While new car’s are slashing emissions across the board, Fiat is leading the way, the latest industry analysis reveals.

According to data from automotive research experts, JATO Dynamics, the Fiat brand and Fiat Group posted Europe’s lowest volume weighted CO₂ emissions in 2009.

The carmaker logged a CO₂ average of just 127.8 g/km, compared with 133.7 g/km in 2008’s results. This puts it ahead of Toyota (at an average of 130.1 g/km), Peugeot (with 133.6 g/km), Renault (137.5 g/km), Citroen (137.9 g/km), Ford (140.0 g/km), Opel/Vauxhall (148.9 g/km), Volkswagen (150.4 g/km), Audi (160.9 g/km) and Mercedes (176.4 g/km).

The Italian brand also ranked first among the motor groups (131.0 g/km), ahead of Toyota, PSA, Renault and Hyundai.

It means that the carmaker has already beaten the European average target of 130 g/km, five years ahead of its 2015 implementation.

The Italian carmaker’s strategy to reduce emissions-responsible for the fall in average emissions- is based on a two-pronged approach: implementing technological solutions aimed at containing consumption and emissions, and raising the awareness of motorists to spur a more responsible, eco-compatible use of their cars.

Unique engines, such as the new 900cc, 95 g/km Twin-Air two-cylinder and second-generation 1.3 MultiJet engines delivering power of up to 95hp, are part of that strategy. Raising awareness is the second part of the policy – implemented by the firm’s eco:Drive the in-car software which analyses driver behaviour and suggests ways to improve it.

“These are important figures as they show not just the environmental impact of one or two of our cars, but the whole range,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK and Ireland. "That means that every vehicle we sell is making its own contribution to emissions cutting and is playing its part in making Europe a cleaner place in which to live.”

Fiat’s eco:drive system has proven a big hit, and now the data collection and transmission system will be made available to fleet drivers.

Fiat is introducing eco:drive fleet to help companies gather vehicle efficiency data and analyse car performance. It suggests that it can help save as much as 15 per cent on fuel consumption and ensure that car components are being used to their optimum efficiency.

The idea behind the eco:drive concept is that it can optimise fuel consumption and the safety of company car fleets. It does this by measuring mileage data and showing the data related to vehicles and drivers either individually or collectively. It then automatically updates a database with management costs and evaluates driver behaviour and its impact on fuel consumption while offering advice to help them become more eco-efficient drivers.

It does this by taking information from the engine control unit through Blue&Me, which is the most widespread on-board telematics platform in Europe and has more than one million units installed. The data recorded can be transferred on to PCs via a USB key and processed by appropriate software to analyse motorists’ behaviour and to help optimise fuel consumption and emissions.

The eco:drive programme can be downloaded for free at fiat.com and more than 100,000 copies have been downloaded to date. It is available for all Fiat vehicles and Fiat Professional commercial vehicles, including the Fiat 500, 500C, Bravo, Croma, Grande Punto, Nuovo Doblo, Punto EVO, Qubo, the Grande Punto Van, Punto EVO Van, Florino and Doblo Cargo.

Fiat’s massively popular 500 model is to slash its emissions while boosting its power and performance creating a win-win situation for its drivers.

The 500 range will gain a new 1.3-litre 16-valve MultiJet diesel engine. Its out-going 75bhp MultiJet unit is being replaced with a more potent but also more environmentally-friendly 95bhp ‘MultiJet II’ version. The model will also feature Fiat’s acclaimed Start&Stop to really eek out the miles to the gallon.

The new unit introduces an innovative variable geometry turbocharger that enables it to deliver 95bhp at 4000rpm and 200Nm of torque at only 1500rpm. This output significantly improves the car’s performance, taking its top speed to 112mph (from 103mph) and reducing the 0-62mph acceleration time from 12.5 to just 10.7 seconds.

Fuel consumption is improved from 67.3mpg to 72.4mpg in the combined cycle, while emissions drop to 104g/km of CO2 (from 110g/km). Together with Start&Stop, the engine also includes a DPF particulate filter for improved emissions efficiency and effectiveness from a cold start.

“This remarkable new diesel engine will add even greater excitement to the fantastic 500 range, but without adding to the cost of ownership,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd. “In fact, with greater fuel economy and lower emissions, everyone will benefit from this new variant.”

The European Union may have set a 130g/km fleet average carbon dioxide (CO2) emission target for 2012 – but two major car manufacturers have managed to hit the goal already.

Congratulations are due to both Toyota and Fiat – the former now averaging 127.9g/km for its fleet and the latter reaching 129.7g/km according to reports. The figures are obtained by establishing the average CO2 emissions of all cars across each company’s range.

