Fiat's next SUV is giving big Multipla vibes
The new SUV is one of two C-segment models that the Italian brand is set to launch in the next two years, alongside a rakish, raised hatchback. They were previewed by Panda-inspired SUV and Fastback concepts unveiled early last year.
Those models will be a maximum of 4.5 metres long and sit on the same cost-conscious Stellantis Smart Car platform as the smaller Grande Panda, enabling them to be offered with electric and hybrid powertrains.
While the new SUV will sit broadly as part of the Panda design family and distinct from the range inspired by the classic 500, Fiat bosses have hinted it won't necessarily feature that name.
Asked about the risks of Fiat expanding beyond its core city car market into the C-segment, Fiat Europe boss Gaetano Thorel said: 'It will be a challenge, because [it seems] we don't have the same legacy with family movers as we do with [the] 500 and Panda, but in reality we have, because when you think about the Multipla, then Fiat has a story on that.
'But thanks to Stellantis, we have a possibility to offer our customers and dealers a full passengercar line-up from 2.5 metres to 4.4 metres. That is the Fiat territory.'
The Multipla arrived in 1998 as a 4m-long compact MPV with two rows of three seats and a host of space-saving features. The styling was divisive and the model was not a commercial success, but it won praise for its design, with Autocar's 2000 road test calling it 'the most innovative and exciting car in its class'.
The new model will have more of a traditional SUV appearance but could echo the Multipla in terms of maximising space in a small footprint. The Citroën C3 Aircross, which uses the same Smart Car platform as the Grande Panda, seats seven.
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