FIAT

STOP ME AND BUY ONE The Fiat Multipla JTD represents a clever combination of novel design and advanced engineering. Andy Enright reports on the improved line-up

It’s often claimed we live in a meritocracy, that the cream naturally rises to the top and that the American Dream where anybody can become anything is gradually being imported and imparted in this country. Rubbish. There are two reasons why this argument doesn’t hold water. The first is the enduring existence of the British class system. The second is the sales curve of the Fiat Multipla.

If motoring industry accolades and awards were worth anything, the Multipla would be the standout winner in Fiat’s line up. The press can’t get enough of it, Top Gear magazine having in the past named it their Car of The Year. This critical acclaim has not translated into sales. The wacky styling has been enough to blind people to its multifarious charms and divert them into blander fare from Citroen, Renault and Vauxhall. Hence the facelifted version on test here. The JTD model we examine is an even better fit for a country with crippling fuel prices and yet it still stays resolutely glued to dealership floors. The 1.9-litre JTD turbo diesel engine generates a full 120bhp, more than enough to propel the relatively compact Multipla along at a reasonable lick. It's just as fast as the alternative 1.6-litre petrol unit (0-60mph in 12.2s on the way to 111mph) yet much torquier and considerably more frugal (45.6mpg on the combined cycle). There's not too much of a price premium either. Nice touches include split door mirrors that enable you to watch the kerb at the same time as oncoming traffic and storage compartments everywhere, including neat bins that fold out of the roof above the sunvisors. Drawbacks include a slightly high level of wind noise at speed and a steering wheel that adjusts for rake but not for reach.

"As an engine and packaging concept the Multipla JTD is touched by genius."

Although in profile the latest car could be nothing but a Multipla - same low waistline and huge, airy glasshouse – from the front end it adopts the look of the Idea supermini-MPV. The designers at Fiat Centro Stile have fitted a corporate-style Fiat grille and lamps with the bonnet rising up a little awkwardly to meet the windscreen. The rear lights have been replaced by more conventional square items and the wraparound bumpers are a good deal cleaner than before. It all makes a lot of sense, apart, that is, from Fiat’s description of the rear end treatment. "A large central logo has also been added to the generous tailgate where metal and steel strike an excellent balance." Metal and steel? Serious stuff. As a result of the changes, one can’t help but feel the Multipla has become that tad more anonymous. Still, Fiat will gladly trade a little of the old car’s big personality for a healthier bottom line and this model is no less competent than its excellent predecessor. Prices remain on the cheap side of reasonable, the entry-level diesel model retailing at just over £15,000 and the range-topping Eleganza asking a little extra at just under £18,000. The Eleganza value proposition includes a lumbar control on the driver’s seat, a tailgate with electronic lock release, tinted glass, side airbags and some funky alloys. These are just the trimmings though. What makes the Multipla so special is that it offers a workable compromise between unwieldy full-sized MPVs and compact mini-MPVs that simply aren't big enough. If you're in the market for a car like this, that's an attractive proposition. Let's face it: the average family doesn't need something the size of a glorified van. But nor does it really want a family hatchback with an inflated roof. The current crop of mini-MPVs either offer no more passenger capacity than an ordinary saloon or they try and cram seven people in like sardines. Neither approach is ideal. Hence the need for an alternative. A car that's compact enough to fit in the tightest supermarket space. Yet a car than can carry six in comfort. A car that can double as a removal van if required. Yet a car that drives and handles like the most responsive family hatchback. The Multipla manages most of this thanks to a unique three-abreast seating layout front and rear. Since six people can therefore be accommodated in only two rows of seats, the overall length of the car can be kept short - four metres to be exact, half a foot less than a VW Golf. Yet try to picture three full-sized adults sitting alongside each other and you'll find yourself picturing a very wide car indeed. Sure enough, the only car you can buy that's wider than this little Fiat is a Rolls Royce Silver Seraph. That three-abreast design approach meant that whichever way the designers cut it, they were going to have to produce a very unusual-looking car indeed. It all works though. Getting in and out is easy, courtesy of high, wide doors and seats that are comfortably but not excessively high. All six seats are identical and equally comfortable, all have three-point seatbelts and all are light (16kg) and easily removable. The middle seat up front can be folded flat (to give three extra cupholders) or replaced completely by a console including an 18-litre cooled or heated box. It's the same in the rear, where the middle seat can be either folded or removed to accommodate a small fridge. Rear seat leg and headroom is outstanding for such a small car - almost limousine-like in the rearmost of the two mounting positions on offer. Even with the seats set this far back, there's still as much luggage space (430 litres) behind them as you'd find in a Mercedes C-class, or 540 litres if you click them forward a notch (sacrificing little in terms of ride comfort). This is, in other words, the only mini-MPV you can buy with a decent amount of luggage space - as much as 1300 litres if you treat the Multipla as a three-seater. The great shame about this facelifted Multipla is that its sales look set to continue to punish Fiat for offering something a little bit adventurous. You just know the next generation Multipla is going to be a watered down blandmobile that will sell in greater, if still modest, numbers. As an engine and packaging concept the Multipla JTD is still touched by genius. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all made an effort to be less boring? If everything we did was ruled by that credo? Be Less Boring. It would be colourful, magnificent, vibrant, stimulating. And you might well drive a Fiat Multipla.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Fiat Multipla JTD range PRICES: £15,285-£17,885 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-10 CO2 EMISSIONS: 170g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.2s / Max Speed 111mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [combined] 43mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3994/1871/1670mm

