Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018) Review
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Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018) Verdict
Available with five or seven seats. Lots of space. Diesel comfortable and quiet on the move. Quirky looks.
TwinAir engine not man enough. Third row of seats only suited to children. No fun to drive. Rear suspension too stiff when unladen.
Find out more about the Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018)
It was only a matter of time until Fiat cashed in on the success of the 500 with a range of larger models, in much the same way MINI has with its Countryman. The 500L is a larger people carrier model but the largest member of the 500 family is this - the 500L MPW - the only Fiat model with seven seats.
It's a sort of halfway house between an estate car and a family MPV. So it's more or less the same as the 500L, but with a longer overall length and more interior space. Five and seven seat versions are available, both of which come with a practical boot, plenty of interior space, plus some neat touches and Italian quirks - like the option of an in-built espresso machine.
The middle row is impressively spacious, with more than enough legroom for even the tallest adults. Sadly the same can’t be said for the rearmost seats, which are really designed for children. As with most seven seaters, these fold away when you don’t need them, leaving a usefully flat load floor.
The middle row is also mounted on runners, so you can adjust them to balance load space or legroom. Furthermore the boot floor can be set at three different heights plus the middle row can be tumbled forward completely making it one of the most versatile MPVs around. The MPW has a maximum of 400 litres more load volume than the shorter 500L.
Fiat offers four engines from the 900cc TwinAir petrol to the 1.6-litre MultiJet diesel. The latter is really the best choice for those covering big mileages thanks to its useful torque and reasonable fuel economy. The petrols are better for shorter runs and offer enough performance for around town.
Regardless of engine choice the 500L MPW is easy to get to grips with. It’s relaxed and easy to drive, offering a smooth and comfortable ride over most road surfaces. Unfortunately it doesn’t offer the same nimbleness as its smaller brother, but as a family car it’s perfectly competent.
It may not be as well built or as flexible as the larger Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, nor does it offer the same value for money as the likes of a Ford Tourneo Connect, but for those who like the quirky styling there’s enough to praise about the 500L MPW to give it serious consideration – but only if you really need the extra space over a regular 500L.
Reviews for Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018)'s top 3 rivals
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Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018) handling and engines
- Engines range from 0.9 to 1.6 MultiJet 120
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 30–60 mpg
Fiat offers a choice of five engines for the 500L MPW, kicking off with a 1.4-litre petrol. With 95PS and 127Nm of torque it’s not overly powerful, so for those who regularly drive with a full car it’s best avoided.
It may be smaller but a better option is the 0.9-litre TwinAir. Despite having a smaller capacity than the 1.4 it produces more torque at 145Nm and more power at 105PS, plus it has lower emissions (112g/km) and better official fuel economy (58.8mpg). It’s a surprisingly capable little engine that adds some additional character to the 500L MPW.
Two diesels are available – a 1.3-litre MultiJet with 85PS and 200Nm of torque, plus a 1.6-litre MutiJet with either 105PS or 120PS, both with a useful 320Nm of torque. The 1.6-litre diesel is the best engine in the whole range – it’s got enough torque to move a full car at reasonable pace, plus it’s frugal with official economy of 62.8mpg and emissions of 112g/km.
Regardless of engine the 500L MPW offers a relaxed and comfortable drive. The suspension has been set up with comfort in mind and it works well, absorbing most road imperfections quietly and comfortably, but without any adverse effect on handling. The 500L MPW has plenty of grip through corners and doesn’t roll around too much at speed.
It’s not particularly enjoyable to drive. The steering weighting is unnatural, with an almost elastic tendency to self centre, while the gear change isn’t particularly snappy. There’s quite a lot of wind, road and engine noise, too, although it’s never so loud as to become a distraction.
