Fiat 500L 2017 facelift spotted testing ~ station of gear

Our spy photographers catch Fiat's updated 500L mini-MPV in disguise ahead of launch next year

2016-12-16 12:20

After the iconic Fiat 500 was facelifted late last year, the Italian carmaker looks to be applying the same treatment to the larger 500L. The Citroen C3 Picasso rival is due to receive a mild exterior refresh and some new tech for 2017.

Our spy images show a heavily disguised model undergoing winter testing. Though the camouflaged car doesn't give much away, we're expecting revised headlamps with LED running lights underneath on the tweaked production car, just like the smaller 500. The rear lamps should also gain LEDs, while a tweaked grille and bumpers may feature.

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Inside, it's likely Fiat will drop in a TFT digital dial display to bring the 500L up to date with the 500 and 500X crossover. Quality may improve slightly, too, while expect increased personalisation options to allow owners to customise with fabrics and decals.

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Given both the 500X and new Tipo feature Fiat's 1.4-litre Multijet turbo petrol engine, we'd expect that to be one of the major additions to the 2017 500L. It's not clear yet whether it will be the 118bhp or the 138bhp variant yet, but either should endow the mini-MPV with a bit more poke. Minor suspension revisions could also be on the cards.

We're expecting to see more details on the 500L facelift in the first half of 2017, while buyers should be able to get their hands on one soon after. Prices may rise slightly over the current model's, though.

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Lawrence Allan

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