Fiat’s new Multiplay concept car – revealed just ahead of the 2026 Paris motor show – is a bonkers mash-up of MPV, SUV and pickup truck that seats six people and their dog. 

The Italian carmaker says the Multiplay answers the question of how a single car can meet the needs of a modern family – it just turns into lots of cars. 

In the Multiplay’s family configuration it seats the full six passengers with extra room for the flexible ‘petsenger’ seat. 

The rear part of the car can adjust electrically to change the Multiplay into a pickup truck with four seats and a load bay that can carry bicycles and various bits of sporting equipment. 

A neat little trick is that the spoiler on the back of the car in MPV mode rotates to become a bike rack when the Multiplay becomes a pickup. 

The name is inspired by two Multiplas in Fiat’s history – the Fiat 600 Multipla from 1956 that squeezed in six passengers from a 3.5m-long footprint and the controversial looking 1998 Multipla that fit in two rows of three seats in a car that was less than 4m long. 

The Multiplay concept is a bit more expansive at 4.5m long, but it does manage to fit in more fun features than either of those two cars ever did. 

The petsenger seat isn’t a berth permanently in search of a dog, but can be used as a mounting point for a child’s seat, a storage compartment or a small table depending on how you want to set it up. 

Your pooch will be well catered for on board, though – there’s a lead squirrelled away in one of the cushions and a water bowl hidden in the side door. 

Up front is what Fiat calls the ‘Sunseat’, which turns the front passenger seat into a luxurious chaise longue using the dashboard as a back rest when the car is parked, so you can enjoy a bit of relaxation while you’re charging. 

The interior tech is designed to be unobtrusive – the infotainment screen retreats into the dashboard and Fiat says that various functions have been incorporated into the interior where possible. 

Don’t get too excited, though – Fiat says that the Multiplay is a “laboratory of solutions for tomorrow’s mobility” rather than a preview of a specific model that’s set to make production. With the Citroen ELO concept unveiled at the beginning of the year we just need someone from Stellantis to build a cool MPV. 

It would be nice to see the much-maligned 1998 Multipla’s reputation getting redeemed in the electric era though wouldn’t it?