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THE CONTRIBUTION OF FIAT GROUP COMPANIES
 A
sports coupé of decided personality and flair, yet also a cutting-edge car in
terms of equipment, power units and mechanicals.
This was the brief given to the Alfa Romeo engineers and technicians.
To achieve its goal, Fiat deployed its best resources and ensured that maximum
quality and reliability standards were applied throughout the product
development and construction process.
It also developed a profitable co-operative relationship with its outside
suppliers and some Group Companies including Magneti Marelli, Comau, Elasis and
the Fiat Research Centre.
Out of this cooperative venture came the many innovative solutions that make the
Alfa Crosswagon Q4 and Alfa Sportwagon Q4 the new benchmark in their category.
Magneti Marelli
Magneti Marelli's contribution is mainly in the fields of design, comfort and
safety. Firstly, Magneti Marelli's Automotive Lighting engineers developed the
design and technology of the front light clusters. The penetrating, wraparound
shape of the headlights complements the car's powerful, aggressive front end
while confirming its family relationship with other new Alfa Romeo cars. The
tail-lights add extra poise to the rear end.
The control panel, infocenter and check control are also built by Magneti
Marelli and fit remarkably well into the on-board facia to allow easy
consultation and fast access to information.
Safety and high comfort standards are also assured by a fully redesigned
suspension produced by Magneti Marelli that includes both front and rear
systems.
Comau
The production plants equipped with H4 hollow wrist robots that Comau used to
produce the Alfa 156 and Sportwagon bodies were so flexible that the Pomigliano
assembly lines could be quickly reconfigured for the Crosswagon Q4 and
Sportwagon Q4 models. It was therefore possible to assure the same quality
standards already achieved on tried and tested Alfa Romeo products from the
outset.
Elasis
A shielded anechoic chamber measuring 23m x 11m x 9m was set up the EMC
(electromagnetic compatibility) laboratory at the Pomigliano d'Arco centre that
is unique in Italy and at the forefront of European technology. This was used to
perform a set of extremely tough tests that involved subjecting the Alfa
Crosswagon Q4 and Alfa Sportwagon Q4 models to electromagnetic stresses 25 times
as intense as the maximum EM pollution levels permitted by Italian legislation.
A 4x4 roller bench was used to ensure the transmission - a component with a high
impact on sound and vibration perceived by the customer - was up to NVH
standards.
This bench is located in a semianechoic chamber and can be used to reproduce
most of the manoeuvres normally carried out on the road while ensuring test
repeatability at all times. It also allows a vibrational map of the propeller
shaft and half-axles to be acquired by means of a laser velocimeter located
beneath the car. This is used to set the dynamic dampers or mounting pads as
necessary to reduce vibrations and noise.
Static and dynamic characterisation rigs were used to adjust and optimise the
main systems that affect interior noise (body, facia and trim elements)
(acoustic comfort). In particular, subjective and objective measurements were
performed on a dynamic characterisation rig (Four Poster rig) within a
semianechoic environment where the car tyres were subject to vertical excitation
using plates. Acoustic performance was also checked by putting the Alfa
Crosswagon Q4 through ageing cycles on a road simulator located in a climatic
cell (cobble cycle).
Fiat Research Centre
Innovative procedures are required to build cars that offer extraordinary
no-holds-barred performance - or any successful car for that matter. We allow
our sporty Alfa customers to guide the design of their dream car, hand in hand
with the designer and tester.
The outcome is a brand new car concept that offers considerably more dynamic
performance, driving satisfaction and comfort than its competitors under all
service conditions and for all drivers - along with the greatest safety, quality
and reliability.
The Fiat Research Centre customised its own innovative design procedures to the
distinctive traits of the Alfa Romeo brand and conveyed them to the team that
designed and produced the new model. Some of these are described below.
For the vehicle
First and
foremost, the car's extreme dynamic performance qualities (super-handling).
These allow outstanding performance in terms of car handling and stability,
features peculiar to Alfa cars and fundamental to the Driving Satisfaction they
offer. These traits, also achieved through the application of the most recent
objective on-road simulation and testing methods, allowed the suspension and
controls (steering, brakes) to be carefully designed for a satisfying,
predictable drive under all speed, manoeuvre and grip conditions.
The Alfa style
cockpit and interior appointments are the result of rigorous interpretation and
customisation of the physical ergonomic criteria that underpin the design of the
main controls (steering wheel, pedals, gearbox), driving position, car access
and proper use of space, including optimisation of seats to ensure postural,
hygrothermal, vibrational and dynamic comfort.
To underscore
Alfa's distinctive nature and custom features, cognitive ergonomic devices were
used to guide the design of communication interfaces (secondary controls,
control panel, display) so that Alfa customers could be put behind the wheel of
the new car from the design stage through the use of Virtual reality
laboratories.
We are all aware
of the importance of aerodynamics to sports performance: computed dynamic flow
methods allowed us to optimise the vehicle's exterior aerodynamics for improved
performance and less aerodynamic noise while also allowing interior comfort and
wellbeing to be optimised in terms of climate and air quality by improving air
flow inside the passenger compartment and helping to develop the specifications
of single and dual-zone air distribution systems.
Last but not
least, noise levels: not all noises are unpleasant: Music is not, for example,
and the sound of an Alfa Romeo engine certainly is not. NVH (Noise, Vibration,
Harshness) reduction methods aim in this case to minimise interference (to
alleviate stress and help driving alertness) while also enhancing the
characteristics that allow you to communicate with and mange the power of a true
GT.
For the engines
The basic design layout of the 1.9 JTD 16v M-Jet engine and its subsequent
distinctive high-performance customisation are determined by innovative
technologies and computing procedures that allowed the development of:
multipoint
injection systems for Diesel engines that inject fuel directly into the
combustion chamber (Multijet);
engine control
strategies and calibrations designed to optimise performance, emissions, fuel
consumption and comfort simultaneously;
direct petrol
injection to ensure a stoichiometric mixture;
thermal dynamic
flow simulation of the combustion process in petrol and Diesel engines;
structural
analysis of critical power unit components with the aim of improving reliability
and acoustic/vibrational comfort.
For telematic functions
These are clearly aimed at safe, environmentally-sound mobility:
the Navigation
System and Mobile Phone Test procedures used to determine telematic system
design standards assure quality and reliability;
development of a
communication protocol for access to services;
design of a
man-machine interface for in-car telematic functions, to facilitate use by the
driver and to supply information in a non-distracting manner;
design and
definition of voice command system specifications;
EMC Engineering
procedures and Anechoic Chamber Tests to ensure that the on-board electronics
operate correctly in the presence of electromagnetic interference and that
electromagnetic pollution standards are met.
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