Fiat 500 TwinAir on sale now

Fiat’s Twin Air-engined 500 is the first example of its down-sizing engine programme to come to Australia. It's a serious commitment for the brand in this country, because the new micro two-cylinder becomes the standard powerplant across all 500 models.

The compact little engine brings plenty of advanced technology that is well suited to the perky 500 hatch and soft-top.

Displacing just 875cc (slightly more than the original Morris Mini 850) the compact, lightweight single-cam eight-valve engine uses a combination of turbocharging and variable-lift camshaft technology to produce an admirable combination of high-for-capacity power output and sub 100g/km CO2 emissions.

Valve lift is fully variable on the intake side, while the MultiAir system controls airflow with exceptional accuracy via an ingenious system using the inlet valves rather than the throttle valve to reduce “pumping” losses by around 10 per cent. With the minimal friction losses that come from being a two-cylinder, Fiat claims the MultiAir engine is the most efficient in the world.

Obviously it is shorter (it is 23 per cent smaller overall) and lighter (85kg, or 10 per cent less) than the previous 1.4-litre four-cylinder, despite being more torquey, frugal and eco-friendly.

Fiat says the use of a balance shaft brings the levels of two-cylinder vibration to values comparable with the four-cylinder.

The MultiAir engine winds out precisely 62.5kW at a relatively mild 5500rpm, while the combination of turbo boost and long-stroke design helps produce a strong 145Nm of torque between 1900 and 2000rpm (the four-cylinder 1.4-litre 500 produces 74kW/131Nm). For a turbo, the TwinAir also has a relatively high compression ratio of 10.0:1, which further helps efficiency.

The 500’s dash-mounted ECO button further helps economy and emissions by reducing torque output to 100Nm, while a GSI Gear Shift Indicator prompts the driver to change up a gear when the engine computer deems it appropriate.

The bottom line is the efficiency and cleanliness of the new engine: In manual transmission form it returns 4.0L/100km in the combined cycle, along with an emissions reading of 92g/km. The robotised Dualogic gearbox drops these figures down to 3.9L/100km and 90g/km respectively. Figures for the hatchback and soft-top are identical. The current 1.4-litre 500 quotes a combined figure of 6.3L/100km, along with a CO2 figure of 140g/km.

The 500 hatchback’s 900kg kerb weight helps make the most out of the engine (the fabric-roofed 500C version adds just 20kg), while fuel economy and emissions are assisted by Fiat’s Start&Stop technology that is standard on all versions.

In terms of performance, the MultiAir 500 reaches 100km/h in “just” 11 seconds (fractionally slower than the 1.4 litre’s 10.5 seconds), in both 500 and 500C form, with either five-speed manual or Dualogic robotised manual transmission.

Visually, the TwinAir 500 is tarted up a bit, using the previous Sport as a basis. It comes with 16-inch matt black wheels, a roof spoiler, satin finish chrome door mirrors, door handles and boot lid trim, sports seats and a “metallic effect” dash.

The EuroNCAP five-star rated 500 gets seven airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, as well as a hill-holder as standard equipment, plus satnav-ready Blue&Me TomTom, climate-control, a six-speaker CD sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, USB port and leather-bound steering wheel with audio controls. A fixed glass sunroof is optional on the hatch version, while both hatch and convertible list TomTom satnav, metallic or “pastel” paint and leather seats as cost-added extras.

The new TwinAir range has been rationalised down to two models: hatch and convertible, with the price of the latter dropped $3000. The hatch is $1500 cheaper than the outgoing Sport version.

2012 Fiat 500 TwinAir pre on-road costs pricing:

TwinAir 500 hatch $22,990
TwinAir 500 Dualogic hatch $24,990
TwinAir 500C convertible $25,990
TwinAir 500C Dualogic convertible $27,990

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