SEMA-fied Fiat 500Ls are ready for mountains or beaches

Thu, 07 Nov 2013

Fiat may be struggling with its 500L, but that hasn't stopped the Italian brand from bringing a pair of the larger five-door 500s to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

First up is the Fiat 500L Adventurer (pictured above). Painted bright white with a Vibrance Bright Orange roof and Satin Black body accents, the 500L Adventurer's color scheme does well on the car's body. The 18-inch wheels look sharp, although we aren't enamored with the 500L graphics on the car's doors. The cabin sports black, perforated suede and leather from Katzkin, while the exterior's contrasting orange reappears on some of the interior elements. Underhood, a Mopar cold-air intake has been fitted, while a cat-back exhaust aids breathing even more.

The Fiat 500L Thalassa (right) is the the car that looks like a creamsicle, with its Vibrance Orange body and white roof. Fiat claims it was going for a beach cruiser theme, which explains the surf boards and the Woody Wagon-inspired wheels. It's given a modern twist, though, with a lowered ride height and smoked head and taillights.

The cabin sports a towel-drying rack near the rear hatch as well as a water-proofed cargo organizer, perfect for stowing wetsuits. Orange leather accents dominate the interior, and Katzkin leather features rather heavily. Take a look up top for our gallery of the 500 Adventurer and down below for the Thalassa.

Fiat 500L Adventurer
The Fiat 500L Adventurer illustrates the versatility of the new five-seater, with modifications that transform the vehicle and equip it with a tough, rugged appearance.

The exterior is enhanced with bright white body paint, two-tone accent wheel flares and rockers painted in Satin Black. Color is added with Vibrance Bright Orange on the roof, which totes Mopar roof rails and a large roof basket. The vehicle sits on 18 x 7.5-inch custom concept wheels embellished with FIAT logo center caps.

A custom 500L graphic augments door panels, with the L painted orange to match the roof. Orange mirror caps, tinted taillights, tinted chrome exhaust tips, molded splash guards, and a chrome FIAT logo ring further enhance the exterior styling.

The interior is upgraded with black perforated suede Katzkin seats and Katzkin pearl leather seatbacks. Matching orange accents are featured inside as well, with orange-painted bezels and orange accents surrounding the speaker grills and steering-wheel badge. The two-tone instrument panel is black with a white leather insert. A Mopar seat back coat hanger, all-weather mats, a pedal kit, door-sill guards and a cargo organizer are included from the Mopar catalog. A performance boost is achieved with a Mopar cold-air intake and Mopar cat-back exhaust.

Fiat 500L Thalassa
If the Fiat 500L Adventurer represents the "turf" in the FIAT presence at SEMA, the "surf" is served up by the Fiat 500L Thalassa, a variation on the Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser that was shown at the 2012 SEMA Show.

Proving that what Mopar develops as a concept one year can become a production part the next, the Fiat 500L Thalassa features new 18 x 8-inch "Beach Cruiser" wheels - a production version of the steel wheel introduced on the Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser last year. The wheels, decorated with chrome ring accents, are painted to match the Vibrance Bright Orange body color and carry FIAT retro-badged center caps.

On top, Mopar roof rails support a long roof basket - perfect for transporting a surfboard to the beach. The roof is covered in bright white, as are the mirror caps. A lowered ride height and smoked lenses and trim provide an aggressive, sleek appearance.

Inside, Mopar installed a unique towel-drying rack to fit in the rear compartment, with a unique water-protecting cargo organizer that houses wetsuits and a water jug for an impromptu street shower. Another original feature is wetsuit material integrated into the seat construction, along with Katzkin charcoal leather bolsters paired with Alcantara leather and dual Katzkin white leather stripes that run down the center of the seats.

Feeding off the Vibrance Bright Orange exterior, Katzkin orange accents further elevate the interior, including a Katzkin tangerine armrest, door panel inserts, dash bezel, and Katzkin tangerine stitching on the border of the front and rear seats, steering wheel and shifter boot. A classic FIAT badge on the steering wheel provides a retro touch. A pedal kit and sill guards complete the interior, with a Mopar cold-air intake and a Mopar cat-back exhaust enabling the beach vehicle to kick up a little more sand.

By Brandon Turkus