If you’re a town driver then you’ll appreciate the 500L MPW’s compact size. Other people carriers - particularly those with seven seats – are typically longer and wider, making them tricky to park in tight spaces or to thread down narrow streets, but there are no such problems with the Fiat.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.9 | 59 mpg | 12.5 s | 112 g/km |
| 0.9 TwinAir | 59 mpg | 12.5–12.7 s | 112 g/km |
| 1.3 MultiJet 85 | 67 mpg | 12.5–15.4 s | 110 g/km |
| 1.3 MultiJet 85 Dualogic | 71 mpg | 15.1–16.3 s | 105 g/km |
| 1.3 MultiJet 95 | 69 mpg | 14.4 s | 107 g/km |
| 1.3 MultiJet 95 Dualogic | 72 mpg | 15.7 s | 104 g/km |
| 1.4 | 46 mpg | 12.8 s | 145 g/km |
| 1.4 T-Jet | 41 mpg | 10.6 s | 158 g/km |
| 1.6 MultiJet 105 | 63 mpg | 11.8–12.0 s | 117 g/km |
| 1.6 MultiJet 120 | 61–67 mpg | 10.9–11.1 s | 112–120 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
73%
Real MPG
30–60 mpg
MPGs submitted
21
Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018) interior
- Boot space is 416–1708 litres
- Euro NCAP rating of five stars
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4352–4375 mm |
| Width | 2018 mm |
| Height | 1667 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2612–2613 mm |
The 500L MPW might share a lot of its exterior styling cues with the regular 500 hatchback, but the cabin is altogether more different. The layout doesn’t have any of the retro design touches, but it really doesn’t suffer for it. It still has a few quirks, though, like a handbrake lever that resembles an aircraft throttle controller.
The layout of the 500L MPW interior is simple, neat and easy to understand. The dashboard is clear and the centre stack has a clean, simple layout with big, well labelled controls for things like air conditioning. There’s a fairly intuitive touchscreen for controlling the audio, which is a nice touch.
The material quality is good, although there aren't any plush, soft-touch materials adorning the door tops or dashboard but at least the plastics that are used feel durable and don’t look cheap or tacky.
Where the 500L MPW really shines is in the back. The middle row of seats can be moved forward and backward on runners to allow the best compromise between leg room and load space, which means even the very tallest passengers will fit very comfortably.
With the seats as far forward as they’ll go there’s an impressive 638 litres of luggage space, plus a little more if you fold them down. The boot is fitted with a floor that can be set at three different levels which is a useful touch.
What really makes the 500L MPW stand out if the availablity of seven seats. This extra row folds up from the boot floor, but they’re really only suited to occasional use and smaller children. Adults will fit but they won’t be comfortable for much more than a couple of minutes.
Standard equipment levels are good. All models come with alloy wheels, electric windows, air conditioning and a touchscreen audio system with Bluetooth, plus there is cruise control and parking sensors. Choosing the 500L MPW over the equivalent 500L carries a premium of £990 and the seven-seat version costs a further £700.
Options include a heated front windscreen, heated front seats, various colour packs and even a Lavazza coffee machine. This quirky and entertaining extra plugs into a specially designed cup holder and can make single cups of espresso. It’s part of a pack that includes front seat lumbar support, but is expensive at £150.
Standard Equipment:
Pop Star trim includes a painted dashboard, manual air conditioning, UConnect touchscreen with Bluetooth audio streaming, steering wheel audio controls, leather steering wheel and gear lever, reclining fold, slide and tumble 40/60 split rear seat, six airbags, stability control, hill holder, cruise control, rear parking sensors, 16 inch alloy wheels.
Lounge adds a Suede dashboard, automatic dual zone climate control, automatic lights and wipers, fog lights with cornering function, electrochromatic dipping rear view mirror, electric rear windows, dark tinted windows and an electric sunroof.
