Fiat had the bright idea of bringing us the Multipla in 2000. Was it pig ugly or radiating an inner beauty? Were those wide-set headlights reminiscent of Kate Moss's eyes, or Kermit the Frog's? Too late to worry about that now. The most controversial looking MPV has just morphed into the girl next door, thanks to a startlingly conventional nose job.

Yes, that broken-nosed, frog-like countenance has been erased in one swipe of the surgeon's knife and replaced with a similarly shaped hooter to the new Panda and Idea.

The new front end is six centimetres longer than before, housing improved crash structures and boosting the Multipla's feeble 2.5 stars in EuroNCAP's frontal collision test. Fiat is reluctant to take a stab at how many stars the new car will get but insists it will be on a par with the competition. To visually balance the snout, the rear has grown by 10 centimetres as well, but that's where the cosmetic changes finish. Interior space and the Multipla's unique 3x3 seating configuration remain as before.

The main advantage, says Fiat, is that passengers sit closer together and so can talk to each other. But to liberate more space, you're still faced with the age-old option of folding seats flat and doing your back in while humping them into the garage.

While the exterior may have been toned down, the interior decoration hasn't; the dash erupting in a slightly bizarre series of lumps and bumps providing a home for instruments, air vents, stereo and console-mounted gearstick. Wacky maybe, but also fun and functional.

Choosing an engine is simple. For now, there will be only the 103bhp, 1.6-litre petrol or the original 115bhp, 1.9-litre common-rail JTD diesel as before. Of the two, the 1.6 is peachy-smooth and quiet to drive, though don't expect many fireworks. No longer the quietest diesel around, the punchier JTD delivers its usual meaty performance with the low-down slugging power you'd expect.

Five-speed manual gearboxes (there are no autos) remain the same, with crisp, satisfying changes. The brakes are powerful without being over sensitive and the steering remains sharp and involving.

One important change is to the suspension and though springs remain the same, the dampers have been fine-tuned to improve the ride. Fiat's done a great job here. UK trim levels will be Dynamic, Dynamic Plus and Eleganza, and standard on all are driver and double front airbags, as well as ABS and EBD. Climate control is standard on both Dynamic Plus and the Eleganza, along with side airbags. New options include DVD, 17-inch alloys, Bluetooth to connect with your handheld mobile and from 2005, Fiat's online information service, Connect Nav.

Newcomers need to get used to the Multipla's beamy proportions, though, a side-effect of the three-abreast seating. Getting down narrow lanes in traffic is a squeeze and the new plunging noseline makes judgment more difficult.

Die-hards may be horrified at the Multipla's softened lines, but one thing Fiat has learned during its recent financial troubles is that while it's fine to be a pioneer, it's risky to push the boat out too far.

The creation of a stronger, more digestible family resemblance across the whole brand is what Fiat needs. Good design, but with fewer anachronisms. And though the Multipla's adaptable spaceframe construction ironically doesn't lend itself to volume production, Italy's favourite MPV now relates more closely to the blindingly good Panda and Idea that will underpin Fiat's renaissance.

Do we miss that unique frog-like conk? The answer to that has to be no. Kermit may radiate an inner beauty (for a Muppet), but he's still ugly. Kate Moss, though...

Jesse Cross

Model: Fiat Multipla 1.9 JTD Dynamic Plus

Rating: 14 out of 20

We say: It's taken a turn down a more conventional road, improved its ride and is all the better for it

Price: £15,000 (est)

On your drive for: £393.89pcm

Performance: 0-62 in 12.2 seconds, maximum speed 109mph, 44mpg

Tech: 1.9-litre, 115bhp JTD common rail diesel, 170g/km CO2

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