Our Fleet Test Drive: Fiat 500L – 5th report

The Fiat 500L doesn’t fall into the go-faster category. Its reasonable, though not potent, 105hp 1.6-litre diesel engine never wills the driver to prod the accelerator pedal in the pursuit of an adrenalin fix.  

For a small MPV, that’s a good thing. Indeed, with an 11.3-second 0-62mph time and a slightly high driving position, it wouldn’t be much fun to try.

Accordingly, I’d like to think I’ve been driving the 500L in keeping with its character: smoothly and safely. which makes my rather average recent fuel economy figures distressing in comparison to the ones quoted in Fiat’s shiny brochures. 

Of course, we know most carmakers’ official mpg figures are widely optimistic because the official test they have to do is so far removed from reality.

But the gap between ‘real-world’ and ‘official’ has been growing too wide of late (as manufacturers try to squeeze into lower CO2-related tax bands that have a direct correlation to higher mpg).

Still, when the 500L’s official combined figure is 62.8mpg and the best I’ve managed is 44.5mpg – even on a long trip with dual-carriageways and lots of 56mph cruising involved – being 29% out of line makes me feel like a lead foot, which I’m not. Honest.