Fiat 500XL spied undisguised – it’s not a looker

We have a Spy photo of an undisguised Fiat 500XL – big brother to the 500L – with 7 seats and a design that only its mother could love.

The Fiat 500 range has already expanded from the very successful recreation of the original 500 in to something bigger and more family friendly with the 500L, and now we have the joy of an even bigger version on the way – the Fiat 500XL.

The 500L managed to lose almost all of the chic retro appeal the 500 managed so convincingly, and it looks like the 500XL goes a step further, with looks that only its mother could love.

Grafting an extra 200mm on the back of the 500L perhaps seems like a good idea, but the execution doesn’t sit well. An extra window grafted on the back makes the already unattractive 500L look almost comical, but this photo is a of a production ready car sat in Fiat’s factory so it’s what Fiat will be delivering when the 500XL goes on sale later in 2013.

Expected to share its engine lineup with the 500L means the 500XL will get everything from the 0.9 litre 2-cylinder TwinAir to the 1.6 litre MultiJet turbodiesel and will no doubt offer a pretty economical way to ferry a family and its stuff around with not just 7 seats but an increase of 100 litres in the boot.

Adding the Countryman to the MINI range works quite well, and we can even see a 7-seat Countryman making an appearance,  but we can’t imagine BMW would let it out in to the wild if it looked as bad as the Fiat 500 XL seems to in this photo.

But it seems Fiat is intent on milking the 500 lineup for all it’s worth. At this rate, every Fiat will sport a 500 badge before long.