The new 500L is about 2 feet -- and 2 doors -- longer than the original Fiat 500.

“Bigger is better,” or so goes the classic American mantra, something that led to the gigantosauruses that once ruled U.S. highways.  Fiat, on the other hand, was one of a growing number of makers that opted for the idea that small is beautiful.

Or so it seemed with last year’s launch of the pint-sized Fiat 500.  The little Cinquecento has been going momentum in recent months, after a dreadful launch, but it’s probably no surprised that as they rewrite the brand strategy Fiat officials are also wondering whether bigger – at least a little bit bigger, anyway – might indeed be better.

They’ll soon find out, thanks to the Fiat 500L, the stretched version of the minicar that’s now on display at the Geneva Motor Show.  The stretch model adds “practicality and substance,” declared the Italian maker’s global brand chief Olivier Francois – which translates into two more doors and an extra two feet, nose-to-tail.

Fiat global brand chief Olivier Francois with the 500L.

It’s still in the oh-so-small category, even with the added sheet metal the 500L coming in at just 13 feet in length.

Set to go into production in July – of all places, at a factory in Serbia that once built the notorious Yugo – the Fiat 500L bears a vague reminiscence to the similarly sized Mini Countryman, and as with the Mini line-up, Fiat plans to offer a wide array of paint colors, roof colors and other customization options.

Whether the added length and the customizability will draw in more buyers remains to be seen but expect Fiat to ramp up the marketing efforts even more.  In the early days after last year’s launch, Fiat remained strangely off the radar screen – much to the frustration of its dealers.  But it began reaching out with a controversial ad campaign featuring pop diva Jennifer Lopez last autumn.

Fiat marketers followed with a sexy Super Bowl spot featuring supermodel Catrinel Menghia – who then reprised her role in a spot starring Hollywood wild man Charlie Sheen, dubbed “House Arrest,” promoting the new high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth edition.

(Find out more about the Fiat marketing effort: Click Here. And to read TheDetroitBureau.com’s review of the Fiat 500 Abarth, Click Here.)

Something appear to be working, Fiat sales soaring 69% last month – compared to a 17% increase for the overall U.S. new car market.

Company official are betting the 500L will generate even more demand with its added cargo and passenger space, though the design is not nearly as sleek as the original Cinquecento.

For the European market, the Fiat 500L will feature two gasoline engines: a 900 cc, 2-cylinder version of the maker’s MultiAir engine, and a 1.4-liter version, both running on gasoline.  There’ll also be a 1.3-liter MultiJet diesel.

Only the 1.4-liter powertrain will come to the U.S., it seems, though Fiat has yet to provide critical data about the trans-Atlantic jump – including the timing of the American introduction.