Fiat confirms there is room for a modern Multipla: a practical family vehicle for the 'post-SUV' era.
22/10/2026 11:00
Updated to
22/10/2026 11:00
Fiat aims to reintroduce a true family car into its lineup, with the Fiat Multiplay concept shown in Paris pointing directly toward production. Arnaud Belloni, Fiat’s new CEO, considers the project “absolutely relevant” and believes there is room to regain the advantages of traditional minivans without sacrificing the image that SUV buyers seek today. The idea involves a vehicle under 4.5 meters long, with plenty of interior space and existing Stellantis components to keep costs down. If the project progresses quickly, it could arrive in two or three years.
The project has a particularly interesting background. While much of the industry has abandoned monovolumes to focus on SUVs, Fiat believes there is still an opportunity to revive some of what made them popular: plenty of space within compact exterior dimensions, just like the original Fiat Multipla.
But it doesn’t want to simply return to the past.
"We need a family car."
Belloni believes Fiat has an obvious gap in its lineup. “I’m absolutely convinced we need a family car in the range.” And when thinking of a name internationally associated with this concept within Fiat, the Multipla inevitably comes to mind.
The original model from 1998 became famous for its unconventional design as well as a particularly clever interior layout: six seats arranged in two rows of three.
The current Fiat Multiplay doesn’t replicate that exact formula, but it does carry forward its philosophy of making the most of interior space. Belloni admits that he himself switched from using a minivan when he had twins to buying an SUV later on, only to find that the interior experience wasn’t as satisfying.
Fiat talks about a "post-SUV" era
François Leboine, Fiat’s design leader, describes the Multiplay as a concept for an upcoming "post-SUV" era. The goal isn’t to eliminate SUVs but rather to combine some of their most popular features—large wheels, a bold visual presence, or an elevated driving position—with a more efficient interior space.
Belloni believes there could be market demand for a model under 4.5 meters in length, especially since many current minivans have grown significantly or disappeared from the market. Fiat also notes that China is seeing a resurgence in this type of vehicle body style.
The price will determine how much of the prototype makes it to production
Here lies the main challenge. Leboine admits that technically almost the entire concept could be transferred to a road car. The problem is doing so while keeping a reasonable price.
Fiat intends to leverage Stellantis’ vast library of platforms, components, and technologies to avoid developing expensive solutions specifically for one model.
It has not yet been decided which architecture will be used. The future Multiplay could utilize components related to the new Grizzly or fit into other platforms within the group, but Fiat has not confirmed this choice yet.
There is also no final commercial approval yet, independent of public response. The brand will assess how the concept is received and adjust the project before making final decisions on industrialization.
Belloni, however, already has a fairly specific timeline in mind: at least two to three years, even if progress is fast.
The Fiat Multiplay could thus become more than just a tribute to the Multipla. Fiat is aiming for what its designers call “the next big thing”: a family car capable of attracting those who bought an SUV but still miss the space offered by a proper minivan.