SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you can get at home.

*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.


We drive Fiat’s 2014 500L 1.6 diesel and get conflicting signals

Update, with impressions on 1400 cc petrol engine, at end of article

Almost but not quite

There’s a lot to love about Fiat’s little MPV, the 500L. It does the retro look better than either VW’s new Beetle or MINI’s well, Mini. It has more space inside for people and luggage than the MINI Countryman while offering something refreshingly different from the usual bland-looking small MPVs out there.

It provides the high-up driving position that game-park visitors love and soaks up all but the worst bumps on dirt roads. Seats slide, fold and tumble to turn it into a creditable mini moving-van and what could have been an excellent weekend camper. At first glance it looks as though it should be good for moving a full load of strapping adults around too. And its 500 heritage evokes thoughts of Abarth cousins and joyful handling. Sigh. If only…

Truth is, there are trade-offs. Although it appears, when viewed from behind, to have lots of useful ground clearance for dashing around game parks and camping sites, it slopes down to about 119 millimetres (Car and Driver quotes 4.7 inches) beneath the sensitive engine parts up front. So while ordinary rough gravel is okay, be sure to steer clear of rocks and keep your wheels out of washaways.

Then there’s the back seat area; with the cushions pushed back, there is more than enough knee room for the pickiest six-footer. Foot room beneath front chairs is luxurious too. But he or she will still be uncomfortable because there is only enough headspace for little people. Our 1,85-metre tester sat with neck bent awkwardly, but was luckily only in there for a few moments - in pursuit of the facts, you understand.

When it comes to handling, regular 500s and MINIs have this one soundly beaten. In fairness, it’s fine for daily driving without duress. Pushed enthusiastically into winding country bends, however, it felt nose-heavy and unresponsive. I suspect that the extra mass of the diesel engine (it weighs about 80 kg more than the optional 1400cc FIRE motor) upset the car’s balance. I have a petrol-engined version booked for two months from now and will try again. See update at the end of this report - author.

But let’s look at what’s right. That high up driving position is great for staring down minibus taxi drivers, the standard full-length glass roof and eight side windows, plus big front and rear screens, let in enough light to satisfy the most avid nature lover and compliant suspension takes the pain out of rough asphalt, rumble strips and speed bumps.

An almost infinite variety of seating adjustments helps you move big loads but when not shifting goods, there’s enough room for the busiest soccer mom and her young charges. It’s pretty well equipped too. And its punchy diesel engine has all the power most city dwellers will ever need.

Starting at the back, the hatch opens down to mid-thigh height and reveals a wide, rectangular luggage floor that can either be raised about 13 centimetres or taken out altogether to reveal a further 12 centimetres of depth. The idea is to hide small and valuable items or to separate hard items from soft, or your wet swimming bag from new, dry shopping. Down in the bottom section, a pair of lashing rings can help to secure loads, while higher up, two clip-out bag-hooks hold whatever you want them to. A courtesy light and a 12-Volt socket are provided too.

Apart from what was mentioned above, the rear seats are split 1/3:2/3, move backward and forward individually through a range of about 10 centimetres and fold flat or tumble forward to create even more storage space. There’s a fold-down armrest, three seat belts for passengers and three head restraints; but just on Lounge versions, which is the only configuration provided on this diesel model. A petrol-powered Easy version does without the centre head restraint, but it can be added back as an option. The same applies to power winders for the back windows. A single cupholder can be found at the rear end of the central console, while two more are provided for those in front.

Generous bins on the rear doors, smaller ones in front, netted seatback pockets, an assortment of little stash places and a pair of cubbies in front, look after incidentals. The upper, smaller, cubby is piped into the ventilation system to keep your choccies solid in summer or limp and melted in winter when you turn the heater on. Kidding; just be aware that it doesn’t always chill.

As for standard equipment and background detail, I could repeat everything here or simply let you follow this link to the launch report.

As long as you keep to what it does best, the Fiat 500L is a grand little MPV. But with a bit more attention to detail it could have been magical.

21 April 2014 update

As promised, I drove the 1400 cc petrol-engined version of what is otherwise the identical car so here are my impressions:
First off, I intended to tell you what it felt like when pushed into fast bends on winding country roads because the weightier diesel motor in the first car made the 500L nose-heavy. But I got sidetracked. This engine and gearbox combination, in what is possibly too big a body, just didn’t work that well so I didn’t try.

Although this is a much-updated version of the old FIRE motor; now with sequential multipoint fuel injection and variable valve timing, it doesn’t have enough grunt to move the rather heavy (1245 kg) body along undulating highways at a steady pace. The six-speed manual gearbox works quite well with the 1600 cc diesel motor but is out of its depth in this application. Fifth is good for cruising but sixth is one too many.

When cruising in top at about 115 km/h speed drops off at the slightest upward incline. Then it’s a case of downshifting a ratio or two to get going again. The car performs well enough in town but you need to work the wand to keep it going briskly on the open road.

I suggest fitting a torquier engine. Some overseas editions use an 88-kW T-Jet. This, or a 1600 cc naturally aspirated unit with sufficient grunt to keep going on inclines, would be better.



Test units provided by Fiat SA press fleet

The numbers

Diesel
Price: R278 990 (April 2014 price R299 990)
Engine: 1598cc, DOHC 16-valve, inline four-cylinder, turbodiesel
Power: 77 kW at 3750 rpm
Torque: 320 Nm at 1750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11,3 seconds
Maximum speed: 181 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: about 6,8 l/100 km

Petrol

Price: R257 990
Engine: 1368 cc, SOHC, four-cylinder
Power: 70 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 127 Nm at 4500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12,8 seconds
Maximum speed: 178 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7,2 l/100 km

Tank: 50 litres                                                                                                             Boot: 343/1310 litres
Warranty and maintenance: 3 years/100 000 km



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.



Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? That's your privilege, because if everybody agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. All I ask is that you remain calm, so please blow off a little steam before venting too vigorously.