Fiat goes eco in Paris

Fiat small-car programs are set to take centre stage in Paris at the end of the month. The manufacturer's stand will focus attention on its various small-capacity engines, including the 900cc two cylinder TwinAir engine fitted to four Fiat 500s (pictured) -- showcasing what it describes as "extreme" technology aimed at tackling emissions and fuel consumption.

The 'extreme' descriptor reflects the down-sizing Fiat has embarked on to achieve ultra-low emissions without entirely killing-off on-road performance.

Fiat says the new engine family straddles power outputs from 48kW to 78kW and emits 30 per cent less CO2 than other engines with equal performance capabilities.

Start&Stop technology is big news for Fiat at the show. The stand will feature a Fiat Panda fed by a 51kW dual fuel petrol/LPG engine and a 67kW Doblo Emotion 1.6-litre Euro 5 with Dualogic transmission and Start&Stop, as well as a MY2011 Qubo Trekking also hooking up the Start&Stop system with a 63kW 1.3-litre MultiJet II engine in ECO configuration. This combination returns a tidy CO2 figure of 95g/km.

A Doblo LCV/MPV with a 67kW engine employing Start&Stop and Dualogic transmission will be on display to emphasise its successful performance on Euro markets with more than one million examples produced.

The stand will also feature a Fiat Bravo with a 104kW 1.4-litre MultiAir engine also using Start&Stop and managing CO2 emissions of 132g/km as well as a combined fuel consumption figure of 5.7L/100km.

Fiat says it is the most eco-friendly of Europe’s top ten brands with an across-the-board CO2 emissions average of 127.8g/km. The company has held this position for three years running and the latest figures compare favourably with the market average of 145.8g/km.

Much of this is due to the company embracing factory-fitted methane fuel systems as well as dual-fuel methane/petrol applications.

The Paris stand will also feature Fiat's free eco:Drive software package that collects trip data through the company's Blue&Me interface and provides "the user with practical personalised tips for reducing travelling costs and personal environmental impact."

Fiat says 100,000 copies of the system have been downloaded since its launch at the 2008 Paris motor show.

According to Fiat "Every day, more than 42,000 drivers use it and at least nine million journeys have been logged and analysed on the Fiat database. Taking into account the contribution of all the drivers who have joined eco:Ville, the online community of all Fiat eco-drivers, it is possible to calculate an overall saving of approximately 3000 tonnes of CO2."

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