18.09.2002 FIAT TO INTRODUCE 140 BHP 16V 1.9 JTD AT PARIS MOTOR SHOW
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| 140 bhp 16v 1.9 JTD engine
Alfa Romeo use next weekend's Paris Motor Show as the venue for displaying a unique direct injection petrol unit and also for the world premiere of its brand new 140 bhp 1.9 JTD 16 valve power unit coupled with a sporty 6-speed manual gearbox. This four-cylinder in-line unit offers a bore of 82 mm and stroke of 90.4 mm. It is an evolution of the 1.9 JTD 8 valve Common Rail unit but with 20% more power and 7% more torque than the original. The four valves per cylinder are driven directly by a twin overhead camshaft. The new turbodiesel will be available on the 147, 156 and Sportwagon and has undergone several technical improvements to increase performance, engine torque at low speeds and noise levels while also reducing vibrations. The Common Rail system used on the 1.9 JTD 16v unit includes two new strategies for automatically calibrating and balancing the diesel injected to lower noise and reduce vibration. In any case, this power unit is a Multijet, i.e. it uses electronic injector control to make more injections than the current number of two during each engine cycle. This facility, developed in the Fiat Research Centre, means that the main injection can be divided into two, three or four smaller injections. All this means better control of combustion noise, reduced emissions and increased performance. Some parts of the 1.9 JTD 16v are also brand new: a cylinder head with hydraulic tappets, steel connecting rods and crankshaft, a piston with an internal channel to carry cooling oil to the main bearings and connecting rod bearings that are made out of different material to the previous unit. The exhaust and intake manifolds are also new: the former is made out of a special high-strength material while the latter is made out of pressure cast aluminium. The lubrication circuit also comes with a new oil pump and a different external exchanger (air/oil) for cooling the oil. The cooling circuit water pump is also new. This long series of improvements and changes have created a reliable, powerful engine with low fuel consumption. Compared to the 8-valve unit, the new turbodiesel has 20% more power, increased from 85 to 103 kW at 4000 rpm and 7% more torque, increased from 28 to 31 kgm at 2000 rpm. These results have been achieved by adopting a new engine setting, increasing the direct injection pressure to 1400 bars and introducing a new turbocharger setting. The power units are turbocharged via a Garrett turbocharger with variable geometry turbine that helps improve power delivery by allowing very high torque delivery even at low rpms. Suffice it to say that 90% of maximum torque is available between 1750 and 3250 rpm. These statistics add up to a more satisfying drive plus an increase in the performance achieved on both the Alfa 147 and 156. The acceleration times for an Alfa 147 equipped with a 1.9JTD 16v have been improved: in 5th gear the car speeds from 80 to 120 km/h in 7.9 seconds, while the 8 valve unit takes 9.8 seconds. The Alfa 156 accelerates from 80 to 120 in 7.9 seconds compared to 9.9 for the 8-valve version. The Alfa 147 1.9 JTD 16v reaches a top speed of 206 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds, the corresponding figures for the 8 valve version are 191 and 10.5 seconds, with fuel consumption believed to be fractionally lower. At constant speed in 6th gear, the model returns the following results: - 4.5 l/100 km at 90 km/h,
8% lower than the 8 valve unit
The Alfa 156 can also reach a speed of 209 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.3 seconds (the Sportwagon takes 9.7 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h). In this case too, fuel consumption figures are lower than for versions equipped with the 8 valve engine. At constant speed in 6th gear, the model returns the following results: - 4.2 l/100 km at 90 km/h,
12.5% lower than the 8 valve unit
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