Seven-seat Fiat 500XL revealed

The Fiat 500 is about to complete the transition from cute city automobile to seven-seater MPV – and we have the pictures that verify it. A combination of spy shots and leaked patent office drawings has confirmed that it’s on the way, and will go on sale in mid-2013.
Known internally as the 500XL, it will become the sixth member of the expanding 500 family, joining the 500, 500C, 500L and 500X. The name is by no indicates signed off, however. A source told us: “For the moment it’s called XL, but that could create some confusion with the 500X.
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“I wouldn’t be shocked if it was changed for production. You never know with Fiat: Alfa’s Giulietta was called Milano until two weeks before launch.”
The 500XL is based on the five-seater 500L, and will use the same platform and as a result get the same wheelbase. The extra interior space, for the third row of seats, will come from a rear overhang extended by around 200mm, giving it a length of 4,340mm.
As our image shows, the styling is identical to the 500L, with the exception of the extended roofline and elongated rear window. There’s the same boxy wheelarches, psychedelic rear lights and blacked-out pillars, creating a floating roofing which will be available in a variety of colours. There’s also a transparent A-pillar – a trick from the 500L to improve forward visibility.