Fiat Auto South Africa has signed up its largest single export deal to date: a three-year contract, worth in excess of R700 million, to supply 24,000 catalytic converters monthly for the innovative Fiat Punto 1.3 JTD Multijet engine.

Johannesburg-based Magneti Marelli, a subsidiary of the Fiat Group has been awarded the contract to supply the components. Production of the catalytic converters commenced in June and the first container will be shipped out this month.

This latest deal is further proof of Fiat Auto South Africa’s commitment to the South African motor industry. Fiat Auto South Africa, in conjunction with the company’s Global Sourcing headquarters in Turin, Italy, is continually evaluating the viability of procuring South African-manufactured components for use in Fiat and Alfa Romeo products around the world. All of this, in a quest to offer South African consumers the very latest in automotive technology the Fiat Group has to offer - made possible by the extra export credits that are earned.
 

The 1.3-litre Multijet turbodiesel engine co-produced by Fiat and GM recently won the International Engine of the Year 2005 in the 1.0-1.4-litre category. The Fiat-designed 1.3 diesel engine won the award ahead of the Honda 1.3-litre IMA, Peugeot-Citroen/Ford Diesel 1.4-litre, Volkswagen 1.4-litre FSI, Toyota Diesel 1.4-litre, and Daihatsu 1.3-litre engines.

The 1.3-litre Polish-built common rail diesel engine features Multijet technology that was developed at the Fiat Research Centre. Multijet uses electronic control to divide the main injection into several smaller ones to achieve quieter combustion, reduced emissions and an increased performance.