FIAT / Abarth Official: Fiat 500L


Fiat Automobiles S.p.A.; originally FIAT, (Italian: Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino; lit. 'Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin') is an Italian automobile manufacturer, founded in 1899 and formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. It is a subsidiary of Stellantis since 2021 through its Italian division. Also owned by Stellantis, Abarth & C. S.p.A. is an Italian racing and road-car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949.
Terrible branding this isn't a 500, FIAT should have called it a 600, they did this way back when, they should have done it today.
 
2014 Fiat 500L Fails IIHS Crash Test
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The Fiat 500L promised to bring all the fun of a regular 500 with the practicality of a bigger car. Is sounded like the perfect formula, but since it went on sale last year, several chinks have been discovered in its armor. The latest was found when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted its routine small overlap crash test on a 2014 version of the Italian car.

As you can see from the video, several problems with the integrity of the vehicle were found when it hit against the crash barrier at 40 miles per hour. High levels of passenger cell deformation can be seen, the driver door is ripped clean off and that sexy A-shaped glass pillar is clearly not tough enough. We dread to think of what might happen if this exact same crash is replicated at highway speeds.

The IIHS gave an overall safety rating of "Poor" to Fiat's 500L subcompact, which could prove really problematic for the company. The 500L retails for $19,195 and is thus more expensive than an Impreza, one of our favorite compact cars. When tested last year, the IIHS gave the Subaru sedan a "Good" rating in every type of test and awarded it the Top Safety Pick accolade.

This isn't the only safety problem the Italian car might have. Following our report about transmission problems with the Fiat's twin-clutch automatic, many people have written to us, saying they feel unsafe behind the wheel of the 500L.

"I am experiencing the same problems with our Trekking version of the fiat 500L. It is a very dangerous situation to be left in. Transmission one minute then nothing the next. I have been dumped twice by our car and there is no rhyme or reason to when it happens. I did have the transmission recall performed and it still repeated the same bad performance in the transmission. I would yell to anyone- do not buy this car until Chrysler stands by it and repairs it's reputation in the industry- this of course would mean putting out a product that is capable of holding it's transmission ability under all conditions. I am very disappointed in the car and the company that should be standing by it's product,"
said reader Julie Carithers on July 21st, 2014.



http://www.autoevolution.com/news/2014-fiat-500l-fails-iihs-crash-test-video-84577.html#
 

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