History has condemned the FIAT Multipla - but are we wrong about why?

We had one. It came with "wait until you see the front" written on the back window. This was something fiat did..

The only channel to run from Fiat to Ferrari.

We had three of these: they can carry 6 adults with a big boot (7 seaters had cramped child only rear seats, and no boot). We would take out seats and use them as a large van, carrying the PA for a 5 piece band, and when camping, use a roof box, all of the gear would fit, in a footprint no longer than a focus. Brilliant.

Talking aesthetics here, The reason the Multipla failed is the same reason why we have boxes that all looks the same now !

i had to sit in between my mate's parents in a fiat multipla while they argued the whole way back from a camping holiday in wales when i was a child. the mum was driving quite angrily and the dad had his bare feet up on the dash. my mate and his sisters played on their DSs in the back. it was very awkward

This has aged really well, and looks amazing compared to the tripe that's being churned out today.

I had an original Multipla for a little under 9 years, bought at 8.5k miles and 130k miles when it was written off. It was a great car and mostly reliable. The mirrors are underappreciated, and very useful for reverse parking. You could slide across the car and get out either side. The seats were all individually upright, comfortable chairs. The visibility was great, and the cabin was very light and airy. The perfect Multipla would be one with 2.4 five-cylinder diesel out of the 156 (10-valve for preference). Full disclosure: I've owned 9 Citroëns, and I think that the Avantime is lovely.

The Multipla is a clever, good engineered car and I have always loved its unique design and practicality 😊

I miss the era of those quirky cars, when designers were not afraid of taking risks. Now it’s just 500, sporty 500, bigger 500 and 500 crossover…

When the Multipla came out MY reaction was one of awe! You see, I appreciate DESIGN that solves problems, and this vehicle was a non-van solution to the MPV conundrum! IT WORKED, and in doing so, asked if we needed to look at cars as utility vehicles rather than trying to fool everyone into believing the "dad-mobile" was a sexy thing! This was a car that asked you to think, rather than chase shiny baubles! I thought it was comical, but a rather bold solution to the urban carshare or school run! I have always admired those who EXPLORE ideas and the products that break moulds! (Dyson was another, more successful example!)

The fact that mk2 Multiplas are worth less than the awesome mk1s are testament to how Fiat knocked it out of the park with the first generation. Long live the Multipla!

It’s not ugly…. It’s beautiful in it’s own way😢

Saw loads of these when I was over in Normandy in 2001. A local told me that they had seemingly adopted the car for its "personality."

My mate had one sometime after he married and just before his twins a came along he loved it the kids grew up loving it and it never failed him I borrowed it for a week and it was very useful and handled well I can't fault it

My mate was doing a house up, they wouldn't let him in to the tip with his Berlingo, so bought a multiplayer for £400 with 10 months MOT, all seats out and he had himself a mini skip. Saved him a fortune on skips, tip runs, builders merchant visits.

Wanted a multipla for years, but my girlfriend said she will move out and take the kids!!! I think they are cool, don't understand the hate? 😂

We had a Multipla twice as a family car. The youngest always wanted to sit in the front ( which was never a problem, rather the opposite ) and most parents know the problem with disputes on the back seat. The one who is causing the problem comes between the parents and there is peace. But the older ones (teenagers) would certainly have liked to use the paper bag ;-) If you look at how much luggage space is left in the Zafira or Sharan when all seats are used, you can see how huge the Multipla trunk actually is. So your points of criticism are actually advantages, namely relatively large trunk, great for smaller children and even in Italy a 1.9m car fits through every alley (today's SUVs are not narrower) and with a length of 4m, the search for a parking space is much easier (especially in Italy). And the chassis offers dynamics on country roads, where the competition sways through the curves. But unfortunately, the rust and sticky plastic in the interior are the biggest drawbacks. You have to want and like this very special design, then there is almost no alternative. Just like the Renault Vel Satis you spurned, which we got afterwards and which I still happily drive today ;-)

I always loved Multipla. My uncle had it new from the factory when I was about 8. I loved the space inside and the fact I could drive in front on the middle seat. They are absurdly spacious even without considering how small they are (about 4m long). I would love to have pre-facelift Multipla in my collection

What do I remember the Fiat Multipla for? Well, I remember it as the winner of Top Gear Car Of The Year. As well as Top Gear's Family Car Of The Year. That's good enough in my book.

Saw one advertised on Marketplace and someone asked him " is this still for sale"? Seller said "it is yes" and the bloke then said "not surprised".😂