The Fiat Multipla Was an Incredibly Quirky (and Ugly) Family Car 

if Breaking Bad was filmed in Europe, Walter would have drove one of these instead of the Aztek

This is the most Dougy car Doug has ever Dougged

I'm a proud owner. Bought as a joke for commuting with co-workers it soon became the family's favourite. Its look make the other cars boring and ordinary. When you go around the streets the kids love the funny design and the people in their 40/50's talks about it. Plus it's very good to drive. All the commands have the right weight and a very good feel, the brakes are strong. Having a long and large wheelbase means that's it's very stable and you can throw it around the corners without worring too much. (Look at one lap heroes lap at the 'ring) Even in the gravel, mud, snow it's a blast to drive due to the good clearance and stability. This year it will turn 20 so this means, here in Italy, that you can register it as an historical vehicle. I'm gonna keep it forever! Update: This spring (2023) i've driven it to Rome fully loaded with my family (yes, 6 people) and luggage. It's a 1200KM (745 mi) trip that the Multipla did effortlessly. Bonus content: i also own a fully tuned 2003 MX-5 Miata (previously a 1990 NA)

Only people who have owned it can understand how practical and genial this car was. Transporting 6 people comfortly in just 4 meters and something more is just incredible and you also could park it literally everywhere (we don't have that much space for cars in Italian/european cities,many of them are too old). I remember growing up on the Italian streets but I still did cheap but long and comfy travelings with my family in a 2005 Multipla. After 10 years, over 250k kms and have moved to a new house only using it, we had to sell it (for a good price actually, they're pretty easy to sell). I miss you little chunky box

Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche - I sleep Multipla - real shit

This man is more exited to drive a Multipla then a McLaren Senna. That is why we love Doug

I remember seeing these in Europe. I thought they were so ugly but kind of cool. I love that a company had the balls to go that far with a design and wish we did more of that.

I had one for years. Loved it. Sadly the head gasket went at just 80,000 miles so I got rid of it. It remains part of our family story.

"Its looks like it was designed by three guys who never met"

My uncle had a Multipla just like this one, being in Italy had the seat on the correct side and the handbrake was on your left. He had instead of a middle seat a literal fridge. Fiat would sell you a fridge that fits in place of the middle front seat and he had beverages and sandwiches in there for a long journey we had, I loved that car so much.

We had one of the first Multiplas to be sold in the UK. Kept it for ten years. Our two kids loved being able to sit together with dad in the front. Others have commented on the practicality, the roominess, the styling, the removable rear seats, but I particularly remember the public's reactions (good and bad!), the friendly waves between Multipla drivers, and one particular incident when the car was only a few days old (and very rare on UK roads) - a German Porsche 911 driver gave us a thumbs up and big smile.

Die Familie eines Freundes aus der Grundschule hatte damals dieses Auto. Ich kann mich noch genau daran erinnern, wie cool ich es fand, dass dieses Auto vorne 3 Sitze hat. Und ich durfte sogar in der Mitte sitzen! Der Innenraum kam mir damals riesig vor.

I once sat in a Multipla Taxi and it was really comfortable. Sidenote: I've never seen Doug so excited, it's like his head is about to explode.

Doug 2 Years Later: "I've bought a Fiat Multipla!"

There is a youtube channel (in french) called "Vilebrequin" made by two car enthusiasts who created a kind of drag race version of the "Multipla". They called it the "Milletipla" ("Mille" means thousand in french) as they've put more than thousand horse power inside (1294 hp exactly).

When I was in Italy 20 years ago, I saw this thing, and I fell in love with it. As ugly as it is, I thought it was an amazing city car. Our driver had one, and it was just fun. Even my fussy wife enjoyed it. Brilliant design.

Early cars in the UK had a factory sticker in rear window that said “wait until you see the front”

When my brother sold his motorbike, the guy that came to collect it came in a Multipla and he put the seats down and loaded the whole bike in to the back. True story.

Hi, Italian here and yes, we used to have one of them in my family. My father bought the 2 liters diesel one in 2002. I have to say, to this day is one of the most comfortable cars I've ever sat in. Plus, we are a family of five and we used to go on vacation with this car every summer. Considering the 3 + 3 seats design, we had my father, mother and sister sitting in the front row, me and my brother on the sides of the back row with the center seat folded or removed to add space for A LOT more luggage. Not ironically one of the most practical cars we've ever had, despite the horrible looking.

We had the face lifted version for 10 years. Great car! Doug forgot to mention that the three back seats can be easily removed individually - very practical. Just another example how functional this car is.

This car looks like it was designed by Doug himself.

