Fiat Multipla

Very odd car, this Fiat Multipla. It's more or less the Italian vision on the Renault Mégane Scenic. It has two rows of three seats and it's meant for young active families. Where else than in Italy would young families need room for six? Somehow the original and innovative idea turned into a failure. Even the efforts of Formula One ace Michael Schumacher didn't change the public opinion that this car is strange. Instead of being bought by those young and active families it is turning out to become an alternative to a minibus, giving it an utilitarian and, even worse, untrendy image. Now be honest: does it appeal to you? No doubt that it's original and modern and maybe even ahead of its time, but is it nice to look at? Does it give you a warm feeling? Are you getting excited by it? I didn't think so either. So what's the problem? I think the design is unbalanced, it looks like a monospace design of which the nose has been pulled forward and the roof has been flattened. The small round headlights and those big black chunks of plastic bumper in front and rear don't help either. It misses the 'elegance' of the Scenic and the Xsara Picasso, two very well balanced designs. Instead it looks bulky and boxy and unattractive in comparison.

Seen from the rear the odd proportions of the car are most evident. Its width is 1.87 m and its height is 1.67 m, which make it almost van-like. The total length of the car is 3.99 m.The Multipla can be ordered with a 1.6 litre petrol engine delivering 103 hp and a 1.9 litre turbo diesel delivering 105 hp. A methanol engine is under development, as is a version with both an electric and a petrol engine (a hybrid system).