NEW FIAT MULTIPLA

Introduction

Smart Solutions for a Clever Car

Unique Architecture & Revised Exterior Styling

Diverse Range of Engines & Gearboxes

Body Colours & New Interior Trim

Equipment & Options

Images: New Multipla on the Road

 

SMART SOLUTIONS FOR A CLEVER CAR

Fiat MultiplaFiat offers smart solutions that simplify and improve life on all its models. This is a sacred tenet of the Fiat tradition and the New Multipla is a good example of its application.

The New Multipla offers unrivalled versatility and flexibility of use, for example. In the same way, its comfort and ease of driving are segment-topping now that the revised Fiat MPV has revolutionised the concept of on-board wellbeing by adopting the most advanced ergonomic solutions. A good example is the Bluetooth handsfree system that makes its Fiat Group début on this very car, the New Multipla.

Because the motor car is increasingly assessed in terms of its ability to respect the environment, Fiat is offering its Natural Power engine with dual petrol and methane fuel system available on the New Multipla.

Extraordinary versatility and flexibility of use

The New Multipla is not only spacious but also highly versatile and able to modulate its space at will so that you can adapt it to your own purposes, preferences and lifestyle or to requirements connected with your job or your own specific household. The driver's seat is height-adjustable by means of an electric control.

The backrests of all the seats are adjustable and the rear seats may be folded flat like a book and tilted to increase the load space or removed altogether. To increase the luggage compartment load capacity without detracting from the comfort of rear passengers, the rear seats may be secured to the floor in two longitudinal positions 15 cm apart. In the most forward position, the luggage compartment capacity is 540 litres.

When the central seats (front and rear) are unoccupied, they may be reclined to act as an arm rest, side table and oddment compartment with two glass holders.

When customers purchase their New Multipla they can select a configuration that replaces the front central seat with a console equipped with oddment compartment including an 18 litre insulated box that can hold three one and a half litre bottles. The box may be cooled (like a refrigerator) or heated (to keep food warm) as required. It is supplied by the car battery, but only when the engine is running to ensure the battery does not go flat.

The New Multipla is uncompromising in its pursuit of everyday practicality: six comfortable seats and a big luggage compartment packed into a little over four metres in length; a strong personality that is decidedly innovative in the current motoring scenario; flexibility of use and uncommon versatility. These are the strength of a model that reinvents the future by offering a new way of experiencing the car.

Excellent attributes of ergonomics and comfort

The New Multipla is a comfortable, flexible car suited for different applications in the most diverse situations. The first sensation when you climb aboard is of its great roominess. It is much bigger inside than you would suppose from the exterior dimensions. The new model is the only car able to offer six comfortable seats in a length of 409 centimetres. At the front, the interior elbow room is better than all rival cars and the rear dimensions are in line with conventional MPVs. Not to mention the fact that the interior space available for passengers (more than three cubic metres) and the ratio between passenger room and external dimensions are the best in its category.

Of course passenger room is about much more than a hard-headed calculation of available volume: it means in-car wellbeing. For this reason, the designers of the new model paid particular attention to the position assumed by the occupants and the seat configurations. To ensure maximum comfort when entering and leaving the car, the front pillar is positioned forward, the door shape is rational and the opening angle is wide. The seats are close to the car's sill.

The side passengers enjoy a generous amount of headroom. Because all the mechanical components have been set as far forward as possible and the front central seat is positioned slightly back and is able to slide, the driver is afforded great freedom of movement. The rear passenger compartment would not be out of place in a limousine.

It is an enjoyable experience to sit in any of the six seats: all the seats are equally wide, comfortable, safe and user-friendly. Because they are arranged over two rows, plenty of room is left for a capacious luggage compartment. Its volume may range from a minimum of 430 litres, when measured to the level of the rear backrest, to a maximum of 1300 when the rear seats are removed. Loading operations are made easier by the lack of a step.

A host of storage compartments also mean that every corner of the passenger compartment can be used to the full and there is room to put everything. In particular, a roomy closed compartment in front of the driver can be used for vehicle documents and other items such as the radio front panel or mobile phone. Another roomy closed compartment in front of the front passenger can be used to hold a handbag, road maps or anything else you may need during your trip.

The centre of the facia contains a radio compartment and a small area equipped to hold coins and motorway cards. A container lower down on the driver's side can be used for keys or other small items.

