A memorable event was
organised, once again in Turin, on 4 July 2007 to
introduce the new Fiat 500, exactly 50 years after the
Fiat 500. Since then, the second generation of the model
that epitomised the history of Italian cars was quick to
conquer everyone's hearts. For the many enthusiasts and
customers worldwide, Fiat decided to celebrate each
birthday of the little 500 with special events and by
introducing highly interesting innovations. In 2008,
picnics were organised in the main European capitals and
the powerful 500 Abarth was introduced. The same
happened in 2009 for the international presentation of
the Fiat 500C, the original cabriolet version, which
pays homage to the style of the 1957 open top, which
received over 32,000 orders in only a few months. And
today, to celebrate the model's third birthday, Fiat is
introducing an innovative TwinAir two-cylinder 85 HP
(900 cc), which will be marketed starting from next
September on the 500 (saloon and cabrio alike).
The first of a new family of two-cylinder engines made
by FPT - Fiat Powertrain Technologies, it implements the
revolutionary MultiAir system combined with specific
fluid dynamics optimised for maximum fuel efficiency.
Furthermore, by taking the concept of downsizing to the
extreme and masterfully tuning the basic mechanics, the
new family – delivering from 65 to 105 HP – emits 43%
less CO2 than an engine of equal performance.
Significantly the new TwinAir 85 HP two-cylinder engine
will complement the many technological solutions already
adopted by the Fiat 500 to contain consumption and
emissions as demonstrated by the recent expansion of the
engine range, now featuring a second-generation 1.3
MultiJet delivering power of up to 95 HP. With 8
injections per cycle, the 1.3 MultiJet II improves low
rpm torque delivery by up to 38% and cuts CO2 emissions
by 6%. Again with a focus on environmental protection,
the Fiat 500 (saloon and cabrio) is available with
Start&Stop, the system which temporarily stops the
engine and starts it again when the car is stationary
with the engine idling: this reduces urban cycle average
consumption by up to 12%. The principles of the Fiat 500
range are also implemented in eco:Drive, innovative
software for analysing driving behaviour and helping
motorists optimise consumptions and emissions by using
the USB port of the Blue&Me system.
In short, the Fiat 500 aims to express the commitment of
Fiat in the field of environmental protection and
encourages users to adopt a more responsible,
eco-friendly use of the car. It is no coincidence that,
for the third year in a row, Fiat is the most
environmentally-friendly of the top-selling 10 car
brands in Europe, with an average CO2 emission level of
127.8 g/km, compared to the market average of 145.8 g/km
(analyses carried out by the independent institution
Jato Dynamics). A fundamental boost to obtaining this
result was certainly given by the extraordinary growth
of methane, the most eco-friendly and cost-effective
fuel available on the market today. A forward-thinking
direction chosen over ten years ago, that has made Fiat
the undisputed European leader in factory-fitted methane
systems (OEM), as demonstrated by nearly 400,000 units
sold to date in the Natural Power range, which includes
14 bi-fuel (methane/petrol) models - cars and commercial
vehicles - for responding to all mobility needs.
In line with this environmental protection commitment,
the brand new TwinAir 85 HP is a further step forward
that will certainly increase the commercial success and
international appreciation of the Fiat 500, already
demonstrated by the 52 awards assigned worldwide and the
goal of 500,000 units made which was reached last April,
only 31 months after its release. A web initiative
called “500 Thousandth” was launched to celebrate this
record with the goal of creating a show car with a body
completely covered with 1500 photographs of the faces of
owners, celebrities and enthusiasts who contributed in
various ways to the car's extraordinary success. The
Fiat 500 Thousandth is the first “collective car”,
confirming the spirit of the original model with
potential customers being involved from the earliest
steps of design. Since 3 May 2006 and for the first time
in automotive history, scores of 500 enthusiasts
worldwide have been directly involved in the "500 wants
you" project, an international marketing platform, and
given the opportunity of saying what they want from the
future car. The suggestions were picked up by Fiat
Automobiles designers and engineers and turned into
practical objectives to be reached with solutions and
equipment as close to the expectations of potential
customers as possible. In short, the Fiat 500 is truly
“a car created by the people, with the people's ideas”.
Today, fiat500.com is a community of 120,000 active
users from 206 different countries who are involved in
over 30 online activities. The web pages have been
browsed nearly 240 million times.
