Fiat's new 500L compact family car will be priced from £14,990 when it arrives in the UK in the spring - £2,000 more than starting prices for the Ford B-Max and Kia Soul.

The 500L - which has little in common with Fiat's sucessful 500 other than its name - is longer than a Fiat Punto and as wide as Fiat Bravo.

The range starts with two equipment grades: Pop Star and Easy, which cost the same but have different additional features.

In addition to the standard list, new Pop Star features a body-coloured dashboard, alloy wheels and side door mouldings to appeal to a cool, young audience, while Easy gets rear parking sensors, a soft-touch dashboard and electric rear windows in addition to the standard equipment, to attract drivers looking for greater comfort.

The top-of-the-range Lounge model adds climate control air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, side mouldings, rear parking sensors, electric rear windows, a fixed glass roof, light sensor, rain sensor, front fog lamps and a rear armrest.

There is a range of additional optional features including Fiat's eco:Drive Live system, a powerful Beats by Dr Dre audio and even a Lavazza on-board coffee making machine.

The Fiat 500L, which has already achieves a five-star rating in Euro NCAP tests, will be available initially with a choice of four engines with stop/start as standard on TwinAir and MultiJet engines.

The full engine line-up comprises the award-winning TwinAir 0.9-litre petrol (105bhp), 1.4-litre 16-valve petrol (95bhp), 1.3-litre 16-valve MultiJet diesel (85bhp) with manual or MTA transmission, and 1.6-litre 16-valve MultiJet diesel (105bhp).

All versions come with the choice of body colour, white or black roof, and the option of silver, white or black alloy wheels, meaning customisation opportunities are huge. A 1.5 sq m glass roof (standard on Lounge) is also available.

"There has been growing interest in this car, so I am delighted now to be able to reveal price details," said Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK.

"Fiat 500L represents a new chapter in the history of the remarkable Fiat 500 range and we are confident that we are offering a fun yet versatile new family member that oozes style and personality, at competitive prices."