ROGER Moore did wonders for sales of the Volvo P60 back in the sixties and several decades on Peter Kay could be poised to do the same for the Fiat 500L.

There aren't many shows where the car can be said to be the star but classic spy seriesand the recent BBC sitcomare definitely two cases in point.

In fact one could argue Peter Kay'ssees a car - in this case the Fiat 500L - take a more prominent role in a television show than ever before.

This gentle and refreshing sitcom about two supermarket workers sharing a car journey to work has been one of the BBC's smash hits of the year so far and the 500L in it is not surprisingly pretty much ever present.

The Fiat 500L is part of the ever-expanding Fiat 500 family. In the same way that the modern MINI has spawned a whole series of spin-offs the 500 family is steadily growing too, albeit more slowly.

What it is essentially is a compact MPV based on the hugely popular 500, which reinvented an automotive icon from the past for the modern age.

Truth be told it's more than a few steps removed from the Fiat 500, most notably in its dimensions.

It's way bigger and actually based on the Punto supermini's underpinnings rather than those of the 500, which is very much a small car in the traditional sense of the word.

There's plenty of flavour and character of the 500 though, most notably the rounded headlights and chrome bar grille.

It doesn't quite have the distinctive 'je ne sais quoi' design lines that give the 500 its personality but I imagine that's the price one has to pay for practicality and versatility.

The interior also apes that of the 500, with both retro and modern minimalist styling coming together in perfect harmony.

On the inside it feels significantly bigger than its 500 stablemate, with an open and airy cabin that offers a great view out in pretty much every direction.

It can transport five people in relative comfort - unlike the 500 which is a four-seater - and also has a decent sized boot. There's even a seven-seat option, the MPW, should you have the need to cram extra passengers in from time to time.

There are four trim levels - Pop Star, Easy, Lounge and Trekking. Trekking models are set apart by added ride height and this car was the range-topping Beats Edition version of it.

As the name suggests it comes with a 520w Beats Audio sound system which makes for high quality in car sounds - I bet Forever FM would sound good on it.

For the additional outlay of around £1,600 buyers also get some noticeable styling and equipment enhancements.

The exterior paintwork is a standard grey and black two-tone set up, though you can choose matt rather than gloss.

Seventeen-inch dark alloy wheels enhance its presence, reinforced by red brake calipers.

Equipment is generous and includes dual zone climate control and black leather-trimmed seats, while styling features like the matt grey trim on the dashboard and the red ‘500' logos on the seats add a classy touch.

This car featured a 120bhp version of the 1.6-litre Multijet diesel. There's also a lower-powered version of it, as well as a 1.3-litre diesel and 0.9-litre, 1.4-litre and 1.4-litre T-Jet petrols.