Fiat reinterprets “the ugliest car in history”

The Fiat Multipla has been one of the most misunderstood cars in history. The Multipla was a compact minivan with space for six occupants, a surprisingly practical trunk, and mechanical options ahead of its time that the market did not know (or did not want) to understand. In fact, there are quite a few who labeled the Multipla as “the ugliest car in history”, despite being a product awarded by design experts and specialized critics.

During the current Paris Motor Show, Fiat has left everyone stunned with the presentation, almost by surprise, of the Multiplay prototype, a vehicle that aims to become the spiritual heir to the Multipla. The Multiplay is a disruptive car, with a body halfway between an SUV or all-roader, a minivan, and a pickup, inserted into a body 4.45 meters long with a modular interior with six seats and various configuration options.

If in the Multipla the six seats were distributed in two rows with three seats each, this prototype places up to three rows of seats with two very wide seats. Furthermore, users can resort to a modular configuration system called Petsenger Seat that allows freeing up space from a conventional seat to place a pet carrier or a child seat, but also to place a table or store objects. The other surprising element of the Multiplay's interior is the new Sunseat, a functionality that allows the passenger seat to be converted into a sun lounger for reading, resting or sunbathing through the panoramic glass roof.

A car that is everything and at the same time nothing

The differential value of the Multiplay is its bold bodywork, which anticipates some of Fiat's aesthetic design solutions. The 1956 Fiat 600 Multipla was a true revolution born from the imagination of Dante Giocosa, and the 1998 one designed by Roberto Giolito reinforced the model's groundbreaking and innovative character. This Multiplay, however, is not signed by any great Italian designer, but is the fruit of teamwork by the legendary Officina 83 in Mirafiori (Turin), which currently houses the Stellantis Design Studio Torino. We will have to keep an eye on the new generation of Italian designers coming from the Turin school, possibly the most important and influential automotive design center in the entire automotive world.

The brand new Fiat Multiplay is a vehicle that brings together several vehicle concepts (van, off-roader, and minivan) to create a car that aims to synthesize the best of each segment. In fact, the rear part of the vehicle can be disassembled to create a bodywork similar to that of a van or pickup, while it offers a bodywork marked by geometric shapes, prominent wheel arches, and a certain elevation that recall an SUV or off-roader and the space and habitability of a minivan.

As a result of this design exercise, the Multiplay becomes a polyhedral vehicle, a melting pot of the main trends in the automotive world. And although it is possible that Fiat will not dare to bring the Multiplay into production (it has not confirmed which mechanics it would use or what price range it could occupy), this prototype shows some of the various design and functionality solutions that the Italian brand will incorporate into its cars in the not-too-distant future.