Fiat Multiplay and Citroën 2 CV Concepts Show Two Routes to More Appealing Cars

Two concepts make a useful case for giving cars more personality and flexibility: Fiat’s Multiplay, which shifts between family transport and pickup duty, and Citroën’s electric 2 CV, which brings retro charm to a small-car idea. Neither is a confirmed production model, but both point toward ways automakers could make practical vehicles more appealing.

The two ideas address different frustrations. The Multiplay tries to make one compact vehicle cover several household jobs, while Citroën’s concept suggests an electric car can be distinctive without relying on futuristic styling. For buyers, the central questions are whether such designs can reach showrooms at accessible prices and whether the clever details work in everyday use.

Fiat Multiplay turns a family vehicle into a pickup

A reader asked whether Ford’s electric Phantom could be the future of pickup trucks, pointing to its blend of truck and passenger-car attributes and the importance of keeping its promised price affordable. The Multiplay offers another version of that broad idea, though it is a Fiat concept rather than a confirmed rival or production alternative to the Phantom.

At about 175 inches long, the Multiplay is shorter than many compact crossovers. Its defining feature, called “Metamorfosi,” is a sliding rear module that changes the enclosed passenger layout into a four-seat pickup with an open bed. That could make it useful to households that want secure, weather-protected passenger space most of the time but also need to carry bulky items occasionally.

Fiat also gives the rear spoiler a second job: it rotates to form a rack for two bicycles. Passenger mode seats six and includes a “Petsenger” module that can serve as a pet space, a child-seat mounting point, a table or a storage compartment. A folding dog bowl is part of the concept, and the front passenger seat can become a lounge when the vehicle is parked.

These features sound appealing on a design stand. Their value in a real vehicle would depend on details the concept description doesn’t provide: how quickly the rear module moves, how much cargo the open bed can take, and how the pet area and child-seat attachment work in practice. A mechanism that changes the vehicle’s layout also needs to be simple enough that owners will use it regularly. The idea is promising; its day-to-day usefulness would come down to execution.

The styling leans into bright, fruit-inspired colors, with green exterior paint and pink and red cabin accents. Fiat’s Smart Car multi-energy architecture can support electric, plug-in hybrid and combustion powertrains, but the company hasn’t confirmed that the Multiplay uses it. Pricing and production plans are also unannounced. That leaves the concept without the figures buyers would need to judge it against conventional small pickups or family crossovers.

Its compact footprint and changeable layout make the Multiplay an intriguing fit for drivers who need passenger space and occasional open-bed utility without a larger truck. Whether it could reach buyers in the United States is uncertain. Until Fiat shares a price, powertrain and availability plan, it remains a useful glimpse of a design direction rather than a shopping option.

Citroën gives electric motoring a retro face

The second reader questioned whether electric cars can win over people who find them boring. The answer here isn’t that one styling trick will change everyone’s mind. It’s that an electric car can have a recognizable shape and a playful cabin, giving buyers another reason to consider it alongside the practical questions of price, range and charging. The source provides no range or charging figures for Citroën’s concept, so those parts of the ownership picture remain open.

Unveiled at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, the Citroën 2 CV Concept is about 148 inches long and revives the original’s rounded profile and separate round headlights. Citroën is aiming for a European starting price around €15,000 and expects a production model by 2028. Both are targets, not confirmed retail details, but they suggest the company is considering an electric car at a much smaller scale and lower price point than many current EVs.

The cabin carries the same character. It includes a removable storage basket, a single-spoke steering wheel and a pull-out front seat. An opening fabric roof adds to the old-fashioned, open-air feel. Those touches make the concept stand apart from electric cars that use a deliberately sparse, technology-led interior. The trade-off is that buyers will still want to know how the finished car handles storage, comfort and everyday use, details a show concept can’t settle.

Citroën also showed a commercial sibling, the 2 CV Fourgonnette Concept. It’s a small van, not a pickup, and the company says it doesn’t preview an imminent production vehicle. Still, pairing a passenger-car concept with a delivery-van interpretation hints at how a shared design could serve drivers with different needs.

Neither concept can yet be compared on the essentials of ownership: confirmed price, powertrain specifications, range, charging time and availability. But they make a clear point about product appeal. The Multiplay explores how one compact vehicle might change roles; the 2 CV puts character at the center of a small electric car. If either idea reaches production, the next test will be whether its charm and flexibility survive the realities of cost and everyday use.