The final production car was presented at the International Motor Show Germany in Frankfurt in the Autumn of 1997.

[4] The exterior and interior design of the Multipla were displayed at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York during its "Different Roads – Automobiles for the Next Century" exhibition in 1999.

The Multipla underwent a major facelift in March 2004, in an attempt to shed its original styling for a more restrained look.

[1][8] Upon the subsequent restyling, The Daily Telegraph reported designers were "desperately sad that the new Multipla no longer resembles a psychotic cartoon duck," and "while passengers loved the adaptability of the clever interior, they were less keen on the sarcastic sneers and derisive laughter of their neighbours, friends and schoolmates; children can be cruel.

"[9] The Telegraph placed it #2 on its list of the 100 Ugliest Cars in August 2008, saying, "Derided for the blandness of its output during the 1980s and early 1990s, Fiat dared to start thinking outside the box.

[11] In February 2018, The Sunday Times named it on a list of ugliest cars, saying, "The tragedy of the Multipla is that its Elephant Man-esque exterior enclosed a genuinely clever and spacious interior, and it wasn't bad to drive, either.