How Big Is A Fiat 500L? [Height, Width, Length, And Cargo Space]

It may be evident by looking at the Fiat 500L that it is bigger than other cars in Fiat's lineup. But how big is the 500L on the inside and the outside? For a car that is out of production in the US, it's tough to find a straightforward answer. Luckily, we researched all of the measurements of the Fiat 500L and have the answer for you here. 

The "L" in Fiat 500L stands for "large." That is because this version of the 500 is bigger than the original, both inside and out. The Fiat 500L is 65.3 inches high, 79.4 inches wide, and 167 inches long. The interior has a cargo capacity of 22.4 cubic feet. 

That's the direct exterior and interior measurements of the Fiat 500L, but we need to put these in more concrete terms. In the remainder of the post, we will talk about the practical applications of the Fiat 500L's space. We will compare the 500L to the regular Fiat 500 and other vehicles in its class. 

A male driver in a silver-metallic Fiat 500L drives through the streets. How Big Is A Fiat 500L [Height, Width, Length, And Cargo Space]

Size of the Fiat 500L

At its core, the Fiat 500L is a slightly larger version than the four-door version of the regular trim Fiat 500. In this post, we may refer to Fiat 500 generally, which will include the Fiat 500L. If we mean to compare the two, which we will do a lot, we will specify 500L.

One other thing to note is that all car widths mentioned in this post include the mirrors in the measurements. So, let's put the size of the Fiat 500L into perspective by comparing it to a regular Fiat 500. 

Minivan Fiat 500L parked on a street. The Fiat 500L is a five-door, B-segment MPV

According to Edmunds, the 2020 Fiat 500L has a height of 65.3 inches, a width of 79.4 inches, and a length of 167 inches. On the other hand, Edmunds also tells us that the 2019 Fiat 500 standard trim is 59.8 inches tall, 73.5 inches wide, and 139.6 inches long.

Additionally, the 500L has 22.4 cubic feet of cargo space, while the 500 only has 9.5 cubic feet. 

So, altogether, the Fiat 500L is just a little bigger than the regular trim in height and width but significantly larger in length.

This 27.4 inch (or a little over two feet) difference in length is most apparent in the cargo capacity. The 500L has an additional 12.9 cubic feet for cargo and luggage versus its base version. 

Is Fiat 500 bigger than Mini Cooper?

Now, let's look at the Fiat 500 next to another car on the market. One of the biggest competitors to the Fiat 500 is the Mini Cooper.

Both have small, low, squared frames and carry a European flair that can't be found in other makes. We'll compare our two Fiat models to two different size Mini Coopers: the two-door and the four-door, both in the hardtop trims. 

According to Mini's website, the two-door Mini Cooper is 55.7 inches high, 75.9 inches wide, and 152.2 inches long. The four-door version of the Cooper is 56.1 inches tall, 75.9 inches wide, and 158.5 inches long.

To summarize, both Mini Cooper models are shorter than the Fiats. But again, the biggest difference comes through with the length. While Mini Cooper models are longer than the regular Fiat 500, the Fiat 500L is longer than the 4-door Cooper by 8.5 inches. 

Can you Fit Four Adults in a Fiat 500?

The Fiat 500 and the Fiat 500L both have seating for four people, with each seat having its own headrest for comfort. In the normal 500, the front seats have 40.7 inches of legroom, and the back seats have 31.7 inches of legroom.

The 500L front seats and back seats have 40 inches of 36.7 inches of legroom, respectively. 

Front seats on the Fiat 500L models have slightly less space than the regular 500 models, but the back seats are much more spacious. That being said, four adults will be able to fit in either style of Fiat 500 as long as they aren't super tall. 

How Many Passengers can fit in the Fiat 500L? 

We've established that the Fiat 500 and the Fiat 500L have similar legroom and overall seating space. But does the larger 500L have more seats overall?

The regular 500 models only have four seats, two in the front and two in the back. But, the 500L models have an extra seat in the back that brings the total seating capacity to five passengers.

Motor car Fiat 500L is parked in the city street.

Do the Seats Go Down in a Fiat 500?

Also, according to Edmunds, both the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500L have rear seats that fold down. They do so in a split-folding style where you can fold down either half for optimal storage configuration.

Doing so will allow you to change your car to fit more luggage and fewer passengers if need be. 

How Much Luggage can Fit in a Fiat 500?

The normal Fiat 500 has only 9.5 cubic feet of cargo capacity in the trunk when the seats are in the upward position. After folding down the rear seats, you open up 30.2 cubic feet of storage capacity in the back of the Fiat 500.

With the back seats up, you should be able to fit two to three 22-inch suitcases or a single large suitcase in the trunk. With the seats folded down, that capacity will fit two large or multiple small suitcases. 

In the Fiat 500L, there are an impressive 22.4 cubic feet of cargo space. When the seats are folded down, you increase the cargo capacity to 68 cubic feet.

With the back seats up, you could fit four 22-inch standing rolling suitcases in the trunk of the 500L. The capacity with the back seats in the downward position can hold multiple large suitcases with ease. 

In the cargo space of the Fiat 500L, there is a shelf system that allows you to create extra space under a false floor. While this feature doesn't increase the cargo capacity, it can help with organizing smaller luggage. 

If you're more of a visual person, here is a video examining the cargo capacity of the Fiat 500L:

How Much Weight can a Fiat 500 Hold?

With those cargo capacities in mind, how much weight can the Fiat 500 safely hold? Since both the Fiat 500 and the Fiat 500L are similar in size and engineering, they have the same payload capacity of 881 pounds. 

Please note that it can be hazardous to exceed the payload capacity of any vehicle. Doing so can cause damage to the suspension or braking systems and can even lead to an accident due to a reduction in control ability.

Also, keep in mind that the payload capacity is anything you add to the vehicle and doesn't include the vehicle's weight. This means passengers and luggage all count towards that payload capacity measurement. 

How Reliable is a Fiat 500?

According to Consumer Reports, the data on Fiat model cars is nothing to really write home about. But they do admit that they don't have as much information on the vehicles as others.

Only that it only performed averagely in tests. But according to OSV, the Fiat is a decently reliable car, and the Fiat 500 is one of the more reliable models out of their lineup. 

The 500L may be unconventional in size and shape, but it carries the Fiat 500 name and technology, so you can expect it to be equally reliable. 

Why Doesn't Fiat Make the 500L Anymore? 

Fiat began to sell the 500L in the United States market in 2014, and it was an excellent addition to the other vehicles in the Fiat lineup.

Unfortunately for Fiat fans, the 2020 500L will be the last available in the US market. According to Motortrend, the automaker will stop producing and selling the 500L in the US market for 2021. 

Fiat didn't offer much reason why the 500L was discontinued, but it probably just didn't line up with the manufacturer's plans for the US market. 

Details and Fiat logo on a red 500L car. How Big Is A Fiat 500L [Height, Width, Length, And Cargo Space]

In Closing

In all, the Fiat 500 is not the car you want to go for if you're looking for a traditionally spacious car. But if you get the 500L model, you might be surprised by how spacious it is.

The car is on the tall side, which may not be for everyone, but the height offers interior cargo space that is hard to beat in similar vehicles. Either way, you can most likely find a Fiat that fits your needs. 

If you found the information in this post helpful, please see a few of our other posts:

Minivan Seating And Seats: What Are The Typical Configurations?

What Is Gross Vehicle Weight?

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