According to Olivier François, FIAT executive director, both the 500L and 500X will be replaced by one model: the 500XL, an SUV with electric versions. “The body of the L is particularly useful for its height to add batteries. Family transportation is a good candidate for electrification, as it involves a lot of urban driving, stops and exits, school, and work.
But at the same time, it is not an SUV, it is a minivan, and that type of car is a little less fashionable now. […] A fully electric version makes sense, with a more relevant and stylish bodywork. We think that a mix between X and L is the way to go at the end of the day. But it is not for the near future, and when I say close, I mean that it is not for this year, for sure.”
The 500XL will bet on a more extensive and more modular interior than the 500X, maintaining the attractive SUV aesthetic that has made it a success. This philosophy has already been applied previously by models such as the Citroën C3 Aircross or the Renault Captur which combine an exterior SUV aesthetic with a practical minivan interior.
Considering that FCA (FIAT-Chrysler) will merge this year with PSA (Peugeot-Citroën, Opel), it is highly likely that the new FIAT 500XL will be based on the French group’s CMP modular platform, which also has a 100% electric variant e-CMP. It is also expected that the next Alfa Romeo B-SUV, which will have thermal and electric versions, will settle on said architecture already used in models such as the 2008 Peugeot.