Fiat Qubo is back – with up to seven seats, plus petrol, diesel and electric power

On sale Autumn | Price from £24,000 (est)

When it comes to the most efficient use of space, a cube is pretty much unbeatable. So it’s fitting that the Fiat Qubo L is as close to a cube – in shape as well as name – as is possible.

It’s a badge that may well be familiar to MPV enthusiasts, because it’s been a stalwart of Fiat’s range for a number of years. And now it’s back, as a five- or seven-seater, aimed squarely at families.

If you think it looks rather familiar, then you’d be right, because it’s the sister car to the Citroën Berlingo, Peugeot Rifter, Vauxhall Combo Life, and the Fiat Doblo van. And also like those models, it will be available with a choice of petrol, diesel or electric power.

A standard version provides five seats, while an extended version sees the car’s length increased by 35cm, allowing seven seats. In these versions, all three seats in the second row can adjust individually, and the two seats in the third row can be removed.

There are multiple interior storage compartments, as you might expect for a car that majors on practicality, but its trump card is a folding front passenger seat, which means the Qubo L can carry bulky objects up to three metres in length. A huge top-hinged bootlid gives excellent access, too, and like the Citroën Berlingo, it has a split-opening section, so you can open just the top half if space in a car park is tight.

The Qubo is powered by a choice of 108bhp, 1.2-litre petrol engine or a 100bhp, 1.5-litre diesel. The Qubo L electric has a 136bhp motor mated to a battery of 50kW usable capacity. While Fiat is yet to confirm specifics, it’s likely to match the e-Berlingo’s 100kW maximum charging speed and range of 211 and 206 miles, for the five- and seven-seat models respectively.

Also like its Stellantis brethren, it will come with an advanced traction control system, that while falling short of absolute four-wheel drive grip, should at least provide some additional traction on muddy tracks or on snow or gravel.

Read more: Best MPVs

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