Fiat 500L Beats Edition announced

Fiat has announced the revised 2014 500L range. Most notable is the addition of the Fiat 500L Beats Edition, which features a 520W stereo developed with input from Dr. Dre.

The 500L Beats Edition is based on the 500L Trekking, but gets a two-tone gray/black paint job finished in either gloss or matt finishes. The Beats Edition also gets 17-inch alloys, wheelarch extensions and side skirts finished in black, and door mirror caps and the tail-gate handle finished in chrome.

Inside, you get climate control, a matt grey dashboard panel and a Total Black interior pack, which includes special black fabric/eco-leather seat upholstery.

The Beats Edition stereo features seven speakers – four in the front doors, two in the rear doors and a subwoofer in the boot – controlled by an eight-channel amplifier. Prices will be announced closer to the car’s UK launch here in mid-March.

Fiat has also added two new engines to the 500L range. The new 118bhp 1.6-litre MultiJet II turbodiesel slots into the range above the current 104bhp diesel unit.

As a result, the 0-62mph sprint time falls from 11.3 seconds to 10. 7 seconds, and top speed increase from 112mph to 117mph. However, economy falls from a claimed 62.8mpg to 61.4mpg, while CO2 emissions rise by 3g/km to 120g/km, although the VED and BiK bands remain the same.

Fiat has also announced a 118bhp 1.4-litre petrol, to slot into the range above the current 94bhp unit. The new 1.4-litre T-Jet powers the 500L from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 117mph, while claimed fuel economy is 40.9mpg and 159g/km of CO2.

The current lower-power 1.4-litre petrol has a claimed 0-62mph time of 12.8 seconds and a top speed of 106mph, and returns 45.6mpg and 145g/km of CO2.

Fiat 500L Beats Edition

The Beats Edition model is available with either of the new, higher-powered engines, plus the lower-power 1.6-litre diesel and Fiat’s 104bhp two-cylinder 0.9-litre Twin Air petrol.

Finally, Fiat has announced two new options packs on the 500L and 500L MPW. Only available on the Lounge model, the Premium Pack includes full beige or grey leather upholstery; a rear parking camera and a five-inch touchscreen Uconnect system with DAB and sat-nav. Fiat claims this offers £1,720-worth of luxury equipment for £1,300 extra.

The second option is the Living Pack, which includes heated front seats, height adjustable front seats, driver- and passenger-seat adjustable lumbar support and a front armrest.

This can be combined with the Premium Pack for an additional £450, which saves £125 over the standard combined price of these options.