NF500 / fiat powertrain

Fiat are developing petrol and diesel hybrid-drive systems for small cars and vans that, if all goes to plan, could be production-ready by 2011.

The hybrid powertrains will be able to propel a vehicle for short distances using only electric power, helping to reduce both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions during stop-start driving conditions.

We are still in the research phase and, if everything proceeds as expected, we could begin production within three years,

Alfredo Altavilla, CEO of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, told Automotive News Europe.

For minicars and small cars, Fiat is working on a hybrid system based on their new two-cylinder, 900cc petrol engine that mates an electric motor/generator to a dual-clutch transmission. Fiat claim the small-car system has the potential to bring a car’s CO2 emissions to below 90g/km.

For another example of what Fiat could do with the 500 in the name of greener motoring, check out the Fiat 500 Aria Concept.

This isn’t new news, but worth revisiting and certainly worthy of a mention on NF500 for those unaware of the future plans for powering the new Fiat 500.

The original Fiat 500 “Topolino”, as many will be aware, was powered by a rear mounted twin-cylinder engine. The new 500, while swapping the engine to the front in a similar fashion to Volkswagen’s new Beetle, will return to two-cylinder power in the not too distant future. Although the new Multiair engines from FPT (Fiat Powertrain) will have nothing very retro about them in terms of their design or technology.

Twin cylinder engines have been considered a thing of the past by many due to being difficult to refine in terms of balancing economy, reasonable levels of performance, and most significantly refinement, but following years of development work Fiat believe they can offer a winning package.

The 0.9 litre version of the new Multiair engine is due to replace the 1.2 litre petrol engines in the Fiat car range, while the 1.4 litre petrol engines will also adopt Multiair technology to improve their performance in all areas.

Replacing the 1.2 litre engines with the new 0.9 litre twin cylinder model will improve fuel economy by over 20%, while Multiair technology could improve the 1.4 litre petrol engines by offering 10% improved torque figures, 10% better fuel consumption and a 50% reduction in emissions for both naturally aspirated and turbo variants.

All this will of course go towards helping Fiat achieve their claim that by 2012, the Fiat Group will have the lowest weighted average emissions of any other manufacture.

Full details of Fiats engine plans can be found in the official PDF from Fiat Powertrain in our downloads section on NF500.