First gen multipla: "Jesus Christ what is that horribly ugly thing?" Second gen multipla: "Where did the ugly go? It lacks character!"

My family had this car as a kid, it was really cool for its time. One feature your version didn't have, by the defrost and hazard buttons some models had a "gas change" button. These cars had a full CNG (Compressed Methane) and gasoline fuel tank, and you could basically switch the fuel source mid-drive. Italy has a network of car CNG stations and it works out to basically half the price of gasoline to drive, required a yearly inspection but I think my family saved enormous amounts of money with that. Plus, the gas tank was still big enough to drive a reasonable distance on it alone (was fine to take outside the country where you couldn't get CNG), Using methane did make less power though so I remember my dad swearing at the car sometimes as it stalled in an intersection with AC on, on a hill, and then switching to gasoline or AC off until the road flattened out. Then again I don't know if it's the car's fault or his obsession for keeping low RPM

I drove my mate's multipla from Sicily to Milan (with a small 5km boat section) with the backseats and boot full of cheese, wine and olive oil... That kind of experience stays with you for all your life.

Doug’s the type of guy to call his website “new” for years

Every night before I sleep, I make sure that a Fiat Multipla isn't hiding underneath my bed or in my closet.

I live in Ireland, my da has owned a multipla for nearly 30 years now. Its the car I grew up with and I have grown very fond of them. Yeah, they're odd and such, but spend enough time with them and ya work things out and form a routine while driving. Sadly, she had a nasty breakdown in 2018 and has been rotting in our backyard since then, but we have been slowly fixing her up and we hope to have her running again this year. It was a very useful car for us since there are six of us in the family. Still very spacious years later, we took her on holidays to Britain, France and Spain, a sound family car that you work with in terms of its odd layout (We would use the front middle seat as a table for takeaways for example and so). It'll be great to have her running again.

This is one of the best cars I've ever owned! I remember the feel of being in a bubble, so much glass around you! Unbeatable visibility from the driver seat! Doug didn't show how easy it is to remove the 3 rear seats, creating an anourmous cargo space.

Jeremy Clarkson said of the Multipla - “it is as if all the designers never met up”

If Doug were a car, he'd be a Fiat Multipla

I was just in Florence Italy today, and I saw a blue one for the first time ever. Let me tell you I was so excited to see such a quirky cool car in person 😂😂

From the front it, with a little bit of fantasy, looks like a Daimler Smart devouring an Opel Corsa in one piece

Did the GameCube get its color palette from the Multipla's interior?

The expression: "If it looks stupid but it works, then it's not stupid", really works for this car.

I love the Multipla. I drove one and was of the most fun trip i ve ever made. I was to buy one. The best and more clever version was methane powered instead of gas

The best summary of this car is by Big Car: When you get people to look at it, they realize it's a very clever, practical car, but first you have to get people to _look at it_

7:00 That, my friends, is the best example of Italian engineering I have ever seen. They knew that one day the taillights would fill with water and condensation but they didn't want to fix it, so they just decided to make it look like they're filled with water from the factory. Genius.

The Multipla was so quirky, Doug didn’t even notice how dirty his knee was in filming.

Growing up in the UK I can confirm that my family owned not one, but two of these cars. We were always given weird looks :'D the three seats in the front resolved many a childhood 'shotgun' debate.

I've never seen Doug so excited about any other car, ever.

The growth of the handles is for protect the door from hitting other cars in parkings. Here in Europe parkings are narrower than in USA, so when you park near a car, you open the door and theres a high chance to hit the other car, they put that rubbery thing to prevent damage in both cars.

"One giant panel of cheap plastic" GM's interior design philosophy for years...

Our taxi driver in Slovakia had one...he was really in love with this car...in EU we had 1,6l petrol or 1.9. tdi diesel engines...he had diesel and it had great consumption. And it was so wide you can put mountain bike in a back trunk in width. In Slovakia quite a common car.

Okay, hear me out.... Fiat had the Coupé with the 2.4l inline 5 and the 2.0l 20V inline 5 turbo.... So you could swap the turbo engine in. Maybe Upgrade that with the 2.4 Block and head etc. Give that thing a bit of a tune up and boom: you'd have yourself 250hp and great amounts of torque without much further issues using only Fiat parts and you'd get great inline 5 sound. Imagine the fun you'd have. Just having a multipla that goes fast. Like at least a lot faster than everyone else would expect! I want that.....

it's not about not being ugly, it's simply ugly on purpose. it's making a statement "im all about practicality, don't care if i'm ugly". they even advertised it as such, here in italy the billboards said "sarete belli voi", which translates to "so you think you're prettier?".