HIGH, WIDE AND NOW HANDSOME? Granted, it will no longer frighten small children, but does Fiat’s Multipla still have something to offer in the mini-MPV sector? Andy Enright reports

Although the motor industry showered it with awards, it seems Fiat’s original Multipla was just too extreme to find widespread favour. The rather bizarre exterior detailing was loved by some but hated by many others in a marketplace where conservative always made the numbers. As a result, in commercial terms at least, the Multipla has been something of a missed opportunity, despite a 2005 facelift that toned down the styling hoping to make the Multipla a whole lot more palatable.

I must admit to being slightly irked by the ’05 makeover. I loved the way the original Multipla looked, with its gargoyle visage and roll of puppy-fat sitting just beneath the windscreen. It was so avant garde and bold that it seemed impossible that it was given the green light by a major manufacturer, weaned as they are on the cold logic of corporate bean counters. It was even exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Score one for the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky Italian, in other words. That said, it’s not too easy to maintain a nod and a wink when the opposition are shifting huge quantities of stock and your rather eccentric offering is resolutely glued to the showroom floors. Although in profile the current car (priced from £14,045) could be nothing but a Multipla - same low waistline and huge, airy glasshouse – the ’05 changes saw it adopt the look of the now discontinued Idea supermini-MPV. The designers at Fiat Centro Stile fitted a corporate-style Fiat grille and lamps with the bonnet rising up a little awkwardly to meet the windscreen. The rear lights are these days more conventional square items and the wraparound bumpers are a good deal cleaner than the original ones. As a result of the changes, one can’t help but feel the Multipla has become that tad more anonymous. Still, Fiat will gladly trade a little of the old car’s big personality for a healthier bottom line and this model is no less competent than its excellent predecessor.

"Fiat will gladly trade a little of the old car’s big personality for a healthier bottom line"

