Here is the Fiat Multiplina, a descendant of the Fiat 600 Multipla, built on the Fiat Topolino platform.
Fiat claimed that its electric four-wheeler, the Fiat Topolino, “became a European leader” by 2025, whatever that might mean. As such, the company unveiled several variants of the model, including the most exciting one: the Fiat Multiplina, which is a Fiat Topolino transformed in the style of the 1956 Fiat Multipla. It remains an electric vehicle but now has four seats.
Will there be production of the Fiat Multiplina, or will we need to respond enthusiastically?
As a reader working for a Western brand revealed to us, concept vehicles have several tasks to accomplish. They allow designers to get away from the tedious work of drawing door handles in four different variations, aiming for them to be more modern/smoother/subtly luxurious/0.02 euros cheaper (cross out what’s unnecessary). They also give them the chance to stretch their imagination and experiment with new materials or technologies to find the best application for them. For manufacturers, they provide a marketing tool (“Look how innovative we are!”) and a measure of interest in a potential new model.
In Fiat, concepts generally serve more as a reminder of the brand rather than a preview of similar models, but the Fiat Multiplina doesn’t seem to be such an unrealistic idea after all. Equipped with the same powertrain as the Fiat Topolino (5.5 kWh battery, 6 kW/8 hp engine), it would be faster and more practical than the Melex N.30, while also being more practical than the Topolino itself. Visually, it draws inspiration from the Fiat 600 Multipla, a minivan-style version of the 1956 Fiat 600. The name “Multipla” comes from the Italian word “multispazio,” meaning “multi-space,” though Stellantis uses the English term “multipurpose” in its translations:
The 1956 Fiat 600 Multipla (c) Fiat / Stellantis
The concept Fiat Multiplina features four seats — here we start speculating — with the engine likely placed in the front to keep the design simple, and a battery under the floor. The cabin appears spacious, but there’s no visible luggage space unless it’s stored in a compartment under the rear seat row, behind the passengers. The roof window has a soft, foldable cover; in colder climates, the roof might be standard and rigid. The wheels are located at the corners of the body, so even with a length of around 3.6 meters, the Fiat Multiplina could be a quite comfortable transportation option for four adults.
Just a few years ago, we would have considered such a four-wheel vehicle an extravagant way to show that Fiat was still alive. Today, amid the wave of Chinese electric cars flooding European markets and the EU’s efforts on M1e category vehicles, the Multiplina seems like a quite realistic idea. It could be a four-wheel vehicle (Lxx category) or transform into a full-fledged car (the aforementioned M1e category). Only its price might kill it.
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