One quirk more: There was a popular option available. Instead of front middle seat you go for a large box using that space. It was divided in two parts. Refrigerator and storage compartment.

My dad has one and I drive it every time I get the chance to (I'm 24 btw) and it just puts a smile on my face every time. When my friends first saw me picking them up in it they laughed but the laughter stopped as soon as they sat in it and i showed them all the features it has. Its our favourite car for roadtrips now.

fiat is probably the only car manufacturer (maybe citroen too) that could get away with such a design. it looks like a toy, but its insanely practical. from certain angles, it looks like they were trying to make it look like a futuristic "passenger pod" sitting on a car frame, the way it seems like its seperated under the windshield.

My mom owned both the Multipla models and I can confirm a joke I've heard multiple (lol) times in Italy: "A Multipla is like a brothel: you feel ashamed when you get in or out, but it feels good once inside."

It’s a good day when Doug post weird cars.

still looks better then the newest BMWs

We have thousands of them on the roads in South Africa. The actual model you have with the right hand drive. Interesting, the Panda we have has the same center console layout as the Multipla.

Doug after 1 year : *THISSSSSS….IT’S MY NEW CAR, AND YES, IT’S A MULTIPLA*

They slaughtered my brothers and sisters to make that interior option...

I rented one of these in September 2000 to drive around in Rome and then to drive from Rome up to a villa we rented in Tuscany. It was a turbo diesel with a 5-speed manual. Ugly as sin but it was very practical, clever and fun to drive. Power was pretty decent and its fuel mileage was great. And now that I look at it again in this video, I think the exterior has the kind of weird, quirky looks that will endear it to people as it ages. But the interior dash - just weird. No excuse.

I was one of the team tasked by Fiat UK to market this car. We came up with a campaign only featuring pictures of the rear of the car... the strapline for the campaign was "Wait until you see the front". Props to the client who approved it, owning the ugliness.

He forgot the part where the rear seats can be easily removed and transform the multipla into a huge cargo van.

Massive respect to Fiat for signing this off, it's like a design exercise that actually made it to production. I'm not saying it's beautiful or good looking in any way, but it's certainly more unusual and interesting than ugly. That's why it's a charming car even if people bash on it for not following the norm.

5:03 the NSU has no pressure in its tyres and 9:33 your knee is sooo dirty 🙂anyway, an unbelievably good video again, it's nice to discover all your videos after so many years, I am new on this channel

I was just at this museum recently and they mentioned you had been there to review that vehicle, so I had to watch the video lol. Pretty cool museum!

This looks like the type of car that would be in a Jimmy Neutron universe.

People: -"Duuuuh, the cars look so boooriing, they all look the saaaame." FIAT: *makes a radical and cute Multipla* People: -"Eeeewwww, it's so ugly, whyyy is it so different? FIAT: *changes the design to normal* People: -"Soooo disappointing, it looks so normal..."

I've never seen Doug so enthusiastic about a car. Amazingly practical car. I notice it's a UK car as well.

The Multipla is perfectly described by that scene in Ant Man: "Its so ugly!! I love it!!"

Designer 1: "This Car is so ugly, Nobody will ever want to touch it!" Designer 2:"Well, let's add an additional piece to the doorhandles then!"

just a fact: Fiat wanted to quit Multipla production in the 2005 in order to give space to the new Croma. Well, customers were so pushing that Fiat had to keep on making it until 2010. On top of that, basically Multipla marketing costs were minimal: the car success was based on word-on-mouth. I'm from Turin, and I had a Multipla. Best car ever.

Dude reviews divos and the most limited Hyper cars there are, and yet he seems more enthusiastic about presenting the quirks and features of a multipla :D gotta love him.

My first car was a Fiat Palio GTX and it had the same exact engine -1.6L 4-cyl DOHC which made about 100HP. Back in the early 2000s when it was launched, it was the "hottest" hatch you could buy in India. Extremely well-built and had a vault-like feeling when sitting inside. Brings back a lot of good memories! Thanks Doug

Actually the door handles are designed this way so the metal doesn’t bump into walls or cars while you open the doors but the plastic does

Built by Fiat, styled by Fisher Price. It's weird, but I kind of love it. There were a few Multipla taxis around Dublin at the start of the millennium, and I took a few trips in them. Weird as they were, they made a lot of sense as a taxi, and you have to give the engineers huge credit for making it all work somehow.

I’m not reading through 10k comments to see if also pointed out but the rear 3 seats seats were purposefully intended to be quickly removed turning the Multipla into a van for even more cargo/boot space. I owned one a loved it. Nice review Doug 👍.