One thing that hasn’t changed a great deal is the interior. The dashboard still looks like something from the set of Alien, with a rev counter trying to burst out from the magnificently lumpen centre console. Yes, some of the minor controls are haphazardly located – who’d instinctively think of looking for a door mirror adjuster on the roof? – but otherwise it’s something you’ll get a real buzz out of using. It’s almost as if Fiat’s designers could only accept so much watering down of their bold styling, striking a deal that the exterior could be bowdlerized as long as the interior stayed much the same. The Multipla’s USP is still alive and kicking insofar as it offers three-abreast seating layout front and rear. Since six people can therefore be accommodated in only two rows of seats, the overall length of the car can be kept short - four metres to be exact, half a foot less than a VW Golf. Getting in and out is easy, courtesy of high, wide doors and seats that are comfortably but not excessively high. All six seats are identical and equally comfortable, all have three-point seatbelts and all are light (16kg) and easily removable. The middle seat up front can be folded flat (to give three extra cupholders) or replaced completely by a console including an 18-litre cooled or heated box. It's the same in the rear, where the middle seat can be either folded or removed to accommodate a small fridge. Rear seat leg and headroom is outstanding for such a small car - almost limousine-like in the rearmost of the two mounting positions on offer. Even with the seats set this far back, there's still as much luggage space (430 litres) behind them as you'd find in a Mercedes C-class, or 540 litres if you click them forward a notch (sacrificing little in terms of ride comfort). This is, in other words, the only mini-MPV you can buy with a decent amount of luggage space - as much as 1300 litres if you treat the Multipla as a three-seater. Although keen drivers will prefer something like a Ford C-MAX, the Multipla is nevertheless great fun to drive. Although all the mechanicals come from the old Brava family hatchback, the wide stance, the long wheelbase and the more rigid body mean that the Multipla handles better. Certainly, the direct, beautifully-weighted steering helps, as does a slick, snappy gearchange manipulated via a stick protruding from the fascia. And what a fascia: with various satellite areas for the ventilation controls, the air vents and the built-in stereo. Perched on top is a crescent-shaped speedometer incorporating a fuel gauge, warning lights - but no rev counter. Fiat think most buyers won't want one - and they're probably right. There are only two engines on offer and neither is particularly rapid.. Most customers will opt for the 120bhp 1.9-litre turbo diesel - and understandably so. It's just as fast as the alternative 1.6-litre petrol unit (0-60mph in 12.2s on the way to 111mph) yet much torquier and considerably more frugal (45.6mpg on the combined cycle). Nice touches include split door mirrors that enable you to watch the kerb at the same time as oncoming traffic and storage compartments everywhere, including neat bins that fold out of the roof above the sunvisors. Drawbacks include a slightly high level of wind noise at speed and a steering wheel that adjusts for rake but not for reach. Perhaps it’s still not too late for the Multipla to come of age. It deserves a little more buyer recognition in its twilight years.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Fiat Multipla range PRICES: £14,045-£17,885 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-10 CO2 EMISSIONS: 170-205g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.6] 0-60mph 12.6s / Max Speed 106mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6] [urban] 25.4mpg / [extra urban] 39.2mpg / [combined] 32.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3994/1871/1670mm

SWEET 16 The Fiat Multipla Finally Came Of Age When Its Eccentric Styling Was Replaced By The Current Family-Friendly Face. The 1.6-Litre Versions Are Key To Its Continuing Success. Steve Walker Reports…

Next time someone tries to tell you that a car’s styling is less important than its practicality and all round ability, remember the two words that will deal a terminal blow to their argument – Fiat and Multipla. The original Fiat Multipla needed its vast interior and ingenious seating system in order to accommodate the multitude of gongs that it collected from all quarters of the motoring press. If the hacks were to be believed, this was the UK’s best MPV by a country mile and yet the buyers stayed away in their droves. The stumbling block was the curiously ungainly styling that Fiat’s draftsmen had concocted for the car – the punters just didn’t like it. Today, however, the Multipla has been reborn with more subdued looks and the same practical excellence inside. It should fly off the forecourts, particularly in 1.6-litre form.

