Fiat Multipla (00-10) - Review

There's plenty of room for six adults thanks to individual seats. The middle seat in the front is set back slightly from the two outer seats to make it a little easier for the driver to reach controls on the dashboard - and to give the middle seat occupant a little more leg-room. The near vertical sides mean there's good shoulder and elbow room for passengers in the outer seats. All Multiplas have had electric front windows and electrically adjustable door mirrors since its launch. The ELX models (and later Eleganza) added automatic climate control and electric rear windows.

The Multipla will swallow 430 litres of luggage up to window height, even with all six seats occupied. Removing the second row of seats expands luggage capacity to an enormous 1900 litres. There are also various useful storage compartments in the cabin, and despite being wide, the Multipla is relatively short, making parking relatively easy. However unlike the Fiat Doblo, it's not available with seven seats and doesn't come with sliding doors.

The Multipla's unusual exterior design continues on the dashboard, but unfortunately it looks dated now and quality isn't up to scratch. The switches on the centre console are cluttered and the plastics look cheap. On the plus side the driving position gives good visibility and the vast glass area results in an airy cabin. One quirk is the handbrake lever which is set to the right of the driver, between the seat and the door, to help middle-seat accommodation in the front. The large, van-like split-level door mirrors are useful too.