Fiat's Multipla - Beauty in the Beast?
2 February 2000: by Brian Byrne.
It has to be the most plug-ugly car design in recent years. Although Fiat would rather we used ‘aesthetically challenged’ to describe its Multipla compact MPV.
Listen, every time I walked away from it and looked back, it seemed to be surrounded by people. All laughing their heads off. It’s ugly, period.
But it drives like a dream, is as comfortable as a luxury car, and has many well thought-out features, not least that it holds six people in full-sized seats. All on a car that is shorter than the Fiat Bravo on whose platform it is built. In family motoring terms, if your family numbers six, there’s a strong case to look at this one ... as long as the kids agree to get into it.
Multipla has it in the width over its rivals, borne out by the fact that when Trish sat on the extreme left seat, she seemed, indeed WAS, an awful long way away.
Then she tried the centre seat, which is set back slightly in order to provide more kneeroom, and still found there was plenty of space for elbows. At my side, the driving position was comfortable, the view superb (apart from through the back window because of three rear head restraints ... but, hey, safety first is right). And you’re high, which gives you a confident feeling.
You need that last, because at the moment people DO turn and look. And laugh, as I say. So self-esteem needs to be high.
There are curiosities. Like bits hanging out of the ceiling at the back that turn out to be the seatbelts. And there are usefulities, like the centre front seatback swinging over to form a table complete with cupholders. Though, doing that particular job from the driver’s seat can require a little training in contortionery. In the back, the straight-up design means there’s loads of luggage room.
The review car came with Bordello Red trim, which was also stuck onto the dashboard and took a fair bit of getting used to. Not half as much, mind you, as it took to get used to the central instrument and ancillary controls ... er ... growth? Yeah, growth, probably. It certainly didn’t look designed, and it certainly doesn’t look nice, except at night when you can’t see it. It took me quite a while to find the clock, which masquerades as a thermometer otherwise, and there’s no rev counter. But there is aircon, basic but useful.
The Multipla is perky in pullaway terms, and the 1.6-litre petrol engine of the review car has proved in practice to be perfectly capable of hauling six robust writers around the West Dublin hills. It operated very quietly too, and the snick gearshift (mounted into that central protruberence so as to allow legroom for that centre front passenger) works a treat. Again, with its knob being higher up than the usual shift, it takes a little getting used to.
The extra width must add something to the handling, because Multipla drives as rock-steady as a really good car, even on very twisty roads. Unlike many MPVs, it actually drives like FUN. And the more you do, the less you are concerned about the eccentricities of the shape.
To the point that when I was ready to get back, Trish said ‘I think I’m getting used to it ...’
And you know, she was right. We both WERE getting used to it.
It’s still plug-ugly, though.
Multipla facts: 1.6-litre petrol and 1.9-litre turbodiesel; 5-speed manual; price range £15,500-£18,250.
