IT’S bright, I’ll give you that. There is no way even the otherwise engrossed weekend driver from across the causeway could fail to spot you in this bright buzzing beelike beauty, which is not a bad thing when you’re trying to find a parking space near the GulfWeekly offices off Exhibitions Avenue in Hoora.
My bright yellow Fiat 500L looked like no other car I had ever driven and the first thing that struck me was its bulbous contours, bug-eyed lights and wide windows and a need to wear a pair of shades for that initial encounter.
The spacious interior was very welcoming and would be ideal for the early morning school run without a doubt, although it looks like the interior designer may have tripped over Michelangelo’s paint palette when it came to providing its unique colour combination.
There’s a dash of bright white, brown, black and yellow edges inside. For the sake of my own sanity I decided to leave the sunglasses perched on the end of my nose.
The original Fiat 500 was a tiny contraption, a city car produced by the Italian manufacturer between 1957 and 1975. Time has moved on and the business behind the Fiat 500L has changed.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, also known as FCA, is a multinational company and the world’s seventh-largest auto maker. It operates through two main subsidiaries: FCA Italy (previously Fiat Group Automobiles) and FCA US (previously Chrysler LLC) with many well-known automotive marques including Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia and Ram Trucks. FCA also owns Ferrari and Maserati.
The five-door Fiat 500L only went on sale internationally from the end of 2012 and has since taken off in more than 100 countries.
One motoring scribe from the caranddriver.com website summed it up perfectly by suggesting that cuteness is not always scalable when describing the 500L. ‘It tries to capture what makes the regular 500 so beguiling while adding space for four humans and their stuff’ it suggested, adding that design ‘squircles’ abound inside, lending the spacious cabin a ‘whimsical feel’.
Even the sometimes belligerent Topgear was complimentary describing the vehicle as ‘certainly different’ adding that it was also very practical, with ‘enough charm to appeal’.
And Autoexpress added that if you accept the 500L doesn’t have a sporty nature, and that it’s just a decent and safe-handling MPV, you won’t be disappointed.
Standard on all models is the award-winning 1.4-litre MultiAir 1-4 Turbocharged engine, which delivers 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque.
A Touring-tuned suspension featuring KONI shocks and MacPherson struts smoothes out the ride and it should be noted for peace of mind that the Fiat 500L comes with a sophisticated system of seven airbags to help protect passengers in the event of a collision.
The car also comes with a five-year/120,000km manufacturer warranty and a starting price of BD8,900.
Which brings me back to the school run which I put to the test with my 12-year-old son, little Stan, from our home in Janabiyah to his place of learning in Isa Town. He quickly commented on how spacious the vehicle was as he plonked down his enormous bag full of books in the bay of the front passenger seat and was too busy checking up the latest football reports on his smart phone on the journey to pass comment on the colour combination.
I really need a second opinion from my teenage daughter and style guru Immy when she returns home from boarding school and, strangely enough, I’ve grown quite fond of the car during the spell I’ve spent behind the wheel, so I may have to book it out again.
It is definitely cute, just like my little girl.
For further details visit Behbehani Bros showroom in Sitra or call 17459955.
