After previewing a two-cylinder TwinAir engine at Geneva earlier this year, Fiat has now debuted the engine in the Fiat 500.
The petrol-fuelled 85hp, 900cc turbo two-cylinder includes a small-sized turbine that helps to minimise transient response times while keeping maximum power levels high. Thanks to a start and stop facility as standard, the engine manages to offer 23 per cent more power and 30 per cent better performance when compared to the 1.2litre 8v engine.
Its performance capabilities are highly respectable – it can reach a top speed of 108mph and accelerate from 0-100km/h in 11 seconds. Its fuel consumption figures are 57mpg and 95g/km of CO2 emissions.
To further emphasise the engine’s green credentials, the Fiat 500 with TwinAir 85hp also comes with an ECO button allowing two drive modes to be selected – normal and ECO. When in ECO mode, torque delivery is reduced to 100Nm at 1,750rpm to minimise consumption while promoting a driving style better suited to city traffic. The steering is lighter and the Dualogic strategy also switches to ECO mode to further optimise fuel economy.
When compared to a four-cylinder of equal performance, the new engine is shorter and lighter which opens the way for further developments including hybrid technology combinations.
