Alfa Romeo has launched the next-generation 1.3 Multijet engine with 95 bhp and 200 Nm on the MiTo, just weeks after it was premiered and commercialised for the first time on the Alfa Romeo hatchback's sister model, the Fiat Punto Evo. It also comes less than a week after the MiTo range was extended with an LPG version.

Fiat Powertrain's award-winning 1.3 Multijet engine takes on the 'JTDM' name when fitted to an Alfa Romeo and the new MiTo 1.3 JTDM is now available for ordering on the Italian market in two specification levels, "Progression" and "Distinctive", with the list price respectively being 17,600 euros and 19,200 euros, and with the possibility of personalising the "Distinctive" level further with the two customisation packs that are available to the range (Sport or Premium); in both cases the price of the car once they are fitted is 20,100 euros.

Fiat Powertrain's 1.3 Multijet (JTDM-2) engine range is now equipped with the next-generation Common Rail injection system. It launched in the Punto Evo at the Frankfurt IAA last month and now is added to the Alfa MiTo which shares the same underpinnings as the B-segment Fiat model. This highly advanced solution can control high engine pressures (up to 1600 bar) without being tied to engine speed or the quantity of fuel injected. In the 1.3 JTDM-2 the system uses innovative common rail injectors that, thanks to a balanced hydraulic servo-valve, are able to more precisely control the quantity of diesel injected into the combustion chamber, with a faster and more flexible sequence of injections than was previously possible. By reducing the amount of time between injections, these injectors optimise fuel introduction to the chamber and therefore make the diesel combustion process more gradual, with positive effects for consumption, emissions, NVH and handling. In fact, the new common rail injector cuts consumption and CO2 on the approved cycle by around 2%, while at the same time reducing harmful emissions. The second-generation MultiJets are therefore the latest development in the Common Rail injection system which, after the JTD (1997) and MultiJet (2003) engines, gives the Fiat Group yet another first in this field.  

The 1.3 JTDM-2 is available in the Alfa MiTo in Euro 5 specification with 95 hp and features a particulate filter. The engine boasts a next-generation variable geometry turbocharger that, combined with the new second-generation 'Multijet' injection system, ensure the best possible turbo function at any engine operating level.

The performance levels of the 95 bhp second-generation 1.3 JTDM-2 (Euro 5) is slightly higher in the MiTo than that fitted to the Punto Evo, due to Alfa Romeo's more sporty brand characteristics. Torque is 180 Nm at 1,500 rpm in 'Normal' mode or 200 Nm at the same revs when the 'Sport' option is selected. The MiTo 1.3 JTDM reaches a top speed of 180 km/h (2 km/h higher than the equivalent Punto Evo model), 0 to 100 km/h is achieved in 11.6 seconds (0.1 seconds quicker than the Punto Evo) while combined cycle fuel consumption is 4.3 l/100 km (4.2 l/100 km for the Punto Evo) and there is just 112 g/km of CO2 emissions in the combined cycle (compared to 110 g/km for the Punto Evo).

The new MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 also benefits from Fiat's fuel-saving Start&Stop system and Gear Shift Indicator, as this cutting-edge technology is being quickly rolled out across the Fiat Group Automobiles' ranges. As well as being fitted to the Fiat 500 it is now available on the Punto Evo, and specifically on the very similar second-generation 1.3 Multijet 95 bhp application. Start&Stop temporarily switches off the engine and restarts it in order to reduce fuel consumption and noise levels. In these situations, which are typical of heavy traffic in urban areas and when stopped at traffic lights, when the control strategy permits, the system automatically cuts out the engine in order to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 15% for an urban route and 3.5% over an NEDC-type cycle. The Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) linked to the Start&Stop system is a kind of co-pilot that discreetly advises drivers when they should change gear, leading to a more fuel-efficient use of the engine. For example, the GSI may suggest shifting to a higher gear, by means of a signal on the instrument panel, in order to allow the engine to combust a leaner mixture, i.e. containing less fuel, or changing down a gear to make best use of the available torque.