get more from the Mini, while those more concerned with comfort would be better to consider the Fiat.
Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 120 Beats Edition
Price £21,690 (est); 0-62mph 10.7sec; Top speed 117mph; Economy 61.4mpg; CO2 120g/km; Kerb weight 1445kg; Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbodiesel; Power 118bhp at 3750rpm; Torque 236lb ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox 6-spd manual
Join the debate
I would have thought the
Anyways, I kinda like the 500L. I didn't when I first seen one, but I'm warming to it
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Are faux leather seats the
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Pretty heavy
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How Much?
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And they wonder why Fiat is in so much trouble.
I'm struggling to think of a worse buy for £21k.
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No 1.4 T-Jet in UK
The Twinair 105 is £1150 less than the MJ 120 on the Trekking model.
Материалы: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/fiat/500l/first-drives/fiat-500l-16-multijet-120-beats-edition-first-drive-review
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20 Feb 2014 16:17 Last updated: 8 Apr 2016 12:21
The popular Fiat 500L is now available with two new engines and a new Beats Edition trim.
As its name suggests, the Beats Edition gets an upgraded seven-speaker stereo – complete with sub-woofer – which has been developed in conjunction with audio brand Beats by Dr Dre.
The Beats Edition also gets the chunkier styling of the 500L Trekking and the same raised ride height, but is offered with 17-inch alloys, two-tone grey/black paint (in either a matt or gloss finish), black sideskirts, wheelarches and bumper inserts – along with distinctive red brake calipers.
What is the 2014 Fiat 500L Beats Edition like inside?
Very dark. In keeping with the mean and moody exterior, the Beats Edition gets a tough-looking matt grey dashboard and a Total Black interior pack, which brings black fabric and part-leather seats with red '500' logos stitched on the front backrests.
The Beats Edition’s sportier seats are more supportive than those in the 500L, but still have too-short seat squabs. Otherwise, the driving position is nicely elevated, and visibility is excellent.
As in the Trekking, there’s lots of head- and legroom for both front and rear passengers, and the three-way adjustable boot floor comes in handy when lifting heavy bags into and out of the fairly spacious boot.
As with other 500L models, you get an easy-to-use touch-screen infotainment system as standard, but the Beats Edition also adds automatic headlights, rear privacy glass and dual-zone climate control.
The Beats audio set-up is fairly impressive, too; it’s certainly much better than the stereo in the regular 500L. It’s plenty loud enough, yet manages to produce a fairly balanced (yet admittedly bass-driven) sound throughout the cabin.
What is the 2014 Fiat 500L Beats Edition like to drive?
Apart from the two new 118bhp engines – a 1.6-litre turbo diesel and 1.4-litre turbo petrol that will now be offered across all of the 500L range – the Beats Edition isn't much different from the standard Trekking in terms of the way it rides and handles. Body control is reasonable, and the standard all-weather tyres cope well with patchy road surfaces, although the steering feels artificially light and a little vague – especially at motorway speeds.
We tried both new engines; the new 118bhp 1.6 Multijet has 14bhp more than the existing 1.6 diesel version (which is fitted to our long-term 500L). The extra oomph gives a small increase in top speed and an improved 0-62mph time of 10.7 seconds, (compared with 11.3 seconds).
Claimed fuel economy is down slightly (61.4mpg vs 62.8mpg), and CO2 emissions increase by 3g/km (117g/km vs 120g/km). This means the high-powered engine is more expensive for company car users.
On the road, the extra power translates to a slightly stronger mid-range, which is useful for keeping pace with traffic. The 118bhp diesel is slightly quieter than the 104bhp version, too, although it still grumbles when you put your foot down. There's a fair amount of wind and road noise at higher speeds, too.
The new 1.4 T-Jet turbo petrol is faster still, managing the 0-62mph sprint in 10.2seconds. However, official fuel economy and CO2 emissions aren't as impressve at 40.9mpg and 159g/km respectively.
We tested both new engines with the standard, fairly precise feeling six-speed manual gearbox; unfortunately the giant-sized gearknob hasn’t been made smaller, so it's still a bit awkward to use for drivers with smaller hands.
An LPG version of the 1.4 T-Jet will also be available in the next few weeks. It won't accelerate quite as quickly as the standard 1.4 petrol, but will emit less CO2 (144g/km).
