The Multipla is making a comeback as a retro car. However, it is not the extremely versatile but also very ugly Fiat Multipla from the first decade of this century, but the Fiat 600 Multipla from the 50s and 60s. The new version therefore also has a post-war style appearance. And it is not a “normal” electric car, but an electric light vehicle. The corresponding study has now been presented in the Vatican.
The Multiplina Concept is said to be a version of the small Fiat Topolino, more suitable for everyday use. While the "mouse" has only two seats and belongs to the L6e vehicle class, which allows a maximum of 6 kW of continuous power and a top speed of 45 km/h, the production version of the Multiplina is said to have four seats and belongs to the L7e class. This class allows as much as 15 kW; the maximum speed is not prescribed, but in practice it is usually possible to achieve speeds of 80 to 90 km/h.
The new Microvan was first unveiled at the Stellantis Group's strategic event in May. At the event, which also saw the Fiat Grizzly, the car appeared in the background of a graph and was also called the Quattrolino. Now, however, the model is expected to be called the Multipla or Multiplina. The final name has not yet been finalized, but Fiat CEO Olivier François has made it clear that he likes the name Multiplina and that he intends to launch such a vehicle on the market. The Multipla or Multiplina is also expected to receive more equipment; for example, it could include simple air conditioning, which the Topolino does not have.
The Fiat 600 Multipla was a four-door car with four to six seats. At 3,53 meters, it was a much longer version of the regular Fiat 600. Unlike it, it was also a so-called “front-wheel drive car”: the driver’s seat was moved far forward, over the front axle. Instead of a bonnet, the 600 Multipla had a steep front end, which increased the interior space. For this reason, the car is sometimes called the first van in the history of motoring.
The car is set to be unveiled this fall, but production is not scheduled to begin until 2028, Autocar magazine reports. The car is expected to be around three meters long, roughly the same size as the 1957 Fiat 500. Fiat wants to position the car between the 2,54-meter-long Topolino and the 3,63-meter-long Fiat 500 e.
In addition to the Multiplina Concept, Fiat also unveiled a new version of its three-seater Tris commercial vehicle, which is said to offer more space and a larger battery for greater range. The fact that these small vehicles were presented in the Vatican is clearly linked to a new partnership: Fiat is to provide the Vatican, which measures just 0,44 square kilometers, with 30 electric light vehicles. These are said to be the Topolino and Tris models. The first 20 vehicles have already been delivered, as Autocar magazine reports.
