Eight inches has been added to the new Fiat 500L Living hatchback to allow for an addition row of seating that will create space for seven passengers. Along with that, there is 22.5 cubic feet of luggage capacity with some of the seating folded down, otherwise, you can expect about 46.2 cubic feet of space.

According to the Press Release the Fiat 500L Living Has:

• The wider ‘living space’ of its segment: 5 + 2 seats in only 4 meters and 35 centimeters.
• Is the only car in the segment with a load capacity of 638 liters.
• Is the first car for the whole family: the unique Fiat 500 design combined with the best interior space/external dimensions ratio.
• Is an agile and compact as a mid-size car, comfortable and capable as a Station Wagon, roomy and functional as an MPW (Magic Purpose Wagon).
• European sales of the 500L Living will commence this summer, but there is no mention as to if or when this seven-passenger Fiat could be offered in the US, to compete against the likes of the Mazda5, Ford Transit Connect Wagon and Nissan NV200. Scroll down for the more information on this new Fiat model.

If the Fiat 550L Living comes to America or not yet has not been mentioned. If it does it will be in some heavy competition with the Mazda5, Ford Transit Connect Wagon and Nissan NV200. For Europe, this new hatchback will be on sale later this summer.

The Fiat 500L will have a choice of two engines, one is a 1.4 liter 16v which gives 95 horsepower and the other is a 0.9 TwinAir Turbo that gives 105 horsepower. There are also two turbodiesels that will be available, a 1.6 liter MultiJet II that gives 105 horsepower and a 1.3 liter MultiJet II that gives 85 horsepower. We imagine that low power wouldn’t do as well here in America, so if there is a version scheduled for the states, there may be different engines offered.

Source Fiat

Not many cars can fit into just about any available parking space the way a Fiat 500 can. Urban drivers love to be able to jet around in these tiny compacts, but many of them just can’t stand feeling like all they can do is putt around the city when they would really like to zip around from point A to B. The 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo was created to do just that and it seems Fiat was able to get it right with this little car.

The 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo hosts a 1.4 liter MultiAir turbocharged inline four cylinder engine. This will give you 135 horsepower and 150 pound feet of torque. In this size car, that offer a definitely assertive driving experience. This is 25 fewer horses than what the Abarth offers, but more than the hatchback and you can look forward to getting from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds to help keep up with rush hour traffic.

Climbing inside the 2013 Fiat Turbo is a good reminder that this is a compact and if you have kids, pets, and other items to carry around with you, it’s not going to be the most comfortable. But for you, a passenger and perhaps some groceries, it should do just fine. The seats ride high so even though you are in a small car, you have the feeling of being just a little bigger than you really are.

The 2013 Fiat Turbo starts at $19,500 and there is a whole variety of options you can pick and choose through. The comfort and convenience package for an additional $650 should definitely be one option you choose is you want features such as automatic air conditioning, heated front seats and satellite radio. You can choose the Beats by Dr. Dre audio system for another $1,500.

Source YouTube

Green drivers are thrilled with the 2014 Fiat 500e bargain basement pricing. Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne – not so much. He is complaining that Fiat is going to lose about $10,000 on each tiny little car that gets sold. He states how the only reason this car is being released is that California is forcing Fiat into it. Either way, Fiat and small car fans are loving the low price that starts at $32,500. Leasing is also amazingly low cost. For $999 down you can lease your own Fiat 500e for a measly $199 per month. Of course if you want to own one, you’ll have to get out to the west coast because California is the only place this vehicle will be sold, at least in the foreseeable future.

Tim Kuniskis Head of FIAT Brand North America, said: “With unique Italian style, industry-best highway MPGe rating and class-leading combined driving range, we know we have a great car in our hands. Now our task is to simplify the customer’s experience and make sure that people know how easy and affordable it can be to own our electric Cinquecento. This innovative idea from the FIAT brand and Enterprise Holdings will provide purchasers of a new 500e with the opportunity to enjoy the exciting characteristics of this all-electric vehicle while giving them a flexible alternative in case they want to drive beyond the vehicle’s range,” said Kuniskis. “By addressing upfront the concerns and anxiety consumers may have about purchasing an electric vehicle, we are helping to make it easy and convenient to purchase or lease a Fiat 500e in the state of California.”

The 2014 Fiat 500e will get up to around 87 miles per gallon, which is considered best in class. This small car is app enabled for iPhone and Android. The app enables real-time vehicle status, manages charging, tracks the driver’s energy use, locates the vehicle and nearby charging stations, plans and sends routes to the vehicle and provides text-message alerts.

