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Fiat dealers this summer finally get a second vehicle with broader appeal to sell in the new showrooms ("studios" in Fiat-speak) they had to build to get the franchise.
Since the brand returned to the U.S. in 2011 with its little 500 coupe, dealers have been getting by on that vehicle in its various flavors of coupe, cabrio
and Abarth performance models. Sales have gained some traction, nearly doubling to more than 40,000 in the U.S. in 2012 and now moving at a rate of about 3800 per month, according to Autodata.
But coming in June will be a new model with likely broader U.S. appeal: the bigger, four-door Fiat 500L utility -- a crossover about the size of the rival Mini Cooper Countryman or Kia Soul. The 500L is about two feet longer and a half-foot wider and taller than the 500.
The 500L "expands the reach of the Fiat brand in North America, appealing to customers who like the contemporary Italian style of the Fiat 500 but need more space and functionality to match their lifestyle needs," said Jason Stoicevich, head of the Fiat brand in North America in a statement.
Fiat's five-seater will start at $19,900 with shipping, about two grand less than the base Countryman, and have four trims with Fiat-cute names -- Pop, Easy ($20,995 to start), Trekking ($21,995) and Lounge ($24,995).
Read morehttp://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/05/25/fiat-500-chrysler/2359283/
