It seems we’re living in an age of revival. Revival of old brands, motorcycles, and scooters. Now, with the Fiat Multiplina, we have the revival of the very cool bubble cars that saw peak popularity somewhere in the middle of the last century.
It’s the antithesis of the very thing that is driving the car market these days – SUVs. And for a good reason too: rising gas prices and busy urban roads.
The Multiplina recently debuted as one of Fiat’s new concepts at the company’s Big at Small event in Rome. It’s officially a reinterpretation of the 1956 Fiat 600 Multipla – the same functional Fiat that was dubbed the first mass-produced people-carrier of its time.
While the original Fiat 600 was a compact four-seater two-door saloon with a rear engine and rear-wheel drive, I’d imagine Fiat wouldn’t exactly follow that same placement. That’s considering the Topolino comes with a front-mounted motor and a front-wheel drive, so it’s pretty natural for Fiat to follow suit on the Multiplina as well.
Fiat
Where it ‘heavily borrows’ from the original 600, then, is in its design. The similar bubble shape, the extremely small, round mirrors and wheel caps, and, of course, that iconic two-tone paint scheme. It will also boast a very similar footprint of just under 3 m (118 in) in length, compared with 2.53 m (100 in) for the Topolino.
Fiat boss Olivier François mentioned that the car would “play a lot on (Fiat’s) DNA and be rooted in (its) style.” He added that “Fiat will be the brand within Stellantis that will really go all in on micromobility.”
As for positioning, the Multiplina will sit above Fiat’s current two-seat Topolino but below the current Fiat 500. Fiat went as far as calling it the “missing link between Topolino and the traditional city car.”
That’s because the Multiplina will be built to the European L7 regulations, as opposed to the L6 quadricycle category that the Topolino sits in, which would in turn make it more powerful than its microcar sibling.
Fiat
That means the Topolino is limited to 28 mph (45 km/h) while boasting a WLTP range of around 46 miles (75 km) from its 5.4-kWh battery. The Multiplina is expected to reach up to 55 mph (88 km/h), which is the fastest a car can go under the L7 regulations. At the same time, it will likely come with a bigger battery pack offering more range than the Topolino.
Inside, it will offer space for three, while being significantly revised to maximize the cabin space through “clever space-efficient packaging.” It will likely boast flexible seating, similar to the people-carrying Multipla.
I have to point out that the Multiplina is still only a concept for now, but how often have we seen a concept that not only makes us smile but also makes perfect sense? A lovely, space-smart four-seater that (potentially) costs a fraction of a typical electric car sounds like a million-dollar idea, especially in times when cities get more congested.
Fiat
Plus, electric vehicles are not getting cheaper. But if Fiat can manage to replicate the 1956 Multipla that somehow managed to fit six passengers inside by pushing the driver all the way to the front, and do it by keeping the cost down, I think we might just have a winner here.
Apparently, Fiat is eyeing a production version for 2028. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Source: Stellantis