The 2014 Fiat 500L is on its way to American and you’ll be able to test drive one for yourself sometime in June. In the meantime, everyone has their eyebrows raised at this cute little subcompact because for one the history of these diminutive Italian cars has left a bit of a tarnish, and for two they are being built in what used to be Yugo plant Kragujevac, Serbia and we all know the demise of that unfortunate, short lived car. However, Fiat is intent on breathing new life into this new small car and city dwellers for one should be interested if they are looking for something that is sure to maneuver well in heavy street traffic and park in the smallest available spots.

You won’t win any races in the 2014 Fiat 500L version, but you’ll be able to tool around good enough to get from one city block to another with the 1.4 liter Multiair turbocharged four cylinder engine that will be fit into the United States’ rendition of this mode. This will give you around 158 horsepower and 184 pound feet of torque. That equates to going from 0 to 60 in about 9 seconds. Not wonderful, but not totally unfortunate either. Of course, the fuel economy makes those extra seconds a bit easier to bear as well.

While you can’t expect tons of cargo space in the Fiat 500L, that is not what this vehicle is built for. You do sit up a bit higher with taller seats to give you a “bigger” car feel and the interior is created in a way that allows you to feel a bit of spaciousness in the smaller cabin. Overall, not a bad pick for someone that just wants to move around independently and isn’t worried about hauling too much. While this probably won’t be a hit in farm country, it should become a trendy little favorite in the more urban areas.

Source YouTube

Whether you love or loathe the teeny tiny driving wonders, one thing is for sure, the Fiat 500 Series is here to stay. City drivers especially love the zippy little vehicles to get around traffic and find precious parking spaces, with that in mind, there will always be a market for the small cars. Of course the latest from the Fiat 500 Series, the Abarth Fuoriserieat may never make it to the United States shores, but we are quite sure we’ll see some sort of version of it or another creeping up soon. This latest edition caused quite a stir at the Geneva Auto Show.

The Fiat 500 Series Abarth Fuoriserieat was created specifically to go after the BMW Mini market and is a cut above the rest of the Fiat 500 series in terms of what sort of features drivers can expect. It hosts a 1.4 liter four cylinder turbocharged engine that delivers 177 horsepower. While that many horses may not get you all hot and bothered, you have to remember, they are powering a tiny vehicle, so that is actually pretty impressive. While there are no ratings released to how fast you can go from 0 to 60, we can bet while it’s not a face melting speed, it will at least keep you up with the rest of the commuters in the small car lineups.

There are a few different design types to choose from in the Fiat 500 Series Abarth Fuoriserieat series. This includes the “New Heritage” 695 Record which comes in matte gray. To spruce up the flat matte, it has a hand painted red and gray checkered roof, gray wheels and a red stripe. Inside it has gray leather seats that feature a red inserts and stitching. The and 695 Scorpione “New Wave” design comes in black metallic with matte gray highlights on the hood and rood along with a striping pattern that goes from the front to the rear right down the center of the vehicle. Inside is gray leather interior with light gray inserts and stitching.

The automakers who won the hearts of America’s Car Brand Perception know how to keep a good thing going and this latest Consumer Reports survey proves it. The top six brands from last year are the top six brands again for this year. This survey goes across the country to poll drivers about what they think of the available brands in seven categories including quality, safety, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation and environmentally friendly/green. All these scores are added up together and the car with the most points wins.

While the top six from last year held their spots, not all automakers lived up to expectations though. “This past year brought stability and increased sales to much of the automotive industry. Yet, the brand awareness scores for some like BMW, Buick and Hyundai have declined,” said Jeff Bartlett, deputy auto editor online, Consumer Reports. “The data shows that it has become harder for companies to compete for share of mind. Consumers are not seeing as much differentiation between brands as they have in the past.”

Best Overall brand perception Ratings:

• Toyota: 133
• Ford: 118
• Honda: 114
• Chevrolet: 94
• Mercedes-Benz: 77
• Volvo: 77
• Cadillac: 66
• BMW: 66
• Dodge: 56
• Tesla: 55

Worst Overall brand perception Ratings:

• Scion: 6
• Mitsubishi: 6
• Ram: 7
• Fiat: 8
• Mini: 10
• Land Rover: 11
• Jaguar: 15
• Mazda: 16
• Jeep: 16
• Porsche: 21

The survey also proved that quality and safety are the most important considerations for how drivers choose their new vehicles. Next is value and performance. Environmental factors while nice for everyone to talk about, boils down to what is going to help save money versus what will help save the planet, but if a car can offer both, then it immediately ranks higher in popularity.

Source Consumer Reports