Fiat Twinair Sets To Revolutionise Petrol Engines

Fiat’s award-winning new TwinAir concept is set to transform how drivers view petrol power’s potential. The technologically advanced low consumption 875cc two-cylinder engine is the cleanest quantity production petrol engine in the world. Yet it still manages to combine a rev-happy fun appeal with significantly more power than larger capacity four cylinder units.

The 85bhp version of the engine makes its UK debut this month under the bonnet of Fiat’s iconic 500. Installing a two-cylinder engine in a Fiat 500 might seem like paying homage to the original 13 bhp model of 1957, but this decision is not primarily a sentimental one.

In complete compliance with the essential requirements of the 21st Century car owner, the TwinAir engine offers an attractive means of downsizing while substantially reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, but without sacrificing power or driver enjoyment.

Combined with the Fiat 500’s many other attributes, this remarkable powertrain is expected to appeal to a wide variety of customers including many who may not have considered Fiat before. Those who care about the environment will find the TwinAir’s low CO2 figure appealing, as will owners who are keen to keep costs down. And it should also find favour with trend setters, drivers interested in innovation and new technologies, and of course customers who enjoy dynamic and fun driving. Consequently more than a fifth of future Fiat 500 sales are forecast to be TwinAir versions.

Weighing just 85kg, and with figures of 95g/km of CO2, this ground-breaking engine has the lowest emissions of any quantity production petrol engine. However its 85bhp makes the Fiat 500 TwinAir among the most powerful mainstream A segment vehicles on sale. And with its 145Nm of torque at a relatively low 1900rpm, it’s a responsive and fun-to-drive engine too. This combination of cleanliness and power even compares favourably with many rivals’ diesel engines.

Compared with Fiat’s best-selling 1.2-litre petrol engine in the Fiat 500, the TwinAir delivers 23 per cent more power yet combines this with a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

These amazing results have been achieved thanks to a combination of factors. FPT’s MultiAir technology, as employed by a 2010 International Engine of the Year winner, plays a major part in this by reducing consumption and emissions. Combining MultiAir with a turbocharger helps to optimise performance at low revs while reductions in weight and size help boost performance and responsiveness. In addition, the timing chain drastically cuts engine running costs because it is maintenance-free. Finally, a balancing countershaft reduces vibrations to give the smoothness and refinement of a four-cylinder.

The TwinAir engine will be available across the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500C ranges in all trim levels including limited edition models. And in the near future this 85bhp engine will be joined by normally aspirated 65bhp and turbocharged 105bhp versions of the two-cylinder family. All will be produced at Fiat Powertrain Technologies’ (FPT) Bielsko-Biala plant in Poland.

Credits: wilswong