Among Europe's best-selling automotive brands and for the third year running, Fiat Automobiles has logged the lowest average value for CO2 emissions of cars sold in 2009: 127.8 g/km; which is down from a figure of 133.7 g/km in 2008. The accomplishment has been recognised by JATO, the world leader in automotive advisory and research services, founded in 1984 and now operating in over 40 countries.

The bottom line in the JATO data shows Fiat Automobiles ahead of Toyota (130.1 g/km), Peugeot (133.6 g/km), Renault (137.5 g/km), Citroen (137.9 g/km), Ford (140.0 g/km), Opel/Vauxhall (148.9 g/km), Volkswagen (150.4 g/km), Audi (160.9 g/km) and Mercedes (176.4 g/km) during 2009.

While Fiat retains its position as the European leader in terms of CO2 emissions, Toyota jumps from fifth to second place thanks in most part to a greater market penetration by the Yaris, the Japanese carmaker bypassing the three French brands, Peugeot, Citroën and Renault. Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and Volkswagen are unchanged year-on-year in sixth, seventh and eighth place while Audi and Mercedes enter the top-ten, up two- and one-places respectively. The most improved brands year-on-year are often low-volume exotic and supercar marques and indeed Ferrari leads the way here: it reduced its volume-weighted CO2 emissions in the past year by 53.6g/km.

The Fiat 500 and Toyota Yaris are jointly the most efficient automobile models in Europe with average CO2 emissions of 119 g/km each, with the Fiat Panda (122.4 g/km) in third place. Making it three Fiat Automobiles models in the top-five, the Grande Punto/Punto Evo (127.9 g/km) is in fifth place, one spot behind the Ford Fiesta (125.6 g/km).

Fiat Group also ranks first among groups (131.0 g/km), ahead of Toyota (132.2 g/km), PSA (135.6 g/km), Renault (139.6 g/km) and Hyundai (141.6 g/km. The success of the Group is driven firstly by Fiat's achievement, but also by the excellent result of Alfa Romeo, which with an average reduction of 18.3 g/km and 109,542 cars sold, totalled the best global reduction on the entire range.

Fiat won't be resting on its 'eco' laurels this year as the tiny Twin-Air two-cylinder engine will be debuting in world preview at the Geneva Motor Show tomorrow morning. Visitors to the Swiss Palexpo will have the opportunity to see the first application of the engine, in a Fiat 500, which will be the first Fiat model on which Twin-Air will be introduced next September. With a displacement of  900 cc, a power of 85 bhp and CO2 emissions equal to 95 g/km, it is set to be the benchmark in its class. Twin-Air comes hot on the heels of the introduction of the new Multiair technology for petrol engines, which by implementing a new electro-hydraulic valve control system that makes combustion optimal at all times, means CO2 emissions are cut by 25% and power is increased by 10% at the same time. State-of-the-art technology has also recently implemented by Fiat in the field of diesel engines, with second-generation 1.3 Multijet engines delivering a power of up to 95 HP. With 8 injections per cycle, the 1.3 Multijet II improves low rpm torque delivery by up to 25% and cuts emissions by 6%.