There’s no doubt that this Multipla is far, far easier on the eye than the one that went before. Gone are the sloping, bulging bonnet and the extra headlights mounted on that suspicious growth at the base of the windscreen. The shape is now far more cohesive with large headlamps and pronounced bonnet lines running down to the chrome slashed grille. Only at the back do traces of the old Multipla escape this new angular theme with the twin swells of the rear windscreen and the lower tailgate holding on. Having said that, the large glass area that contributes to the car’s airy interior ambience is retained, along with the protective plastic door handle surrounds. The Multipla has been successfully moved into the mainstream and now battle can really commence. MPVs are family vehicles. More specifically, they are vehicles for families with a larger than average quota of kids and for these types of customers, cost is always high on the agenda. That’s why the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol Multiplas are so important. The Multipla’s £14,045 basic price is what you pay for a Dynamic model with 1.6-litre power and if you want a plusher specification, you’ll have to step-up to the 1.9-litre Multijet diesel engine. It’s the sort of money you’d pay for a mid-range family hatchback but family buyers will find the Multipla a considerably more adaptable companion than a Ford Focus.

"With a vehicle like this, the interior versatility is the main draw and you get that whichever engine you choose"

The Multipla’s 1.6 is a 4-cylinder 16-valve petrol engine that underwent a series of improvements at the time that the vehicle got its new looks. Efficiency was boosted through the introduction of a longer stroke design and more compact combustion chambers. The pistons used are also 20% lighter, timing system friction has been cut and overall engine weight is down by 4kg. It all means better fuel economy, increased torque at low engine speeds and more flexibility in the power delivery. Drivers who experienced the old Multipla may not notice these differences but we’re assured they are there and, overall, the performance is none too shabby for an MPV. The 12.6-second 0-60mph time and 106mph top speed should enable you to keep up with traffic, while the 32.8mpg combined fuel consumption is round about what you’d expect from a 1.6-litre petrol engine that’s moving a vehicle of the Multipla’s mass. Around town the economy will drop to 25.4mpg, so most Multipla owners should find themselves averaging closer to 30mpg. The Multipla’s essential USP is still alive and kicking insofar as it offers a three-abreast seating layout front and rear. Since six people can therefore be accommodated in only two rows of seats, the overall length of the car can be kept short - four metres to be exact, half a foot less than a VW Golf. Getting in and out is easy, courtesy of high, wide doors and seats that are comfortably but not excessively high. All six seats are identical and equally comfortable, all have three-point seatbelts and all are light (16kg) and easily removable. The middle seat up front can be folded flat (to give three extra cupholders) or replaced completely by a console including an 18-litre cooled or heated box. It's the same in the rear, where the middle seat can be either folded or removed to accommodate a small fridge. Rear seat leg and headroom is outstanding for such a small car - almost limousine-like in the rearmost of the two mounting positions on offer. Even with the seats set this far back, there's still as much luggage space (430 litres) behind them as you'd find in a Mercedes C-class, or 540 litres if you click them forward a notch (sacrificing little in terms of ride comfort). This is, in other words, the only mini-MPV you can buy with a decent amount of luggage space - as much as 1300 litres if you treat the Multipla as a three-seater. Although keen drivers will prefer something like the Honda FRV or a Ford Focus C-MAX, the Multipla is nevertheless great fun to drive. Although all the mechanicals come from the old Brava family hatchback, the wide stance, the long wheelbase and the more rigid body mean that the Multipla handles better. Certainly, the direct, beautifully-weighted steering helps, as does a slick, snappy gearchange manipulated via a stick protruding from the fascia. And what a fascia: with various satellite areas for the ventilation controls, the air vents and the built-in stereo. Perched on top is a crescent-shaped speedometer incorporating a fuel gauge, warning lights - but no rev counter. Fiat think most buyers won't want one - and they're probably right. Today’s Multipla has successfully addressed the aesthetic problems that prevented its predecessor from being a raging success. The only problem now is that the market has moved on with rivals, notably Honda’s FRV, aping many of the Multipla’s interior innovations. The question is, can today’s Multipla achieve the popularity that its forerunner deserved? The 1.6-litre models will prove key in providing the answer. They’re the budget option that many cash-strapped families will take up, ignoring the lure of the diesel’s livelier performance and better fuel economy in favour of lower initial outlay. With a vehicle like this, the interior versatility is the main draw and you get that whichever engine you choose. It bodes well for the Multipla 1.6.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Fiat Multipla 1.6-litre PRICES: £14,045 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7 CO2 EMISSIONS: 205g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.6s / Max Speed 106mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [urban] 25.4mpg / [extra urban] 39.2mpg / [combined] 32.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3994/1871/1670mm

PEAK PERFORMANCE A Trip To The Staffordshire Peak District Told Us Plenty About Fiat’s Multipla JTD. Steve Walker Reports…

A lengthy motorway journey followed by a close encounter with some twisty, undulating B-roads, it was a trip with all the ingredients to provide an accurate impression of any car’s true abilities. The Peak District was the destination and Fiat’s Multipla JTD was the car.

