Test drive Fiat Multipla 1998 - 2004 Minivan

There are no analogues!

It is unlikely that I will make a discovery if I say that the appearance of the previous fiat-multiph (ZR, 1999, No. 12) few people liked it. Original, unusual, even revolutionary yes. But to call her attractive nevertheless, the mini-ven was released unchanged for five years, despite the decrease in sales, and only this year was updated. Whether this will raise an interest in the model, it is difficult to say because it will be necessary to break the inertia of negative perception. However, we will not run ahead, time will tell.
In the meantime, we will get acquainted with the updated multiple closer. Immediately place the dots over I: this is not about the new model, but about restyling, changing the appearance while preserving the previous power structure of the body. To be precise, the nasal part has completely changed to the front doors: from now on it is designed in a single corporate style similarly to the idea (ZR, 2004, No. 5). The rear blocks were acquired by the other shape, and the bumpers were painted in the color of the body. The designation of configurations has also changed: instead of SX and ELX Active and Dynamic.
The sixth will not be superfluous!
The presentation hall was unusual: instead of the scene, the instrument panel, under the windows door handles and buttons of electric windows. Placing in a chair, he did not immediately realize that they were not arranged like it, but with the intent of the blocks of six pieces in two rows, repeating the layout of the cabin. Moreover, the average in front was stood out with a bright yellow color hint of an extra place more than understandable.
The fiat-multipheplas is the only of modern cars has an unusual passenger capacity formula 3+3 two rows of three seats in each. Thanks to this, a car is slightly more than four meters in length (and before restyling was 3.99!) Six people can accommodate. In the dimensions of a car with a cabin of a classic layout (two chairs in front), only five will be located, and for seven you need at least 4.3 m in the parking lot, while there is no room for baggage. It is even calculated that the layout of the multiple by 37% facilitates communication between passengers compared to three -row!
All six seats here are full -fledged, although by modern standards they offer a modest set of adjustments: there is only longitudinal behind the middle chair, and even then in a rich configuration the speaker. However, having tired a little, the rear seats can be rearranged 150 mm forward, and even in this case, there will be enough space for tall passengers. Wide doorways, absolutely even floor, huge area of \u200b\u200bglazing (you sit, as on the veranda!), 1.6 m of the inner width and four cubic meters (!) The salon of this Van has many virtues!
Or will it be?
Flaws? Objectively, perhaps the only one: in comparison with classmates, the body is wider than 4070 mm. However, you get used to this in half an hour drive. But what he could not adapt to was to two empty chairs on the right and very wide at the top, at the level of glasses, a salon. This creates even a greater sensation of the bus than on the full-size seven-seater mini-van, where there are still two places ahead and some kind of car's cockpit. Here is the closest association of a van type of short Ford-transit. It is great to travel a large company or family, but it’s not very comfortable to go to work in a kind of aquarium.
Perhaps, just for the complexes, a fee, like me, is provided for a replacement of the average chair with a voluminous box with 18 liters with a built -in refrigerator. But was it worth fence the garden in order to eventually return to the five -seater configuration? A portrait of a potential buyer arises quite specific: the head of the family of exactly six people living in a close metropolis. However, I forgot about professionals spacious and at the same time compact multiplas is very popular among Italian taxi drivers!
Gasized gasoline
Listen, where are the mirrors adjusted here? A colleague unsuccessfully searched for symbols on the front panel. Only a few minutes later they found the necessary keys on the ceiling next to the control panel of two hatches, well, intricate! However, the mirrors once adjusted and roll to health, but it must be remembered about other features constantly. For example, the handbrake is not on the right, but to the left of the seat, the box lever is unusually high on the protrusion of the console: if at first it is not to control the switching process visually, the hand is habit of habiting much lower. The central console, similar to the anthill, is still unusual, and the ventilation deflectors block resemble either the physiognomy of the robot or the knight's helmet. In principle, everything is convenient, but I expected to see the interior updated to agree that with restyling in the sixth year of life, this would be logical.
The range of power units remained unchanged. A gasoline engine with a volume of 1.6 liters and a capacity of 103 liters. With. This is a minimum for such a large and heavy machine. He can calmly carry, and if you demand more even diligently growl, but nothing more. On overtaking scrappers, you have to twist it up to six thousand and intensively switch the gears. More burden and the flexor 1.9-liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 115 liters. With. Its 205 N.M of torque provide the best dynamic indicators, good elasticity and allow you to once again not bother the box. The only condition is not to fall into the turboyam below one and a half thousand revolutions, where the motor is sour. There is also a two-fuel version of Bipower with a 1.6-liter engine that is additionally equipped with a gas fuel system. Three 168 liters located under the bottom of the cylinder contains 26.5 kg of compressed methane: it is enough for almost 500 km of run, although with some decrease in dynamic characteristics.
Wait for the end of the year
In Italy, sales of updated fiat-multipay began on June 26. In September-October, the car will appear in other markets, closer to the end of the year, probably, there will be no more accurate deadlines were not named. A decision was made on the supply of cars to us with all three power units. According to the head of the Russian representative office of Fiat Auto, Mr. Paskuin Sterts, prices will be close to Italian: 1.6 Active/Dynamic 18 15020 030 euros; 1.9 JTD Active/ Dynamic 20 45022 430 EVRO; 1.6 Bipower Active/Dynamic 20 57022 480 euros. Not to say cheaply, but it is difficult to find analogues.
 
 
Yuri Nechetov. Photo by the author

Source: The magazine "Driving"