In encouraging news, it appears that others will not be far behind with MINI expected to be the next brand to breakthrough the target. Praise is also due for Hyundai, which now has the fourth lowest CO2 figure following a 9.9 per cent reduction over the last 12 months; and Suzuki, which has slashed its emissions by 11.4 per cent over the same period.

However, perhaps the largest pat on the back should be reserved for Ford and the strides it took in 2009 achieving the largest CO2 saving of 30,000 tonnes.

Even though it seems the industry is heading in the right direction, there is a word of warning too – much of the progress of the last year came because the scrappage incentive encouraged people to move to smaller cars, and it is scheduled to reach its conclusion in February. So the emphasis is still on the major manufacturers to make significant technological breakthroughs to record further reductions.

Improved combustion, lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions – they are the goals of the new Fiat 1.3 Multijet II diesel engine – which will make its first appearance in the Fiat 500 and 500C models.

The engine, which comes with start and stop fitted as standard, has a maximum output of 95hp at 4,000rpm and delivers a torque of 200Nm at 1,500rpm.

The new power unit delivers a top speed of 112mph and accelerates from 0-62mph in 10.7seconds with low consumption and emissions at 60.3mpg and 104g/km respectively. It has been developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies and is the second generation of the Multijet power units.

The first was capable of managing up to five consecutive injections in the same combustion cycle and was based on a hydraulic servovalve with an unbalanced shutter that required small sealing diameters and longer strokes. Now, the Multijet II uses a balanced hydraulic servo valve which allows a larger sealing diameter with reduced shutter strokes.

The 95hp engine on the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500C models will be equipped with a variable geometry turbocharger that ensures optimum turbo-charging throughout the operating range. Fuel consumption has been cut by up to eight per cent thanks to the start and stop system that switches the engine off temporarily and then restarts it. The engine also features a particulate filter to improve efficiency even more, particularly in the first few moments of cold starting.  

The new engine will be available on all trim levels with an on-the-road list price that starts at €13,900.

The Energy Saving Trust knows a thing or two about cutting back on fuel use, and so it’s quite the compliment that the organisation has chosen Fiat’s mid-range Bravo models for its Smarter Driving courses.

Smarter Driving puts the focus on fuel-saving and environmentally friendly motoring with impartial advice from the group’s instructors. It estimates that by following the tips, company car drivers can save an average of 15 per cent on their annual fuel consumption – that’s the equivalent of £250 a person.

Now, the Trust has taken delivery of two Fiat Bravo 1.6 Eco MultiJet cars and one 1.9 Sport model mainly because of the vehicles’ excellent fuel economy ratings. The Eco MultiJet manages 62.7mpg on the combined cycle and has carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of just 119g/km. The Sport’s figures are also impressive at 50.4mpg and 149g/km.

According to James McMenamin, national sales manager of the Fiat Group, the Bravo is the “perfect car” for the initiative. His words were backed up by Bob Saynor, programme manager of the Energy Saving Trust Smarter Driving exercise.

“Smarter driving offers many benefits including lower fuel costs, a cleaner environment and a reduction in the likelihood of accidents,” he said. “The Fiat Bravos will help us greatly as we demonstrate our techniques to hundreds of company employees around the UK.”

The Fiat Bravo is available in the UK for £13,255 for the 1.4 Active and rises to £17,650 for the 2.0 16V MultiJet 165 Sport.

Fiat has the lowest average CO2 emissions figure on all cars sold in Europe the latest figures show.

During the first half of 2009, Fiat’s average of all its cars sold in Europe dropped to 129.1 g/km. The new figure – corroborated by automotive data provider, JATO – means that Fiat is the only mainstream car brand to achieve the European average goal, of 130 g/km by 2015, five years early.

Of the top 10 brands, Fiat is ahead of Toyota (132.9 g/km), Peugeot (134.5 g/km), Citroën (138.1 g/km), Renault (138.9 g/km), Ford (140.4 g/km), Opel (149.5 g/km), Volkswagen (152.5 g/km), Audi (162.6 g/km), and Mercedes (178.8 g/km).

One important contribution to this result is the enormous growth of environment-friendly natural gas as an alternative fuel for passenger cars. During the first half of 2009 around 65,000 Fiat Natural Power cars, with an average of 115.8 g/km in CO2 emissions, were sold in Europe, a figure more than 13 g/km less than the brand’s already recording-breaking average.

This achievement contributed to the establishment of another record: Fiat Group Automobiles is number one in the results posted by manufacturing groups (132.9 g/km), in front of Toyota, PSA, Renault and Hyundai.

