Magneti Marelli
is playing an integral role in the supply of components
and technologies for the vital new
Alfa Romeo Giulietta which is returning the brand to the
important arena of C-segment, the Fiat Group division's contribution ranging from infotainment systems,
electronic control units
to LED headlights and the suspension.
In
the area of on-board electronic systems, the innovative radio
navigator with built-in maps and featuring a "pop-up display"
integrated into the Alfa Romeo Giulietta is a
Magneti Marelli product. The hide-away display is
positioned in the upper part of the dashboard. The
advanced design and ergonomics system incorporates the radio, Audio CD player
and CD MP3, SD Card (including for MP3 use), TMC Pro
(a traffic information service which is available in Italy,
France, Germany, United Kingdom and Spain) and steering
wheel controls. The SD card comes with
pre-loaded maps of Europe which can be also be used to store
music by using a card with files loaded in
MP3 format.
The
car's navigator display can also show vehicle
operating set by means of the Alfa DNA
display, without the driver's having to take his eyes
off the road. This equipment is perfectly
integrated in the passenger compartment in terms of
style, and the many features of Fiat Group's "Blue&Me"
infotainment system can be added to it to make
it even richer.
For the Giulietta's
lighting systems, Magneti Marelli supplies bi-xenon HID
(High Intensity Discharge) lights for high and low
beams. Compared to traditional halogen lights, the Xeno
system can supply 200 percent more light.
In addition to ensuring improved safety when driving,
these lights also require approximately one
third less energy compared to the respective halogen
lights, and their lifecycle is comparable to that of
the vehicle.
The
front lighting assemblies on the Giulietta also features AFS (Advanced
Frontlighting System) which adjusts the light beam, in
terms of concentration and width, not only in relation
to the steering but also to weather conditions and
visibility, vehicle speed, curving radius and in
relation to the sides of the roads.
All this to guarantee drivers utmost visibility and
safety.
For the halogen version, the Alfa
Romeo Giulietta lights are the clean-lens type. The design frame features shiny and polished finish
areas in aluminium (for traditional lights) and steel
(darker and warmer shade) tones for the Pack
"Sport" versions. The main optical functions are on the
inside, while a black frame completing the finish.
Both the Xenon and halogen lights incorporate the
DRL (DayTime Running Light) function with LED (Light
Emitting Diode) technology, which is
particularly suited for the DRL function due to its long
life and low energy consumption.
The rear headlamp meanwhile features an LED parking
light and a round dot-like shape. Compared to
traditional incandescent lights, the main
advantages of using LEDs for rear headlamps are their
long life, low energy consumption and reduced
depth of the units. They also offer significant
advantages in terms of safety, as they turn on faster
compared to a traditional light bulb.
With regards to
the car's power units Magneti
Marelli is involved here also, supplying the engine electronic control unit for
the 1.4TB Multiair as well as the manifolds
and throttled bodies for the 1.6 and the 2.0 JTDM, 105 and 170 HP respectively.
The main components of the front
suspensions mounted on the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta
feature the cross-member and control arms
designed and manufactured by Magneti Marelli. The cross-member, consisting of a welded
frame of elements in high-resistance steel is at the top
of the current production in terms of
weight/stiffness ratio and stiffness of the coupling
points of the arms. This contributes to improving the
overall vehicle performance in terms of handling,
comfort and road dynamics. The cross-member on the
Giulietta was also developed to achieve a high degree of
energy absorption in case of a head-on
collision. The control arms consist of 2
half-shells made of special ultra-resistance steel
welded together, again with a view to obtain the best
ratio between weight and structural strength. Magneti Marelli Suspension Systems
also assembles the semi-corners (front spring-shock
groups) and the wheel groups.
The Giulietta rear suspensions
feature a new multi-link structure for which Magneti
Marelli Suspension Systems supplies the
assembled wheel group, inclusive of the longitudinal
arm.
Lastly, for the
Giulietta's exhaust systems
Magneti Marelli in this instance supplies the end-terminals for the 1.4TB
120 HP, 1.4TB MultiAir 170 HP and 1.6 JTDM 105 HP
engines. These are ystems whose design blends in perfectly with the personality of the car.