In the motor world there are all kinds of rankings. From the fastest cars until the most efficient. But the list that no one wants to top is the ugliest car or, for being politically correct, the one with the least successful design. That is the case of Fiat Multipla. A minivan that was groundbreaking in many aspects, but that always appears in all the 'top 10' of the most difficult cars to see.
The Fiat Multipla hit the market in 1998 as a revolutionary car in terms of space and functionality. The priority of its creators was to get a cabin with only two rows of seats but in which they fit six people plus luggage. A challenge for which they had to maximize the available space in various ways.
Utility length, MPV space
This Italian minivan had rare measures both in your segment and outside of it. It was just 3,99 meters long, so I wanted it to be as easy to park as many compacts on the market. segment B. However, it was much wider and taller than any of them. His 1,87 meters had almost the same wingspan as a Opel Zafira and with its 1,70 meters high it was at the level of many SUVs today such as the Nissan X-Trail or Honda CR-V.
With these dimensions, its interior had plenty of space to accommodate its occupants comfortably. especially in height. In addition, it also offered a trunk pretty decent with a capacity of 430 liters. In other words, a car at another level in terms of practicality, with which its rivals could not measure up.
But the virtues of its interior space did not stop there. The front center seat could be folded in such a way that there were two independent armrests for the driver and passenger and several holes to leave objects. For its part, the rear seats could also be moved to leave a total of 1.300 liters of space in the trunk.
Fiat Multipla engines
As for its engine, nothing out of the ordinary. A diesel version and a gasoline version, designed to go from point A to point B without rushing, but without too much pressure for a 1.300 kg generalist car. The first was a 1.6 liter atmospheric with 103 hp and 144 Nm at 4.000 rpm. the second one turbodiesel with 105 hp, which in 2001 would increase to 110 hp and in 2002 to 116 hp. This was the best to drive with the Multipla fully loaded, thanks to its 203 Nm of torque from just 1.500 rpm.
The controversial design of the Multipla
What is clear is that none of these virtues served to mitigate public reaction to the design of the Fiat Multipla. Especially for his peculiar nose with small headlights at the bottom and two even smaller ones under the front window. They also didn't help large disproportion between the size of the windows and that of the rest of the vehicle. An aspect derived from the amplitude and sensation of space that they were looking for in the interior.
In its rear there were also some details that did not favor its popularity. The rear light clusters they had an oval shape, but to which they had added a deformation to the sides of the car, to improve the visibility of the indicators from the side view.
Imbalance between practicality and design
The Multipla's proportions were bound to be very special if it wanted to achieve that good interior space. It is often difficult to harmonize design and functionality to obtain a balanced product. However, most of the most criticized aspects of this car were not due to this. As the second generation of 2004 would show, neither its strange nose nor its taillights had anything to do with the search for superior functionality.
The second generation
In the 2004 Fiat Multipla there was no trace of those censored details. turned into a car with a much more conventional aesthetic, which no longer broke so many design standards of the time. He even received criticism for just the opposite. For many, it was now too bland despite retaining its unusual proportions and six seats.
Interior Design
What hardly changed in the two generations of this car was the interior design. As it lacks a central tunnel and the typical button panel associated with it, the driving position of the Multipla brought together all the controls on a single crowded island within arm's reach of the driver.
In it they were together: the air conditioning outlets and their controls, the gear lever, the instrumentation, the radio, a hole for glasses and even a small compartment to store objects. All this surrounded by a dashboard that could be chosen in several striking colors.
As you can see, the Multipla has many elements to be among the least graceful cars in recent automotive history. Although we must not forget that aesthetic issues are something very personal and that for some there was nothing wrong with this little minivan. In case you are still not sure what your opinion is, here is a gallery.
It was not officially in Argentina, they only entered a dropper due to the occasional private import (I think I saw three in total). Once, seeing one of those three, a person who was with me, and who was nothing at all about automotive techniques or design, described it as "they put a car on top of another car", and it seemed like a very graphic description to me. An excellent design with a controversial style. At least that's how it seems to me. Greetings. Luis
beautiful car
I think he was ahead of his time. I have a Multipla with 12 years and 255.000 km is a JTD. It has given me and continues to give me excellent results. They said it was ugly, but ten years later, much uglier cars have come out, such as the Nissan Juke, which is extremely ugly and the good thing is that it is mainly bought by women and I am sure that many of them at the time saw the Multipla as ugly. live to see