Fiat 500L

Fiat’s new 500L five-door MPV will go on sale in 2013, after debuting at the upcoming 2012 Geneva auto show. Fiat had already confirmed that such a model was coming, but now it has released photos.

The “L” in its name stands for “large,” and the 500L lives up to its moniker by offering two more doors than the regular 500 hardtop as well as seating for a fifth passenger. European 500L is 163.0 inches long, 70.1 inches wide, and 65.4 inches tall; that’s a little longer and taller than and roughly the same width as a Mini Countryman. The measurements will be essentially unchanged. Cargo room, is sure to increase beyond the pitiful 10 cubic feet available behind the smaller 500’s rear seats.

Styling-wise, the transition from 500 to 500L reminds us of the relationship between the Mini Countryman and the Mini Cooper hatch; the 500L looks like a 500 that stuck its thumb in its mouth and an air hose in its tail. That said, it’s not totally unattractive, and details like the bulging fenders and the wraparound windshield add some zest. The enormous front quarter-windows are somewhat debatable, however. The front end’s big black bumper and chunky plastic trim on the doors and rear end add some crossover-ness to the appearance.

Speaking of crossover pretensions, the 500L will be front-wheel drive—but we expect an optional all-wheel-drive system adapted from the architecturally related Fiat Panda to be worked into the mix eventually. We’re hoping the 101-hp, 1.4-liter four from the standard 500 isn’t in the running; the 160-hp, turbocharged four from the 500 Abarth would be a nice alternative. The Euro-spec model gets Fiat’s TwinAir two-cylinder and a 1.3-liter turbo-diesel among its options.

Mini ClubVAN?

MINI looks set to expand into the burgeoning commercial vehicle market with a new cargo hauler, following the reveal of its latest concept car.

Called the Clubvan, MINI’s new concept for the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show is what you get when you take an ordinary Clubman, black out the rear windows and remove the rear seats.

MINI describes it as a compact lifestyle van for business or leisure, and you can certainly imagine small scale delivery services such as florists or pizza businesses using the cute vehicles as a promotional tool.

In total there are two seats, five doors, and a practical load area that reaches from the split rear doors right up to the partition grille behind the two seats. The totally level floor makes full use of the interior’s depth, and that allows the concept to offer more storage space than the Clubman on which it’s based.

MINI will be using the Clubvan’s Geneva appearance to gauge public interest in the vehicle, and if the production green light is given then we wouldn’t be surprised if an all-electric version is launched further down the track to lure small businesses looking to curb ever-increasing gas bills.

Note, the Clubvan is just one additional model MINI is considering. As we reported just last week, three new all-new MINIs are due by the end of the decade, potentially including, in addition to this van variant, a station wagon and sedan.

Peugeot 208 GTi

Peugeot is preparing to unleash a hot GTi version of its new 208 supermini – and the ingredients are right for it to be one of the most exciting Peugeots for years. We have all the details, and our illustrations show how the standard 208 will be transformed.

Like the 205 GTi, which was offered with 105bhp 1.6-litre and 130bhp 1.9-litre engines, the 208 will come with a choice of power outputs.

The tamer version will feature the same 181bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine as the MINI Cooper S, cover the 0-62mph sprint in less than seven seconds and still return almost 50mpg.

The interior will get sports seats and GTi badges, while the exterior will feature bigger alloys, a pumped-up bodykit and larger foglights. At the back, a roof spoiler and twin exhausts finish off the makeover.

The 208 GTi will have plenty of rivals, as the Ford Fiesta ST is due before the end of the year, and there’s an all-new Renaultsport Clio arriving in early 2013. There’s no official release date for the 208 GTi.