One of the car manufacturers based in NCR, has imported a Fiat 500L into India for benchmark testing. We have confirmed from our sources that the car hasn't been imported by Fiat Chrysler India. The Fiat 500L has been imported by one of the manufacturers, which could be a manufacturer that will enter the MPV segment or has entered this segment and is looking to upgrade its product.
The Fiat 500L that has been imported is the 1.3-litre diesel engine that comes mated to a 93bhp, five-speed manual transmission. There are two options in Fiat 500L, one is a five-seater with two rows of seating and the other is three-rows of seating with seven seats. Fiat had plans to introduce the 500L in India, however now at he moment our sources confirm that there are no such plans.
The L in 500L stands for Large/Lounge as it is 4.1 metres, which is similar to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga in its size. The Fiat 500L is based on the Punto platform, so Fiat can introduce the 500L in India, without heavy investment of a new platform and can be a good product in this segment. The Fiat 500 range also has the 500X, which is placed in-between the 500 and the 500L, however even the 500X is based on the Punto platform, so producing these cars won't be difficult for them. However, at the moment it seems Fiat might be targeting the SUV segments with its Jeep and other products from the Abarth range like the 500.
Source : MotorOctane