And there is more, Two concealed boxes under the sun blinds can be used to hold all the small items that you can never normally find anywhere to put: or garage remote control, sunglasses, cigarettes, sweets etc. The Dynamic specification offers soft pouches behind the front seat backrests and, as an option, a box located under the right front seat. The doors are fitted with rigid pouches and the rear doors are equipped with glass holders.
Last but not least, the new model offers an optional double sunroof that makes the passenger compartment even brighter and more pleasant.

Extremely easy to drive

Give drivers the sensation of being at the wheel not of an MPV but of a car that is much more compact, agile and nippy: this was the brief handed down to the engineers when they developed the Multipla and its suspension. This is why all the car's handling and comfort specifications have been passed down to the new model. The result is a car that makes a virtue out of its ease of driving. When cornering, for example, the New Multipla understeers slightly and its trajectory closes in slightly on emerging from the bend. This means that your car always does exactly what you expect. It is predictable in its responses and thus easy to control in every situation.

The steering is direct: the ratio between rack travel and steering column rotation is 51 mm/revolution to allow fast, safe control of the car. Over fast mixed routes, it also means you can drive without moving your hands on the steering wheel while on the motorway you can also change lane quickly with economic turns of the wheel.

When it enters a bend, the New Multipla responds promptly and follows its trajectory without deviation. It always remains flat and gives the driver the sensation of great directionality: the roll angle is very low and similar to that of a sports car. The New Multipla can also be realigned with instinctive movements of the steering wheel. In tests where the steering is subject to impact at 60 degrees with the car travelling at 100 km/h, the steering wheel hardly swings from side to side: this means that the vehicle tends to resume the correct position when left to its own devices.

The classic independent configuration with MacPherson struts at the front and tie rods at the rear ensures an outstanding reaction to minor roughness in the ground and a smooth response when settling down on corners. The springs and all other suspension components have been designed to minimise friction and noise and assure superlative comfort under all load conditions. Engine performance is outstanding during acceleration and also at top speed. The New Multipla complements these attributes with truly exceptional flexibility and smoothness of driving. Ease of driving, however, also means good visibility, handling during parking and on-board instruments that are convenient to use. The new model slips with great agility through town traffic. Some of the credit for this goes to its generous side windows, high seating position and a very low waistline that ensures exceptional visibility.

The driver's rear view mirror is also split to eliminate the dangerous blind spot, while the passenger door mirror (also split) comes with its lower part directed towards the right rear wheel to give an exact perception of space during parking manoeuvres. Both are equipped with electrical adjustments and may be folded flat (electrically if required) to reduce vehicle width and negotiate tight corners (e.g. when entering a garage).

All manoeuvres are also aided by the compact size of the car, the small turning circle (5.5 metres) and a precise, light power steering system. Reversing is aided by a proximity sensor that indicates the distance from obstacles behind the car.

Handsfree system with Bluetooth technology

The New Multipla marks the first début on Fiat models of handsfree sets with Bluetooth technology to ensure maximum driving safety under all conditions. The system, available from the accessory range, allows customers with Bluetooth mobile phones to use their phones even when in their jacket pockets or handbags. This system automatically lowers the radio volume (if turned on) and allows you to hear the person you are speaking to through the stereo speakers.

And more. Fiat decided to make the Bluetooth handsfree system even more useful in ensuring that it is able to operate in the presence of a radio, but also when only the wiring is present, using the speakers present in the car in all cases. This is naturally an attractive benefit for customers because they are free to buy the radio they prefer while still benefiting from this sophisticated system.

In detail, the Bluetooth handsfree set designed for the New Multipla uses an analogue echo-cancellation effect that allows sound quality to be maintained without any deterioration in timbre, thus preventing unpleasant metallic tones. The device is also completely built into the vehicle as far as its control unit and control keys are concerned. The control keys are installed in a panel in the centre of the facia - an excellent position because they are easy to reach - and include a blue warning light that allows you to monitor (under any light conditions) the status of the Bluetooth connection.

The system also allows you to manage and store up to three mobile phones at the same time so that more than one passenger in the car can make direct use of the handsfree set. The programming may naturally be modified whenever you want at will.

