2. Fiat 500 L
At first, it looked like Fiat scored big with its cute, compact 500 and its triumphant return to the American market. The funky, retro looking 500 proved to be quite a sales hit in the U.S. This is due to its small size, nice driving dynamics and affordable price. Of course, the small dimensions meant this was purely a city car for two but that didn’t affect its rising popularity. The best part of Fiat’s presence in America was the 500 Abarth.
Fiat used the same 500 platform, but with a better suspension and a much stronger engine to create the ultimate supermini hot hatch. The 500 L is a car with great performance for around $20,000. It also has tons of attitude and charm. But, management wanted something more substantial, bigger and usable. They envisioned a car that would look cool, but could accommodate the average family and their luggage.
Fiat wanted a car that would appeal to a wider audience and bring people to their showrooms. So, they came up with the 500 L. Fiat built the 500 L on the extended platform with the same basic design of the front end. However, it had a longer wheelbase and more interior space. In theory, it should have worked, but in real life, it was a disaster.
The 500 L is slow and not especially well equipped or practical. Most people think it looks rather ugly. It also had some quality and reliability issues. For example, the interior materials lack quality and durability. Most of all, the 500 L is expensive for its small size. Its base price is over $20,000. For this money, you will get a compact SUV with more power, better equipment and a nicer interior.