Fiat 500L MPW (2013 – 2018) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4352–4375 mm |
| Width | 2018 mm |
| Height | 1667 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2612–2613 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1275–1430 kg |
| Boot Space | 416–1708 L |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Servicing | 9000–12000 miles |
| Spare Wheel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Space-saving spare wheel | ||
| Alternative | Tyre-repair kit | ||
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £15,840–£22,565 |
| Insurance Groups | 8–18 |
| Road Tax Bands | B–G |
| Official MPG | 40.9–72.4 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | 5 |
On sale until July 2019
| Medium MPV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.3 Multijet 95hp Lounge 5dr | £21,545 | 68.9 mpg | 14.4 s |
| 1.3 Multijet 95hp Lounge Dualogic 5dr | £22,545 | 72.4 mpg | 15.7 s |
| 1.3 Multijet 95hp Pop Star 5dr | £20,045 | 68.9 mpg | 14.4 s |
| 1.3 Multijet 95hp Pop Star Dualogic 5dr | £21,045 | 72.4 mpg | 15.7 s |
| 1.4 T-Jet 120hp Lounge 5dr | £20,660 | 40.9 mpg | 10.6 s |
| 1.4 T-Jet 120hp Pop Star 5dr | £19,160 | 40.9 mpg | 10.6 s |
| 1.6 Multijet 120hp Lounge 5dr | £22,565 | 67.3 mpg | 10.9 s |
| 1.6 Multijet 120hp Pop Star 5dr | £21,065 | 67.3 mpg | 10.9 s |
On sale until January 2018
On sale until July 2015
| Hatchback | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Lounge 1.3 MultiJet 85 7 seat 5dr | £19,880 | 67.3 mpg | 15.4 s |
| Lounge 1.3 MultiJet 85 Dualogic 7 seat 5dr Auto | £20,780 | 70.6 mpg | 16.3 s |
| Lounge 1.6 MultiJet 105 7 seat 5dr | £20,880 | 62.8 mpg | 12.0 s |
| Pop Star 1.3 MultiJet 85 7 seat 5dr | £18,380 | 67.3 mpg | 15.4 s |
| Pop Star 1.3 MultiJet 85 Dualogic 7 seat 5dr Auto | £19,280 | 70.6 mpg | 16.3 s |
| Pop Star 1.6 MultiJet 105 7 seat 5dr | £19,380 | 62.8 mpg | 12.0 s |
On sale until April 2015
| Hatchback | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Lounge 0.9 TwinAir 105 5dr | £18,830 | 58.9 mpg | 12.5 s |
| Lounge 0.9 TwinAir 105 7 seat 5dr | £19,530 | 58.9 mpg | 12.7 s |
| Lounge 1.3 MultiJet 85 5dr | £18,830 | 67.3 mpg | 12.5 s |
| Lounge 1.3 MultiJet 85 Dualogic 5dr Auto | £19,730 | 70.6 mpg | 15.1 s |
| Lounge 1.4 95 5dr | £17,340 | 45.6 mpg | 12.8 s |
| Lounge 1.6 MultiJet 105 5dr | £19,830 | 62.8 mpg | 11.8 s |
| Lounge 1.6 MultiJet 120 5dr | £20,330 | 61.4 mpg | 11.1 s |
| Pop Star 0.9 TwinAir 105 5dr | £17,330 | 58.9 mpg | 12.5 s |
| Pop Star 0.9 TwinAir 105 7 seat 5dr | £18,030 | 58.9 mpg | 12.7 s |
| Pop Star 1.3 MultiJet 85 5dr | £17,330 | 67.3 mpg | 15.1 s |
| Pop Star 1.3 MultiJet 85 Dualogic 5dr Auto | £18,230 | 70.6 mpg | 16.0 s |
| Pop Star 1.4 95 5dr | £15,840 | 45.6 mpg | 12.8 s |
| Pop Star 1.6 MultiJet 105 5dr | £18,330 | 62.8 mpg | 11.8 s |
| Pop Star 1.6 MultiJet 120 5dr | £18,830 | 61.4 mpg | 11.1 s |
Model History
June 2013
Fiat reveals 500L MPW
A development of the icon launched in 2007, the new car is for living life to the full, a car which reaches out directly to a diverse public, attentive to new features and looking for a balance of functionality and design, to make room for their many interests and intended uses without compromising on style.
The new Fiat has all the agility of a city-car, is as compact as a mid-size car, has the comfort and contents of a C-segment station wagon or saloon and the space and the versatility of an MPV. These are the ingredients of a new conception of the car, which is not based solely on technical specifications, but also on how it is experienced in life, to create a magic combination.
