The small, upright hatch with what appears to be a rubber fetish is in fact Fiat’s Ellezero – a small MPV in a similar mould to Ford’s Fiesta-based B-Max and Opel’s Corsa-based Meriva.

Looking like a Fiat Panda inflated with an air hose, the practicality-oriented five-seater is not an electric vehicle as its title may suggest (Fiat’s naming conventions are often confusing: note the petrol-powered 500 Diesel), but a four metre-long, space-enhanced hatchback powered by a 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol engine from the company’s well-stocked powerplant wardrobe.

The micro MPV is said to be built on Fiat’s CUSW Compact US Wide platform and will be built in Serbia at Fiat’s Kragujevac plant for introduction to European markets later this year.

The CUSW platform will also underpin various Chrysler models including a Chrysler 200 replacement due in the US this year and a new mid-size crossover planned for introduction late this year as a 2013 model.

Initially a five-seater only, the Ellezero is expected to bring a seven-seat version into the fold next year to replace the Fiat Multipla.

No word of its likelihood for Australian yet, but it is rumoured the Ellezero will go on sale in the US next year. Annual production is expected to total around 200,000 from the Serbian plant, where preparation for the new model is well advanced.

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