The general consensus of opinion pre-trip was that the smartly styled Fiat would devour the motorway mileage with a flourish and barely a flicker of its fuel gauge. The Peak District’s serpentine back roads, it was thought, would present more of a test - putting the cat firmly amongst the pigeons. In the end, that’s just about how things panned out but there were more than a few surprises along the way. Like most MPVs of its ilk, the Fiat Multipla is well equipped to soften the hard edges of long distance motorway travel. The interior is of much better quality than you might expect for a Fiat – and surprisingly well equipped. In the plush 1.9 JTD Eleganza model we tried, you get air conditioning, side airbags, electric windows all round and a leather covering for the steering wheel and gearknob. The result is a relaxed, comfortable quality ambience - a cocoon of tranquillity for the bothered executive/family man and an ideal environment in which to undertake a trip of a few hundred miles or more. Meanwhile, the high quality sound system provides the entertainment and the satellite navigation system that was fitted to our test car deals a terminal blow to the tired old road atlas. Actually, we took the tired old road atlas anyway - past experiences have taught that a healthy mistrust of satellite navigation is often, well, healthy. Just 50 miles in and it was apparent that motorway cruising is a walk in the park for the Multipla. Concerns that the car was prone to horrendous wind noise proved unfounded once we realised that one of the windows was very slightly open and the suspension was obliterating the carriageway expansion joints to impressive effect. Even with the manual gearstick occupying the 5th gear slot, a prod of the throttle rapidly puts on the 10mph you need to bypass a pair of overtaking HGVs. The torque emanating from the 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine means accelerating back up to speed out of heavy traffic is a breeze and even if you drop down to speeds of 40mph, the Multipla will still pick up easily.

"On our trip, the car averaged 45mpg. And it was driven hard……."

The roads around the village of Warslow in the Staffordshire Peak District could have been created expressly to upset the equilibrium of a modern family mini-MPV. Winding across the landscape connecting clusters of small stone houses, the narrow tracks twist up inclines and plunge into shallow valleys. These roads would ask big questions of a well-balanced roadster - an observation conformed when a convoy of day-glow Vauxhall VX220s, complete with grinning drivers, blasted past in the other direction. The Fiat fared better than many people would imagine here. The suspension still soaks up the undulations and ruts to a great extent, which can be a little disconcerting, but when you ask it to brake in a hurry or turn sharply around a dry stone walled hairpin, it does so with reassuring agility. The gearbox isn’t slick enough for this kind of driving and finding the required ratio quickly can be difficult. Performance-wise, the 1.9-litre engine is a real pleasure to punt around. It’s smooth and quiet but when you stir it up there’s genuine bite to the acceleration. 0-60mph in 12.2 seconds is the official performance figure but powering out of a corner up a Peak District hillside, the flexibility of the powerplant makes it feel considerably quicker than that. The Multipla’s handling on some taxing but enjoyable roads felt very secure, which is more than can be said for yours truly during a night at Warslow’s Greyhound Inn. The 17th century pub was brimming with character and hospitality but the landlord’s spirited rendition of the ghost story attached to the building did little to facilitate a good night’s sleep. Still, £35 a night for a well-appointed double room and breakfast seemed excellent value. The next morning it was a short drive through rolling hills bordered by streams and criss-crossed by the dry stone walls to a destination that would put the Multipla’s high speed manoeuvrability firmly in perspective – Alton Towers. With names like Nemisis, Submission and (I can hardly bring myself to type it) Oblivion, the rides at this theme park lead you to suspect that you’re in for something mildly unpleasant but the reality made the Greyhound ghost story seem like an episode of The Tweenies. When you’ve had your sense of direction turned inside out by the dizzying Spinball Wizzer, been fired headfirst through the woods by Air and endured a 50ft vertical drop into a misty pit on Oblivion, the Multipla’s cosseting interior was a joy to collapse into for the drive home. The trip proved that this Fiat can function both as a family runabout and a more than capable long distance cruiser if need be. It’s also actually very capable in the twisty stuff for a car of its kind. The gearbox wasn’t conducive to quick, fluent changes but the engine was outstanding for powering up the Peak District’s many inclines, traction was near faultless and the chassis remained poised on some testing thoroughfares. Multipla buyers will be pleased to know that their car can cut it cross-country but there’s no doubt that the motorways, urban streets and A-roads are its preferred habitat. Effortless performance, well-crafted interiors and a quality ride all help here but the biggest draw of all for Fiat Multipla customers may well be the fuel economy. On our trip, the car managed nearly 45mpg. That’s very impressive for a six-seater MPV being driven reasonably hard.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Fiat Multipla JTD range PRICES: £15,285-£17,885 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-10 CO2 EMISSIONS: 170g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.2s / Max Speed 111mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [combined] 43mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3994/1871/1670mm