One of my favorite videos of yours Doug! Great to see you geek out over this bizarre contraption

If he likes the Fiat Multipla then he would really like the Renault Avantime

"My car has a 3-across seating" "Wow, you got a McLaren Speedtail?" "No." "A McLaren F1!?!" "No, a Fiat Multipla." "..."

Very nice review with much enthusiasm. Just like the Renault Twingo I or Espace, the huge glass surface makes sense once inside because it gives a pleasant viewing access to the exterior and nature during a voyage and a real feeling a space. Now the question is why 2020s car have the reverse philosophy making windows smaller and smaller giving the impression of being enclosed or constrained within the car with less visibility on the outside and less pleasure contemplating the landscape ?

never…. ever ever EVER again say “1 point something” on your videos Dug…. NEVER !! you are famous and maybe the greatest on what you do because all the details you go thru…. we love u !! keep posting good videos for the world !

Looks like a car Nintendo would've made during the game cube era

This is the only car I've ever seen that looks like a fucking alien.

"They had to sell cars and they had to make it look a little more normal" not sure if that is even possible but instead of redoing the front end they should've gotten rid of the comically large windows and tiny doors instead 😂

We had a Multipla and I firmly believe it was the best family car ever. Gearbox/clutch were a bit shonky, but the body/seats/interior were unbeatable. Take all the rear seats out and you had a van for taking rubbish to the recycle centre! Amazing.

A aunt of mine used to own one of these. Nobody in the family disputes its uglyness, and nobody that was ever inside disputes how practical and good at it's job it was.

I live in Europe. And I still think this is a great car. I'm surprised he didn't mention the rear seats can be easily removed all together. And it was designed to fit an electric power train from the start. To think this designer went on to 'save' fiat by leading the fiat 500 team.

Practicality deserved a 10! What can you desire more from a practical perspective?

Another weird quirk: The strange bonnet shape was inspired by dolphins, and contributes to the unusually low drag coefficient of (reportedly) 0.32 for such a tall vehicle.

Designer was like: *they gonna fire me this weekend anyways*

Mr Krab from SpongeBob, in a car design! 😀💛 Oh, a NASA emblem at the back!

I rented one of these from a local garage for a camping holiday as a uni student many years ago. It was fantastic and it had plenty of room for us to sleep on a particularly rainy night.

The plastic "growth" at the end of the door handles were supposed to mitigate damages to other cars when kids slam their doors open while coming out of the car. I think that was pretty clever design feature.

This car looks like if Rocko’s Modern Life made cars

I kind of want one. This thing is beautiful, it's oddities make it so cool to me.

I think the heat got to Doug during this review. He was delirious.

This car is the closest we'll ever get to the Homer.

If you ever feel useless, think about anti-theft protection in Multipla

Doug, you get so enthusiastic about so many vehicles, you should have a personal garage as large as that museum and enough vehicles to fill it!!😃😄😄

This car matches Doug perfectly. He should daily this. He's the type of guy who would think it's unironically cool.

Being from Italy I know a few people who used to own a Multipla, and let me tell you, whoever had one of these absolutely loved it! Keep in mind that roads and parking spaces are waaaay smaller compared to North America, and having a car as long as a Mini with enough room and practicality even for a large family was a huge deal, and no other car was this good. This also made it extremely popular with taxi drivers. I know it’s not a beauty to say the least, but I don’t find it plain ugly...it has its own personality, and more importantly it reminds me of a time when not everything had to be a crossover in order to sell, and car makers still took risks and tried to do something different with their designs. I’m so glad Doug finally had the chance to check it out!!

Small detail: the plastic protruding from the handle is also used to prevent the door knocking.

I actually really like how this looks 😭

Just another former owner who goes around YT videos to shed a tear remembering those days... One important story about how the car came to be. (by heart, cant find the book i got it from) Fiat and other two EU builders (Renault and vW maybe?) had signed an agreement to only produce one model each on the >4m length range. different enough to cover the whole spectrum (a 6ppl family - a 9ppl van - a big working van) without competing with each other. Fiat had the big working van, so later that day went to his best designer with a brief: a spacious, 6ppl (plus luggage) comfortable and CHEAP car to fuck with the renault Scénic (the one Renault chose as per agreement)... In no more than 3,99 meters length. It took a daring and thorough rethinking of how cars are designed. It was big. on the personal note: It brought me (my girlfriend, friends and dog) around Italy so nicely for long and cheap. with the 5 mins effort of clicking the backseats out and shoving my beds mattress in it became a room with a view. I once woke up in front of a volcano overlooking Naples bay. It is ugly? well the memories it gave me are very beautiful. Bring me an actual owner who has found a better car, i'd be happiest know...

This car unironically looks like a space ship