Fiat Multipla 1.6 16v : SWEET 16

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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 Reportsâ€¦

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 basic Multipla is 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: £14,100 - 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 and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3994/1871/1670mm