How the pope rolled up to the White House today

Pope Francis leaves in a Fiat after arriving at Joint Base Andrews for his first-ever visit to the United States, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sept. 22, 2015. Francis landed to a red carpet welcome as he opened his visit determined to press the world’s last superpower to do more to care for the planet and its most marginalized inhabitants. Doug Mills / NYT

By Kelly O'Brien

September 23, 2015

1 minute to read

Pope Francis’s plane landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland last night, marking the first time he has set foot on U.S. soil as pope.

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Francis, known for his rejection of the more extravagant trappings of the papal lifestyle, continued that pattern when he left the tarmac in a tiny Fiat 500L.

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And the 500L got a little more publicity this morning when Francis rolled up to the White House.

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The Fiat 500L falls on the larger end of Fiat’s line of compact city cars. Our reviewer appreciated the expansion, noting the 500L has “a marginally larger footprint, but a seemingly infinite amount of added interior space’’ compared to the 500c. If the pope decides to do a bit of off-roading with some friends, the coming 2016 Fiat 500X would be a better option.

The entry-level Fiat 500, known as the “Pop,’’ made personal finace site Bankrate’s list of eco-friendly cars that aren’t hybrids.