The 500L MPW is therefore the perfect marriage of effective use of space and unmistakeable ‘made in Fiat’ design. With an additional third row of seats, the new car is the most compact ‘5 + 2-seater’ MPV in its segment: it is 435 cm long, 178 cm wide and 167 cm high. What’s more, despite being 20 cm shorter than a C-segment Station Wagon, the Fiat 500L MPW ensures exceptional values in terms of comfort, space and load capacity, as demonstrated by a volume of 638 litres.
The new model therefore assumes its position as the first car for the whole family which reaches out to all consumers, able to win over both men, thanks to its characteristics of functionality and efficiency, and women, due to its beauty, intelligence and style. And it’s bound to please children as well: to their eyes it will be attractively spacious. In short, the Fiat 500L MPW is the superlative expression of Fiat’s characteristic ingenuity in creating vehicles that make everyday life more simple, and a bit more fun as well.
At launch, the Fiat 500L MPW will be equipped with two petrol engines - 95 HP 1.4 16v and 105 HP 0.9 TwinAir Turbo - as well as two turbodiesels: 105 HP 1.6 MultiJet II and 85 HP 1.3 MultiJet II, the latter also with automatic transmission.
The range includes two trim levels (Pop Star and Lounge), both with 5 or 7 seats, 19 body colours (including 11 two-tone combinations) and 6 interior trims, 15 different types in terms of alloy wheels and hub caps: in total, no fewer than 282 combinations are possible. The new Fiat 500L MPW offers equipment worthy of a higher segment, as demonstrated by the new leather interiors, integrated navigation system and rear camera to assist with reversing manoeuvres.
September 2013
500L MPW goes on sale
The new Fiat 500L MPW will be offered in two trim levels: Pop Star and Lounge. Equipment highlights on the Pop Star version include air conditioning, cruise control, 16-inch alloy wheels, a 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Uconnect, six airbags, a full suite of stability and traction control safety systems as well as rear parking sensors.
The Lounge version builds on the Pop Star’s high specification level by adding rear electric windows, front fog lights, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, rain sensors, front seats with seat back tables and storage nets, an electro-chromatic rear view mirror, rear privacy glass, floor mats and an electric glass sunroof.
The new 500L MPW engine range consists of four power plants: The 95hp 1.4-litre petrol (5-seat only); the 105hp 0.9 TwinAir petrol; the 85hp 1.3 MultiJet (also available with the Dualogic automatic transmission) and the 105hp 1.6-litre MultiJet. A total of nine different exterior colour choices are available, plus a variety of contrasting roof and mirror colour combinations, as well as a range of alloy wheels in different sizes, styles and colours.
Prices for the 500L MPW start at £15,795 for the 1.4 Pop Star while the 7-seat versions start at £17,990 for either the TwinAir 105hp Pop Star or 1.3 MultiJet 85hp Pop Star.
| FIAT 500L MPW VERSION | OTR PRICE 5-SEATS | OTR PRICE 5+2* SEATS | CO2 |
| Pop Star 1.4 95hp | £15,795 | N/A | 145 |
| Pop Star TwinAir 105hp | £17,290 | £17,990 | 112 |
| Pop Star 1.3 MultiJet 85hp | £17,290 | £17,990 | 110 |
| Pop Star 1.3 MultiJet Dualogic | £18,190 | £18,890 | 105 |
| Pop Star 1.6 MultiJet 105hp | £18,290 | £18,990 | 117 |
| Lounge 1.4 95hp | £17,295 | N/A | 145 |
| Lounge TwinAir 105hp | £18,790 | £19,490 | 112 |
| Lounge 1.3 MultiJet 85hp | £18,790 | £19,490 | 110 |
| Lounge 1.3 MultiJet Dualogic | £19,690 | £20,390 | 105 |
| Lounge 1.6 MultiJet 105hp | £19,790 | £20,490 | 117 |
What to watch out for
TwinAir engine extremely oil sensitive. Wrong oil can destroy MultiAir system replacement of which costs £1,200. Must use correct FIAT Selenium oil.