With prices starting at an estimated £21,690 for the 1.6 diesel and around £1000 less for the 1.4 petrol, the Beats Edition is very expensive for what's essentially a standard 500L Trekking with some nice detailing and a lot more speakers.
If we had to make a choice, we’d go for the diesel; it’s punchy enough low down, feels more responsive in town and is a much cheaper company car.
However, cheaper versions of the 500L make a lot more sense. If you have upwards of £20k to spend, you'd be much better off looking at a Nissan Qashqai or a Citroen C4 Picasso.
Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet 120 Beats Edition Engine size 1.6-litre diesel
Fiat 500L 1.4 T-Jet 120 Beats Edition Engine size 1.4-litre turbo petrol
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Материалы: http://www.whatcar.com/news/2014-fiat-500l-beats-edition-review/
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The 500L Beats Edition takes the ruggedly smart 500L Trekking and adds a big stereo from the makers of Beats Audio headphones. Imagine Daniel Craig holding a ghetto blaster and you're along the right lines.
It keeps the chunky, off-road capable tyres and tall stance of the Trekking, but on the inside there's a multi-speaker sound system that includes a subwoofer for deeper, more powerful bass notes. Even playing music through a basic Bluetooth connection the quality is surprisingly good.
Fiat has chosen to squeeze as much potential for fun as possible into its new range of cars, setting them up not just as everyday tools but as essential parts of a lifestyle, and it's the lifestyle they're starting to sell.
Special colour schemes and red detailing throughout the car make this probably the best-looking of all the 500Ls that have so far come to the market. Frankly it's a smashing-looking no-so-little thing, and a car that most young families would be over the moon to have outside their houses.
You might have noticed how many 500Ls there are on British roads already, bought by people graduating from the funky and cute 500 into the equally customisable but more family-friendly L version. Tapping into the lifestyle angle is doing Fiat sterling service, and the Beats Edition is a worthy flagship.
The boot floor is pretty high, but don't let that put you off. There's still a load of room in there for everyday stuff, even if it's maybe too plush a car to want to try to squeeze a St Bernard into the back. Families will just want to have a nosey around it to see if it's big enough for their own lifestyles.
On the practicality front the Trekking platform comes with chunky semi-winter tyres as standard, giving the Beats Edition a huge grip advantage when temperatures take a plunge worthy of Tom Daley. When snow and ice arrive, you'll be grateful for this rubber.
Mild-mannered, easy to drive and surprisingly comfortable are the defining characteristics, although an honorary mention goes to the Beats Audio stereo system, which, while it can't touch the Meridian and Naim packages in Jaguars and Bentleys, makes a brilliant fist of giving your music a bit more punch.
The new 120-horsepower 1.6-litre diesel engine is a star, too, using new turbocharger technology to make itself much, much quieter and more refined than its predecessors. Good visibility is yours thanks to plenty of glass and a high seating position, which also makes the Beats easy to park.
If there's a spanner in the works it's the price. There was probably a large pot of money sent to Beats Audio at some stage and Fiat needs to make that back, so next to the 500L Trekking the Beats looks a little bit overpriced. That said, there are enough neat details and styling touches to make some buyers fall for the looks enough to want to splash out, and given how good it looks you could understand that.
The family that revolves around music would love this. Whether it's classical or hip-hop the Beats Audio system pumps out the tunes with that 'wow factor' that should make people smile. In this class of car there aren't many other options with great stereos, so anyone who loves turning their favourite music up should start forming an orderly queue.
This car summed up in a single word: Loud
If this car was a. house party it would be Noel's: loud, entertaining and everyone's invited.
Fiat 500L Beats Edition
Engine: 1.6-litre diesel producing 118bhp and 236lb/ft
Transmission: Six-speed manual driving the front wheels
Performance: Top speed 117mph, 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds
Economy: 61.4mpg combined
Emissions: 120g/km of CO2
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Want to save fuel? Try these record-breakers' tips
Think it's difficult to use less fuel? You're right, but it's perhaps not as tricky as you thought. Two record-breakers share their simple tips for how to save fuel every time you drive.
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Материалы: http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/motoring/motoring-features/first-drive-fiat-500l-beats-edition-11363883064966