As an expression of Italy's finest automotive design,
the 500 is not merely a super-compact city car, but a
real platform upon which Fiat Automobiles is building a
whole family of cars with technology and attention to
detail worthy of a higher category. That’s without
forgetting that the Fiat 500 has introduced many
innovations and achieved important records in its
segment. For example, in 2007, it was the first car only
3.55 metres long to be awarded 5 EuroNCAP stars.
Similarly, the adoption of seven standard airbags (it is
the only compact to include knee bags) and the
availability of advanced ESP for all engine versions
(standard on the 1.4 16v 100 HP) was an absolute
“première” in this class. That's without counting that
even back in 2007, the entire engine Fiat 500 range was
already compliant with Euro 5 standard emission limits,
three years ahead of the legal deadline. Last but not
least, Fiat 500 was the first small car to offer such a
wide, articulated range, typical of higher range models:
by combining different versions, engines, interiors,
upholstery, body colours, rims, accessories and so on,
customers could choose from over 500,000 variants.
Product innovations also came in thick and fast: 500 by
Diesel (September 2008), 500 Pink (June 2009), 500C
(July 2009), 500C by Diesel (June 2010).
Finally, Blue&Me – TomTom, the latest evolution of the
Blue&Me system, will be appearing on the Fiat 500 along
with the new TwinAir engine. Blue&Me – TomTom is a fully
integrated infotainment system that lets you manage
telephone, navigation and useful driving information
functions using a practical colour touch screen
interface. Furthermore, with the launch of the solution
on the Fiat 500 a new mediaplayer feature will be
introduced that further strengthens the Blue&Me - TomTom
proposition. Blue&Me – TomTom is conveniently and
elegantly accommodated on the dashboard of the Fiat 500
to combine the safety and convenience of an integrated
solution with the flexibility of portable devices. The
device is the result of a partnership between Fiat Group
Automobiles and TomTom, the European leader in portable
navigation systems, and integrates with the car’s other
systems via the Blue&Me system developed in
collaboration with Magneti Marelli.
TwinAir 85 HP
The new two-cylinder engine family made by FPT - Fiat
Powertrain Technologies, called TwinAir, is debuting in
the Fiat 500 today. This is a brand-new concept on the
worldwide auto scene and confirms the leadership of the
Fiat Group in this field. Using next-generation
technology, the new engine implements the revolutionary
MultiAir system combined with special fluid dynamics
optimised for maximum fuel efficiency. Furthermore, by
taking the concept of downsizing to the extreme and
masterfully tuning the basic mechanics, the new family –
delivering from 65 to 105 HP – emits 30% less CO2 than
an engine of equal performance.
On sale from next September, the 500 will be the first
Fiat model to adopt this, which will be the progenitor
of a new family of engines: a 85 HP (900 cc) turbo
two-cylinder with the lowest CO2 emission for a petrol
engine (92 g/km with a Dualogic robotised gearbox and 95
g/km with manual gearbox) without skimping on
performance or driving pleasure. This is thanks to the
small-sized turbine which, combined with dedicated valve
management strategies, minimises transient response
times and, at the same time, keeps maximum power levels
high. In this way, despite its small size, the engine
ensures excellent performance and an appreciable
reduction in fuel consumption: compared with a 1.2 8v,
the new 85 HP turbo has 23% more power and a 30% better
performance index. In fact, the performance of the
two-cylinder is not only equivalent to a 1.4 16v, but
consumption is a remarkable 30% lower.
Equipped in this way, the Fiat 500 reaches a top speed
of 173 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in only
11 seconds. This remarkable performance corresponds to a
significant reduction of fuel consumption and emissions:
4.1 l/100 km and 95 g/km respectively on the urban cycle
(with manual gearbox), that becomes 4.0 l/100 km and 92
g/km with a Dualogic robotised gearbox. Furthermore, the
Fiat 500 with TwinAir 85 HP is provided with an ECO
button – positioned on the dashboard – for further
cutting fuel consumption in cities and guaranteeing very
eco-friendly running. Two driving modes can be selected:
Normal and ECO.
In the first mode, the ECO function is off and the
engine delivers the maximum available torque (145 Nm),
guaranteeing prompt, brilliant response and a "sportier"
driving feel. Steering assistance is also specifically
calibrated for Normal mode. No indication appears on the
dashboard in this mode (City is not selected).
Consequently, this configuration is recommended for
maximum response and full enjoyment of all available
torque.
