• Plenty of passenger space in the Cross
• Easy to get in and out of, for all
• Boot is flexible, but not the biggest

Four adults will comfortably fit in the Cross, with a fifth unlikely to complain too much, either. The rear seats slide back and forth to switch between more legroom or more boot space, but the seat base itself is quite flat.

It might be tempting to spec your 500L Cross with the panoramic sunroof to keep the kids entertained, but as soon as you put some adults in the back, there will be complaints about lack of headroom as the glass roof takes up a lot of that space.

In the front, however, there’s loads of room and plenty of adjustment in the seats, while visibility is excellent all-round thanks to large, low windows.

Fold-down tray tables are available for rear seat passengers – again a great feature when travelling with the little ones, and there’s a good amount of storage bins and cubbyholes dotted around the cabin.

The 500L is actually quite a compact car, despite its practical interior, and the wealth of glass means it’s very easy to manoeuvre.

This Fiat’s slab-sided design means it’s easy to judge the extremities of the car – it’s only the jutting-out front that may cause some issues.

Rear sensors help when parking, while a reversing camera can also be added as part of the City Pack to boost the ease with which you can manoeuvre.

At 455 litres with the rear seats in place, the 500L’s boot isn’t the biggest in comparison with its small MPV rivals, but it’s one of the most flexible.

For starters, the rear seats slide back and forth so you can expand the boot area easily if you don’t have anyone particularly tall in the rear seats to be mindful of their legs.

Also, a variable-height boot floor means you can opt for either a deep boot for larger items, or divide it up and have a hidden underfloor area, or if you move it higher still – a shelf.

Folding the rear seats down is easy enough, but they don’t fold into the floor, meaning there isn’t a large flat load area on offer. They do tumble forwards though, while the passenger seat in the front also folds to carry longer items the length of the interior.

Safety

• Safety should be good for the 500L
• Previous model received five stars
• But that was before current scheme

In 2012, the previous version of the 500L received a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, which is a solid foundation for a safe family car.

However, under the more up-to-date testing programme, the 500L Cross is unlikely to receive five stars because autonomous emergency braking doesn’t come as standard. However, it’s available as an option if you go for the City Pack.

Otherwise, there are six airbags, three Isofix fittings for child seats and the usual safety systems such as ABS and Electronic Stability Control.