Natural Power: the environmentally-friendly version

The New Multipla Natural Power offers a dual methane and petrol fuel system with two independent circuits. The car normally runs on methane and only needs petrol for start up. After that, it automatically switches to the other system. In this way, the petrol fuel system remains efficient and is only required when the gas in the cylinders is about to run out.

It is, however, always possible to change from methane to petrol and vice versa at will by pressing a button on the facia.

The power unit fitted to this particular version is a 1.6 Torque 16 valve that adopts a phased sequential Multipoint system. This engineering feature allows the engine to obtain all the benefits of a petrol engine from a methane engine. The New Multipla Natural Power ensures outstanding handling: when running on methane its maximum power is 68 kW (92 bhp) at 5750 rpm, while its torque is 130 Nm (13.3 kgm) at 4000 rpm. When it runs on petrol, its vital statistics are 76 kW (103 bhp) at 5750 rpm and 145 Nm (14.8 kgm) at 4000 rpm.

The Natural Power version also returns low fuel consumption figures and, above all, minimum emission levels in absolute safety. This last aspect means the customer can drive around town centres with traffic restrictions (due to excessive pollution) and also park the car in garages.

Moving on to the fuel consumption: when running on methane, the model consumes 8.2 kg/100 km (over an urban cycle), 5.2 kg/100 km (extraurban) and 6.3 kg/100 km (combined); when running on petrol (the tank contains 38 litres), the results are 11.9 l/100 km, 7.6 l/100 km and 9.2 l/100 km. Lastly, the natural gas is loaded into three steel cylinders located under the floor that offer an overall capacity of 168 litres and can contain 26.5 kg of methane to ensure a range of 500 km (combined cycle).

The performance figures are also very respectable. In fact the minimum environmental impact version of the New Multipla reaches a top speed of 168 km/h with a petrol fuel system (157 km/h with methane) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 16 seconds (methane) and 13.5 seconds (petrol).

This car is an excellent demonstration of Fiat Auto's commitment to the environment: methane engines are one of its main concerns. This is evidenced by the fact that Fiat has developed a full range of products to meet the needs of businesses and private individuals. The model range now available includes an addition to the New Multipla Natural Power (the previous 'bipower' system has been a great success on the market), also a Ducato bipower, in various versions for professional goods transport; a Doblò bipower in vehicle and Cargo versions - and lastly the New Punto Natural Power, the only car of this type in segment B.

The contribution of Fiat Group companies

A compact MPV with a marked personality of its own yet also a vehicle packed with smart solutions that make it a benchmark in its category: this was the brief given to Fiat's engineers and technicians. To achieve its goal, Fiat deployed its best resources and ensured that maximum quality and reliability standards were applied throughout the product development and construction process. It also developed a profitable co-operative relationship with its outside suppliers and some Group Companies including Magneti Marelli and Teksid.

Teksid

Teksid, through its subsidiary company Meridian Technologies Inc., produces a magnesium under-facia beam for the New Multipla in its Verres plant (Aosta) that is a slight variation on the current product. The product weight is unchanged (60% less than the steel beam) and its great vibration-absorbing capacity ensures greater comfort. Teksid Ghisa also continues to supply the cylinder blocks and crankshaft from its Crescentino plant, camshafts and suspension struts from Teksid Poland and exhaust manifolds from its French subsidiary Fonderie du Poitou Fonte.

Magneti Marelli

After the company's contribution to the Fiat Panda and Idea, Lancia Ypsilon and Musa, the New Multipla is also enhanced by technological input from Magneti Marelli, which developed significant systems and components for the new vehicle. In particular, Magneti Marelli developed the 'heart' of the Multipla: the reliable engine control system for the 1.6 Torque 16 valve engine that ensures outstanding performance for low fuel consumption. The same technology is used on the engine control system available for the Natural Power version. The New Multipla's exterior design also benefits from the Company's innovative backing.

Automotive Lighting engineers developed the front light clusters that contribute to the vehicle's front end to create a strong family resemblance between Fiat MPVs. In technical terms these cutting-edge lighting devices feature completely clear optics that include all functions: low beams, high beams, side lights, turn signals and foglights. The tail-lights built into the new rear end of the vehicle have also been completely redesigned to give them a markedly linear look. The two-tone tail-lights include a reflector and are no longer part of the bumpers.

Comfort and safety are also assured by a fully redesigned suspension produced by Magneti Marelli that includes both front and rear systems.