In ECO mode, instead, the emphasis is on "eco-friendly"
engine running: torque delivery is cut off to 100 Nm at
1750 rpm to minimise consumption and promote a driving
style more suitable for city traffic. The steering wheel
is lighter (CITY mode is automatically selected). The
driver only needs to press the specific button on the
dashboard to activate the ECO function. The lettering
ECO will appear on the panel (the letter “E” will appear
on the panel if the car has a Dualogic robotised
gearbox). Furthermore, the Dualogic shifting strategy
also switches to ECO mode to further optimise fuel
consumption.
Furthermore, compared with a medium-sized four-cylinder
of equal performance, the new engine is significantly
shorter (-23%) and lighter (-10%), opening the way to
further developments, such as methane fuel supply or
hybrid technology combinations, again on the theme of
greater eco-friendliness. In particular, a methane
version of the TwinAir will be available soon providing
a further CO2 emission reduction, by adopting a pair of
special injectors in addition to the petrol injectors on
the intake manifold ducts. Improving on these fuel
saving results using internal combustion engines will be
difficult and alternative technologies will need to be
developed. The combination of traditional engines and
electric motors appears particularly promising. Due to
its reduced size, the TwinAir is quite suitable for
being paired with an electric engine and in general with
a device located between the engine and gearbox for
recovering and storing the energy that is normally
wasted during braking.
Interestingly, the TwinAir 85 HP comes with
“Start&Stop” as standard. This device temporarily stops
the engine and restarts it, ensuring reductions in fuel
consumption and noise in the passenger compartment. The
Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) associated to the Start&Stop
system is a genuine “co-pilot” that discreetly suggests
when to shift gear, leading to more efficient use of the
engine in terms of fuel consumption. For example, the
GSI may suggest shifting up, by means of an indication
on the control panel, to allow the engine to burn a
leaner mixture, i.e. one containing less fuel, or
shifting down to make best use of the available torque.
Nothing short of an engineering gem, the two-cylinder
implements the revolutionary MultiAir technology
developed and patented by FPT – Fiat Powertrain
Technologies, which was introduced on FIRE engines last
year for the first time. The heart of MultiAir is a new
electro-hydraulic valve management system that reduces
fuel consumption by controlling air directly via the
inlet valves (without using the throttle). MultiAir
reduces polluting emissions (thanks to combustion
control) and also considerably improves performance by
boosting driveability with respect to a traditional
petrol engine of equal displacement. In brief, the
advantages of MultiAir technology applied to petrol
engines are: maximum power boosted by 10% compared with
a traditional engine of equal size; 15% more torque at
low rpm and during transitions by applying early intake
valve closing strategies to maximise the air introduced
into the cylinders; less fuel consumption and
consequently lower CO2 emissions, equal to 10% by
eliminating pumping losses and precise parameter
calibration for optimising combustion; lower polluting
emissions from the engine by optimising valve control
strategies during the intake stroke; and prompter
response to accelerator commands due to the constant air
pressure upstream of the cylinders combined with
extremely fast control of the intake valves.
Also, the new TwinAir engine takes the concept of
downsizing to an extreme: by combining a small-sized
engine with a next-generation turbocharger performance
comparable to – or even better than – that of a larger
engine is obtained but with less fuel consumption and
lower emissions. Not only that, the turbo significantly
increases the maximum torque, making it available at a
very low rpm, with the result of offering greater
flexibility and an unrivalled responsiveness compared to
conventional aspirated engines. All this comes with a
simple build to the benefit of strength and reliability.
Last but not least, the new engine was painstakingly
optimised and tuned. For instance, the basic
two-cylinder architecture – combined with the low
friction of internal parts – ranks this engine best in
the world as far as friction is concerned. Furthermore,
calculated simulations have been used to identify the
best possible unit displacement in terms of
thermo-dynamic efficiency, and the best fluid dynamic
configuration to optimise and get the best out of the
MultiAir system. Finally, special attention has been
placed on the NVH (Noise, vibration, and harshness)
aspect to ensure vibration performance at least
equivalent to that of a four-cylinder, with equal
performance but with a characteristic sound. For this
purpose, a balancing countershaft was used to maintain
optimal vibration levels in all operating conditions of
the engine, from idling speed to top power.
Fiat 500/500 C Twin Air
Technical Specifications
Equipment & Options
(Italian Market)
ItaliaspeedTV:
Fiat 500
TwinAir 85 HP /
Fiat Powertrain TwinAir
900cc Bi-Cylinder Turbo Engine
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