Americans imagine the return of the Fiat Multipla based on the latest Citroën concept

For years, the Fiat Multipla has been cited as the ultimate example of the "ugly but intelligent" car. In the USA, one media outlet is asking the question: what if now was just the right time to bring it back? The American website Carscoops reopens the debate, imagining a modern Multipla based on a recent concept... by Citroën.

A Citroën concept immediately reminiscent of Fiat

The presentation of the Citroën ELO concept didn't go unnoticed. With its very compact, single-volume silhouette, atypical proportions and, above all, two-stacked headlamps, the concept immediately awakened old memories in European car enthusiasts. More specifically, those of the 1990's Fiat Multipla, famous, or infamous, for its radical design. For Carscoops, the connection is no coincidence. The two brands now belong to the same group, Stellantis, and already share platforms, technologies and industrial strategies. From this base, the American media imagined what a modern electric Multipla could be, derived directly from the Citroën concept, but reworked with Fiat aesthetic codes. Where many imagine a future Multipla reduced to a simple family SUV, this alternative vision proposes something quite different. The ELO concept is based on a "one-box" architecture, with a single volume optimized for habitability. A philosophy perfectly in tune with the DNA of the first Multiplas, and in particular with the legendary Fiat 600 Multipla of 1955.

In this interpretation, illustrator Thanos Pappas retains the compact 4.10-meter silhouette, but reworks the details. The superimposed front lights are clearly reminiscent of the 1998 Multipla, while the front end adopts softer surfaces and the latest Fiat logo. All this is complemented by wheels inspired by anniversary editions of the Fiat 500 and a deliberately expressive color palette. Like the Citroën ELO concept, this reinvented Multipla relies on extreme modularity. Six individual seats, a central driving position, wide sliding doors and the possibility of removing certain elements to transform the interior as required. The idea is clear: to prioritize use, flexibility and life on board. Of course, such a layout presupposes a dedicated electric platform.

Will Fiat dare to think outside the box again?

Officially, Fiat has never confirmed the return of the Multipla. Nevertheless, the name is regularly circulated, and could be attributed to a future crossover based on Stellantis' Smart Car platform, already used by the Citroën C3 Aircross or Opel Frontera. A much more classic orientation, designed to take on models such as the Dacia Duster or Bigster. But the proposal imagined in the United States shows that another path is possible. A Multipla faithful to its original spirit, fully embracing its atypical character and intelligent design, could find its place in a car market in search of practical, differentiating solutions.