Fiat 500X to merge with 500L, likely to go electric in next generation

Update – Brazilian rendering artist Kleber Silva has presented a preview of the Fiat 500XL electric vehicle through mashing up the signature design features of the 500L and 500X. You can see more of his work on his Behance.net page.

May 25, 2020 –

In their next-generation, the Fiat 500X and 500L will probably merge into a single model as the Fiat 500XL, riding on the new fully-electric 500 platform.

With the 500X launched in 2014 and 500L launched in 2012, both models are up for replacements. The 500X has been faring better in sales in the last few years than the 500L, which has reportedly dropped to around 35,000 units per year against the 500X’s sales of 75,000 to 105,000 units in the last five years (Fiat has produced 500,000+ copies of the SUV at its Italian factory making it a top performer). Olivier François, Head of the Fiat brand, has said to Auto Express that instead of two cars, the new generations of 500X and 500L will possibly be a single 500XL model.

He opines that though the 500L has a good body to support batteries and has space to transport families around the city, being an MPV it is not in fashion right now. He said that Fiat will be thinking of an all-electric car that will make sense for the customers and is relevant to the current trend and that a blend of X and L is the way ahead.

If and when Fiat decides to launch the 500XL, it would surely utilize a bigger battery pack than the new 500e’s 42 kWh unit and more range per charge than the 500e’s 320 km. It will follow the new design language of the 500 both inside and out, with more space and features like the 10.25-inch touchscreen powered by the Uconnect connected vehicle platform. Customers are taking a liking to electric cars, especially SUVs with long range for intra-city commutes where they don’t have to stop for frequent charging. The Skoda Enyaq promises the aforementioned qualities at a reasonable price.

However the Fiat 500XL is a few years away and before that Fiat could be offering the 500X and 500L with mild-hybrid powertrains that are already available on the Fiat Panda or the new hybrid systems FCA showcased at the CES 2020 with the Jeep models.

FCA is focused on building the Jeep brand in India and the Managing Director of FCA India has said that the company is watching the market and that the pipeline of products includes electric vehicles.

[Source: AutoExpress.co.uk]