TONED DOWN, SPRUCED UP Models Covered: 5dr mini MPV 1.6 petrol, 1.9 Multijet diesel [Dynamic, Dynamic, Eleganza]

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

All too often, those who pioneer an idea never receive the financial rewards. The usual pattern is for the originators to take the big risks and if the market looks to be coming round to their way of thinking, copycats will launch an improved version. It’s good to know that once in a while, that trend gets bucked, and we take our hats off to Fiat who ploughed their own furrow with the six-seater Multipla mini-MPV back in 2000. In 2004, the car was given a very comprehensive restyle and it’s the latter models that we concern ourselves with here.

The key behind the Multipla was Fiat’s top brass biting the bullet and allowing an entirely new platform to be built; one that would be used by no other Fiat model. It’s hard to think of that happening today in this age of platform and cost sharing but that was then and the result was jaw-dropping. Love it or hate it, the original Multipla could not be overlooked, it was just so bizarre in appearance. Sales were never too hot in this country despite the car picking up award after award, but it did a lot better in Europe. In 2004, the car was facelifted to appear more conventional. While fans of the original would claim the car’s exciting looks had been emasculated, sales went up, helped by a revision of the original’s trim levels. Buyers chose between Dynamic, Dynamic Plus and Eleganza variants and a 1.6-litre petrol or a 1.9-litre Multijet diesel engine comprised the powerplant choices.

I loved the way the original Multipla looked, with its gargoyle visage and roll of puppy-fat sitting just beneath the windscreen. It was so avantgarde and bold that it seemed impossible that it was given the green light by a major manufacturer, weaned as they are on the cold logic of corporate bean counters. It was even exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In profile, this more discreet later car could be nothing but a Multipla - same low waistline and huge, airy glasshouse. From the front end it adopts the look of the Idea supermini-MPV. The designers at Fiat Centro Stile fitted a corporate-style Fiat grille and lamps with the bonnet rising up a little awkwardly to meet the windscreen. The rear lights were replaced by more conventional square items and the wraparound bumpers are a good deal cleaner than before. One thing that didn’t change a great deal was the interior. The dashboard still looks like something from the set of Alien, with a rev counter trying to burst out from the magnificently lumpen centre console. Yes, some of the minor controls are haphazardly located – who’d instinctively think of looking for a door mirror adjuster on the roof? – but otherwise it’s something you’ll get a real buzz out of using. It’s almost as if Fiat’s designers could only accept so much watering down of their bold styling, striking a deal that the exterior could be tweaked as long as the interior stayed much the same. Despite the changes, the Multipla’s almost-unique selling point remained alive and kicking insofar as it continued to offer a three-abreast seating layout front and rear. Since six people can therefore be accommodated in only two rows of seats, the overall length of the car can be kept short. It actually measures four metres, that’s half a foot less than a VW Golf. Getting in and out is easy, courtesy of high, wide doors and seats that are comfortably but not excessively high. All six seats are identical and equally comfortable, all have three-point seatbelts and all are light (16kg) and easily removable. The middle seat up front can be folded flat (to give three extra cupholders) or replaced completely by a console including an 18-litre cooled or heated box. It's the same in the rear, where the middle seat can be either folded or removed to accommodate a small fridge. Rear seat leg and headroom is outstanding for such a small car - almost limousine-like in the rearmost of the two mounting positions on offer. Even with the seats set this far back, there's still as much luggage space (430 litres) behind them as you'd find in a Mercedes C-Class, or 540 litres if you click them forward a notch (sacrificing little in terms of passenger comfort). This is, in other words, one of the few mini-MPVs you can buy with a decent amount of luggage space - as much as 1,300 litres if you treat the Multipla as a three-seater.