“Improving the environment is not a goal for the future, but something we can do right away,” says Lorenzo Sistino, CEO of Fiat Automobiles. “These figures show the unceasing dedication Fiat lavishes on seeking innovative solutions to control polluting emissions and the level of CO2.

“But Fiat’s commitment has always been to the public’s real needs and won’t be stopping here. Our aim is actually to reinforce our European record in emissions reduction by introducing new engines, new technologies and new applications.

“New engines are being introduced – like the innovative MultiAir technology on petrol engines, making them capable of guaranteeing up to 10 per cent lower CO2 emissions, and the new generation of Common Rail MultiJet diesel engines that will make their debut on the Punto Evo and that will be gradually adopted on all of our Group’s cars.

“New technologies, like Start&Stop, introduced on the Fiat 500, is now standard on all Punto Evo Euro 5 engines. Start&Stop can cut CO2 emissions in the urban cycle by as much as 12 per cent.

“Other applications such as eco:Drive – our innovative software programme – allows drivers to analyse personal driving styles so as to optimise consumption and emissions. Sixty thousand people have downloaded it in less than a year since its launch, and 25,000 are using it daily.”

Attention paid to sustainable mobility is part of a strategic undertaking by the entire Group. Fiat Group was recently acknowledged as a leader in terms of sustainability following its entry into the Dow Jones Sustainability (DJSI) World and Dow Jones Sustainability STOXX Indexes.

Described as the evolution of the Grande Punto, the Fiat Punto Evo will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month.

The new Punto Evo has a host of environmental features including Start&Stop, the system that switches off an engine and restarts it in stop and go traffic. The company will also offer methane and LPG units of the vehicle as well as a range of Euro 5 engines including a 1.3litre second-generation Multijet diesel and a 1.4litre petrol engine with MultiAir electro-hydraulic valve-timing.

MultiAir technology made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and will be introduced into all petrol engines fitted in Fiat Group cars gradually.

It uses a new electro-hydraulic valve management system for direct control of air and combustion and supports reduced fuel consumption by controlling air directly via its inlet valves without putting pressure on the throttle. It is estimated that a MultiAir engine develops around 10 per cent more power and consumes 10 per cent less fuel, while emitting 10 per cent less carbon dioxide (CO2), 40 per cent fewer particulates and 60 per cent less nitrogen oxide compared to conventional petrol engines.

Similar results have been achieved where the system has been adopted with diesel engines. The Multijet diesel engines offer more accurate combustion as well as benefits for consumption, emissions and drivability. It is estimated that there is a reduction of around 30 per cent in nitrogen oxide emissions.

The Fiat Punto Evo is expected to go on sale during October.

Fiat has been boosted by a new optimally tuned turbocharger designed by Borgwarner for a 1.8litre petrol direct-injection engine.

The design provides excellent response in the lower engine speed range with the engine able to achieve a maximum torque of 320Nm at 1,400rpm. As there is no need for a mechanical compressor the result is a less expensive and less complex design that allows for a fuel economy boost without reducing pull-away dynamics.

So how has this been achieved?

Well, BorgWarner uses an innovative welding technology that fixes the cast manifold directly to the turbine housing. This in turn allows each to be optimised separately.

The housing is made of a temperature resistant alloy while the manifold can be produced with a less costly alloy. It also uses an optimised turbo with boost pressure control valve that is less expensive and complex and adds to the boost in fuel economy.

The engine originally made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and is available in the Lancia Delta and Alfa Romeo 159. As a result the Delta is able to achieve 30mpg, while the 159 can achieve 29mpg.

The original, rear-engined Fiat Cinquecento was launched in 1957 and it sported a fold-back fabric roof, manually operated of course. With the advent of the new Fiat 500 things have been done in reverse order; first came the hatchback (the engine’s now in the front), then the sporty Abarth and now the convertible ‘C’. Of course you want one, but here’s a test anyway!

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Fuel consumption for the 1.4 is 46.3mpg (combined) while the 1.3 manages an impressive 67.3.mpg. CO2 is rated at 140g/km for the 1.4 (£170 annual road tax) and 110g/km for the 1.3 (just £35 road tax). The 1.4 is insurance group 7 while the 1.3 is group 5. The 1.3 scores again on purchase price because in ‘Pop’ trim the £12,700 1.3 is only £195 more than the £12,505 1.4 Pop. Obviously you can bump up those prices by going for the up-spec Lounge version or by ticking option boxes, (satnav, 100-watt stereo, Dualogic gearbox, Bi-Xenon headlamps and so on) but in my view all that rather defeats the marvellous ethos of both this and especially the original ’57 500.

Read the full Fiat 500C road tests

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