The radical Fiat Multiplay concept is set to reach production as a new family-focused vehicle, according to new Fiat boss Arnoud Belloni.
The Multiplay, which was unveiled at the recent Paris motor show, is a fusion between an SUV and a pick-up – but in its large footprint and roomy interior it pays clear tribute to the 1998 Multipla MPV, which used three-wide seating and unconventional styling to maximise interior space.
Speaking to reporters, Belloni said the Multiplay was “fantastically important for us” and “absolutely meaningful”.
He added: “I’m absolutely convinced we need a family car in the range. The only name that resonated worldwide – or Europe-wide, at least – in family cars for Fiat was Multipla.
"I’m always very convinced on MPVs. We loved MPVs. I’ve got twins, and when I had twins I had an MPV. Then I bought an SUV, like nearly everybody. And I said ‘yeah, it’s cool, but I’m very disappointed with life on board’.
“I’m convinced there is room for both [MPVs and SUVs], and that’s why in my priority list [on joining Fiat] I put work on inventing the next-gen MPV. It will be based on SUV ideas, because we will not go back: big wheels, same platforms, but all reinterpreted.”
Belloni acknowledged the new Renault E-Space concept and the MPV renaissance in China but hinted that Fiat could find clear space in the market with a sub-4.5m-long version of the Multiplay.
Design chief François Leboine said the Multiplay is a proposal for the “post-SUV” era that's anticipated for the years to come; an attempt at building an MPV that is attractive enough to buyers of SUVs.
“The way we travel is quite different from 20, 30 or 40 years ago,” he said.
Leboine told Autocar that although the Multiplay would likely be a niche prospect “on the side of the market, not purely facing the competition”, it represents Fiat attempting to “find the next big thing”.
He said that any decision on whether to build the Multiplay will depend “on the feedback of the people", explaining: “The difficulty for us is that as soon as you arrive with innovation and newness, the market may not be ready yet, and so you have to take this into account and filter the feedback."
He elaborated: “If we talk purely about feasibility [rather than the business case], everything is possible. This is point number one. Point number two is that not everything is possible if you want to keep the cost low. Point three is that if you work in a huge company like Stellantis, you need to be clever at reusing existing components to keep your price low. This is the actual work: how do we have a low price and keep all the elements we have in the concept? Or what is a good compromise?”
Belloni said it will be at least two to three years – “if we are fast” – before any production version arrives.
Fiat will soon launch the Grizzly SUV and Grizzly fastback as part of an expansion into the C-segment market, and any production Multiplay could logically share underpinnings with that car – or sit on Stellantis's new STLA One platform.