Prices for the 1.6-litre petrol version of the facelifted Multipla start at £4,675 for an 04-plated example showing around 49,000 miles on the clock. That will get you a Dynamic model although trading up to the Dynamic Plus is worthwhile as used valuations are only about £50 pricier, worthwhile for the provision of climate control, side airbags, an alarm and front fog lights. The top model is the Eleganza which starts at £4,900, again on the 04 plate. Opt, as most did, for the excellent 1.9-litre diesel engine and you’ll need from £5,200 for the Dynamic, £5,325 for the Dynamic Plus and £5,550 for an Eleganza. Insurance is reasonably priced, the 1.6-litre cars kicking off at Group 8 while the 1.9 Eleganza wears a Group 10 rating.

The Multipla has proved a reliable model, and whilst Fiat have taken great strides in recent years to improve reliability, there still remains a question mark about some areas of trim and finish. When inspecting a used Multipla look for parking damage, including kerbed wheels, as some will find the Multipla’s width slightly disconcerting in town. As with any other MPV, inspect the load bay and the fixtures and fittings inside, including seat trims and carpeting. Any vehicle that routinely transports children around has to be tough. Initial impressions indicate the Multipla is well up to the task.

(Estimated prices, based on an ‘05 Multipla JTD) It’s good to know you won’t have to pay too much here. Spares prices for the Multipla are right there in the lower end of the class. A clutch assembly will cost in the region of £115, whilst front brake pads are a trifling £40 and rear brake shoes are £52 a set. A new oil filter is around £7, an air filter approximately £8 and spark plugs are £4.

Although the mechanicals come from the rather aged Brava family hatchback, the wide stance, the long wheelbase and the more rigid body mean that the Multipla remains a decent fun steer. Certainly, the direct, beautifully-weighted steering helps, as does a slick, snappy gearchange manipulated via a stick protruding from the fascia. Most customers opted for the 118bhp 1.9-litre Multijet turbodiesel - and understandably so. It's faster than the alternative 1.6-litre petrol unit (0-60mph in 12.1s on the way to 111mph), much torquier and considerably more frugal (43.5mpg on the urban cycle). Although acceleration is unlikely to render the family insensible, the Multipla’s foursquare stance means that due to a low centre of gravity, it can corner with far less body roll than many of its rivals. The downside of this is that the Fiat can be a bit of a handful in tight urban situations. Those huge mirrors don’t help either, acting as an invitation for every demented motorcycle despatch rider in the city to test the durability of their body armour.

Although it’s not quite as much of a character as its predecessor, a good swathe of the population will thank Fiat for that. Perhaps the old version was a trifle too wacky for some, more conservative customers viewing it as being akin to getting trapped in a lift with Joe Pasquale. The latest car benefits from a long development cycle where many of the originals teething troubles have been well and truly ironed out. If you thought all mini-MPVs were an antidote to insomnia, the Multipla is worth a second look. 10th November 2008