What's the news?
Fiat has given the 500L an off-road style makeover. The new model, the 500L Trekking, made its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It is described as offering the look and feel of a big SUV without the weight and lack of efficiency.
Exterior
New bumpers, wheel arch extensions and mouldings over the sills are designed to provide a more rugged appearance. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels are fitted.
Interior
Inside, the Trekking is finished in black and brown, which sounds more glamorous in Italian as nero and marrone. The colour scheme is designed to reflect the 'earthy feel of the exterior' apparently. As with the standard 500L customers can choose a 5.0- or 6.5-inch touchscreen Uconnect infotainment system, the latter including satellite navigation.
Mechanicals
Engine choices are likely to match those offered in the rest of the Fiat 500L range. That means either TwinAir (0.8-litre) or 1.4-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel. Drive goes to the front wheels only, with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions.
Anything else?
The Fiat 500L Trekking will go on sale in Europe in the autumn of 2013. Expect prices and final specifications to be announced closer to the launch date.