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SMART SOLUTIONS FOR A CLEVER CAR
 Fiat
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. |
