Ask any gearhead what the ugliest car ever made was, and the Fiat Multipla's name is bound to pop up at one point. And for very good reasons, as its design was at the opposite end of pretty back in the day, and it hasn't exactly aged like fine wine either, more like fine milk.
With a name inspired by the 600 from the 1950s and 1960s, the Fiat Multipla came out in 1998 as the Italian brand's answer to other compact minivans. It had two rows of three seats and was a bit shorter than the Bravo on which it was based. Nevertheless, due to clever packaging, which led to that controversial styling, it was more spacious inside and had superior cargo volume.
Production lasted until 2010 at the Turin factory in Italy, and from 2008 to 2013, it was also made in China, where the now-bankrupt Zotye company sold it under different monikers and with familiar firepower, albeit there was an electric version, too, which didn't really catch the public's attention. The Multipla left the assembly line for good over one decade ago, and we hope it doesn't get a direct successor.
Mind you, while a brand-new Fiat Multipla will likely never happen, not as a minivan anyway, as the Italian automaker is more interested in crossovers these days with the obvious electric twist, its revival has been rumored multiple times. We wouldn’t hold our breath for a brand-new people carrier from Fiat, as this segment is not as popular as it used to be, as most new car buyers don't give a flying hoot about vehicles unless they have generous ground clearances.
Photo: Instagram | maltesedesign_concept
However, this model has been brought back to life by independent rendering artists, and this was the approach behind the one pictured in the gallery. The digital illustrations came from social media via maltesedesign_concept, who took to Instagram a few days ago to imagine what a hypothetical revival of the controversial Fiat Multipla would look like in the mid-2020s.
The pixel manipulator managed to stay true to the real thing, as the virtual project looks like an evolution. It has a similar overall styling, albeit with fresh traits here and there, and if you're wondering what would lie beneath the skin of a modern-day Multipla, that would be an electric powertrain, with the battery pack mounted under the floor and the single motor likely driving the front wheels.
As we already told you, Fiat does not intend to revive the Multipla, even if it has the right tools to make it happen. But do you think it would be a good idea to bring it back from the dead as a quirky minivan? And would you really spend your money on it? Drop a line below and tell us what you think about it.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News