Zotye Auto, a Chinese manufacturer, has been marketing a copy of Fiat Multipla since 2010. Including an original and intriguing electric version…
Mocked for its particular design, the Fiat Multipla eventually became an icon in the automotive world. We think for example of the YouTube channel ” Crankshaft“, Which plans to transform the peaceful minivan into a monster of over 1000 hp! Known to enthusiasts, appreciated by large families, he had great ideas behind the hood. Zotye Auto, a Chinese manufacturer understood this well, and marketed a copy since 2010. With a thermal or electric motor … your choice!
The genesis of the Chinese Multipla
The Fiat Multipla was sold from 1998 to 2010, after 400,000 copies in the world. He had a cabin at six places and a very special interior, like what some manufacturers can do today on their electric cars. There was room everywhere for a reasonable price. All for 4 m de long : there is hardly any better on the market. In 2004 the car received a makeover and received a more conventional face, a move that extended the life of the Multipla in Europe until 2010.
The Multipla assembled in China, less known, was unveiled at the end of 2008 by Zotye Auto. Initially it was called Multiplan, but it was later renamed M300 Langyue. While Zotye is widely known for copying ‘premium’ typed European designs, this one was not a scam but a legitimate rebadging after a deal between the Chinese automaker and Fiat.
From the end of 2010 and after the car was stopped in Europe, Zotye bought the production line from Fiat and started to manufacture it in China. The use of locally sourced parts has significantly reduced its price! This one started to the equivalent of about $ 10,500 at the 2010 exchange rate.
An electrical technical base!
The Multiplan was offered with the same mechanics thermal. What is more interesting, however, is the fully-fledged variant. electric, a novelty to which only Chinese buyers had access since Fiat has never offered an EV based on Multipla.
The Zotye M300EV, or simply the E300 as it was later renamed, was powered by a front-mounted electric motor producing 82 ch and a respectable couple of 250 Nm. The 35.2 kW battery provided the minivan with an electric range of 160 km about. According to optimistic NEDC measurements at the time. Even more flexible standards when it came to Asia … The main advantage was that each of the four battery packs located under the rear seats could be changed in less than five minutes by machinery. But that remained unconvincing for individuals.
The commercial performance of the M300 Languye in China was nothing out of the ordinary. Alone 25,036 units were sold between 2010 and 2013. As for Zotye, it continued to produce cars. But in 2021, she did bankruptcy, liquidating assets in order to repay part of its debts.
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