Fiat announced a new concept called Multiplay, which seeks to revive the spirit of the Multipla, a historically controversial vehicle often listed as one of the ugliest cars in the world. The first image of this concept was released by the Italian automaker, and it will be displayed at the Paris Motor Show, with press access on October 12th and public viewing from October 13th to 18th.
Although it has proportions similar to a compact minivan, the Multiplay will not follow the traditional format of its predecessor. According to Fiat, the vehicle will integrate the open cargo capacity and versatility of a pickup truck with the comfort and adaptability of an SUV, allowing easy switching between these two configurations.
The brand describes the Multiplay as a 'new mobility concept,' characterized by being flexible, accessible, and 'radically useful.' Currently, no details have been provided regarding its dimensions, powertrain, or passenger capacity.
The revealed image shows the overlapping silhouettes of the two generations of the Multipla: the 1956 model, the 600 Multipla, and the 1998 minivan. The original design of the Multipla had a functional reason: to accommodate six people in two rows of three seats within a body under four meters, comparable to the length of a contemporary Fiat Argo. To achieve this, the car was built with the width of the brand's largest sedan, the Kappa.
The notorious 'step' between the hood and the windshield was also intentional. The cabin configuration, which resembled a helicopter due to its large glazing, resulted in this stepped nose, as a standard hood would require a more inclined and larger windshield. Furthermore, the side windows, larger than the bodywork itself, were designed to help children have better external visibility, minimizing motion sickness during trips.
This vehicle was designed by Roberto Giolito, who later designed the 2007 Fiat 500. The Multipla generated polarized opinions; it was awarded Car of the Year by the British program Top Gear in 2000 and exhibited at MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in 1999, but maintained its reputation for questionable design. In 2004, it received a more conventional visual redesign and was discontinued in 2010.
The first Multipla, based on the Fiat 600, already operated under this same premise, transporting six people in just 3.5 meters, a smaller space than the Fiat Mobi. According to the British magazine Autocar, the Multiplay signals the direction Fiat intends to take with its future E-Cars, small and economical electric vehicles. One of these models would be priced around 15 thousand euros (about R$ 90 thousand), and another is speculated to be a successor to the Pandina. The publication indicates that these models could be launched in 2028, manufactured in Pomigliano d’Arco, Italy, using the same platform as future Citroën and Opel vehicles.
For now, Fiat has not confirmed a production version of the Multiplay, stating only that the concept will serve as inspiration for the brand's future affordable family cars. It is important to note that the Multiplay should not be confused with the Multiplina, a four-seater electric quadricycle derived from the Topolino, presented by Fiat in June.
