Fiat plans to put the Multiplay into production and make MPVs popular again
1/9
Fiat is preparing a return to the MPV market and is considering developing a new family car based on the Multiplay concept unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. Measuring up to 4.5 metres long, the model would combine the space of an MPV with SUV styling. If the project receives approval quickly, a production car could reach the market in 2028 or 2029.
Fiat sees untapped potential in MPVs
Arnaud Belloni, head of Fiat, Abarth and Lancia, confirmed to British publication Autocar that developing a new MPV is among his personal priorities. Belloni believes Fiat needs a practical family car again and that the Multiplay offers a suitable starting point.
He believes the popularity of conventional SUVs could decline in the coming years. In his view, buyers will increasingly value vehicles that make more efficient use of their exterior dimensions and offer a more flexible cabin.
Fiat's chief designer, François Leboine, calls this the post-SUV era. The new model would retain a taller body and muscular looks while offering the practicality associated with an MPV.
Multiplay turns a family car into a pick-up
The Fiat Multiplay, which made its debut at the Paris Motor Show, is 4450 mm long. The concept's most distinctive feature is a movable rear section called “Metamorfosi”, which allows an enclosed family car to become a vehicle with an open load bed.
According to Fiat's official description, the system uses a sliding mechanism built around the C-pillar. In its standard configuration, the Multiplay accommodates six occupants and one additional seating element. When converted into a pick-up, it retains four seats and gains an open load bed at the rear.
The idea draws on the space efficiency of Fiat's historic Multipla. While the Multipla unveiled in 1998 accommodated six people in a body less than four metres long, the Multiplay adds the ability to change the vehicle's function.
The production car may not retain every feature
It is not yet certain whether the Multiplay will enter production. Belloni estimates that, if approved, Fiat could develop the production model within two to three years.
The biggest question concerns the transformable body. The movable rear module requires a complex structure that must provide sufficient rigidity, crash safety and weather resistance. Using such a system in an affordable family car could significantly increase development costs.
Fiat currently views the Multiplay primarily as a test bed for future solutions, rather than as a prototype for a specific production model.
The eventual production car could therefore retain the concept's approach to space and its design principles while dispensing with the more complex body mechanism.
Fiat has not yet disclosed the future model's platform, powertrains, power output or price range.
Room for a practical family car in Europe
In terms of dimensions, the Multiplay would fit into Europe's compact family car segment. The Dacia Jogger, for example, is approximately 4550 mm long and offers up to seven seats. Fiat could therefore compete with a slightly more compact car offering similar space.
The model's success would depend primarily on price and cabin versatility. The range of traditional MPVs available in Europe has shrunk considerably as manufacturers favour more profitable SUVs.
Yet demand for spacious family cars has not disappeared. The Multiplay could offer an alternative for buyers who need more practicality than a conventional compact SUV can provide.
For Fiat, it would also be an opportunity to stand out from its competitors without developing yet another SUV.
