Company sources told The Financial Express that the vehicle has a step type bonnet while its rear is like that of a van. "From the side, it resembles the Maruti Omni and overall, it is almost like the Renault Espace," they said.

There are three seats in the front while the three behind are easily detachable if more space needs to be created. The Multipla could also add an extra seat to qualify for the concessional excise duty of 30 per cent for 7-12 seaters though no decision has been taken yet on the issue.

The CNG cylinder, which will be fitted in the boot, is being sourced directly from Italy. While the Multipla overseas is available in a bipower version (where a petrol-driven vehicle could be changed to CNG), the one planned for India will be a bluepower type (mono CNG). Sources say that Fiat is keen to get the project going as soon as possible in India and present indications are that the vehicle will roll out of the Kurla plant.

"If everything goes according to plan, there is every likelihood of resorting to direct imports first before a regular assembly operation can be conceived of," observers say. By this time, the company could even think of the new plant in Ranjangaon (Maharashtra) to manufacture the Multipla, they add.

Fiat is, incidentally, "dead serious" about its agenda for CNG in all its models planned for India. Rough calculations indicate that a consumer would save at least 50 per cent if he opts for CNG, which is around Rs 14 per kg, rather than petrol which costs Rs 28 a litre in Mumbai.

The Multipla would be an interesting rival to the Tata Sumo and Mahindra Armada which are the leaders in the multi-utility vehicle segment. Its success will hinge on the consumer's own preference for CNG to diesel as well as availability of the fuel. At present, there is a dire need to beef up CNG supply points all over the country.

Fiat is also exploring the option of using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel for some of its cars. The government has recently given the go-ahead to oil companies to sell LPG as auto fuel in their retail outlets. "This will take a long while and Fiat would rather look at CNG as an alternative fuel for the present," sources said.

Fiat Ind Auto is controlled 76 per cent by Fiat India Automobiles (FIAL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fiat Auto of Italy. The company took over the operations of Premier Automobiles's Kurla plant in early 1998 and has consolidated operations of the Uno and Siena here.

Siena's CNG model on cards
Fiat Ind Auto is almost through with a CNG version of the Siena which will be introduced in the market a couple of months down the line. Work is on to fit the cylinder in the Uno but this is proving to be a bit of a problem as the boot space in the car is not big enough to accommodate this.

"There are plans to create carrier space on the roof but nothing has been finalised yet," sources said. Fiat will eventually have CNG variants, wherever possible, for all its vehicles in India.