Read the full review

Rating

Verdict The most boring machine in history

In the middle of the 1990s, Fiat noticed that you could buy cars with one seat, two seats, three seats, four seats, five seats and seven seats. Which meant there was a gap. There was no car with . . . wait for it . . . six seats.

The solution it came up with was a family-sized hatchback that had three seats in the back and three in the front. So amazing was this that plainly the car needed a whole new look. And so the Multipla was born, the first car to resemble an Amazonian tree frog.

This turned out to be a mistake. Customers liked their cars to resemble sharks or leopards or, er, cars. But not frogs. And so the Multipla was a monumental flop. And then it was dropped. Except, now it’s back again. This time round the quirky styling has been replaced with a blandness that beggars belief. I have to say that this is the most boring looking machine in the whole of human history.

And while it will fit comfortably into spaces denied to the longer and more traditional people carrier, its girth spells nightmare in narrow streets. I spent most of my week with the Fiat backing up.

To be honest, I really didn’t like this car. It’s dreary, bland and the width really is a nuisance. So if you have three children may I suggest you buy a packet of condoms. If it’s too late, buy a Toyota Corolla Verso.

Price when tested (Mar 2005) £16,495 Model discontinued

Engine 1910cc, four cylinders, turbodiesel

Power 115bhp @ 4000rpm

Torque 150 lb ft @ 1500rpm

Transmission Five-speed manual

Fuel/CO2 44.1mpg (combined) / 170g/km

0-62mph 12.2sec

Top speed 109mph