Geneva '08: Fiat 500 Aria, diesel, auto-manual and start-stop
Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Fiat, Geneva Motor Show
Fiat showed a low emissions and low fuel consumption concept version of their tiny 500 at the Geneva Motor Show called the 500 Aria. The Aria is equipped with Fiat's 1.3L MultiJet diesel and the company's Dualogic transmission. The powertrain is topped off with an automatic start-stop system. The Dualogic transmission is an automated manual transmission that can shift automatically or the driver can determine when to shift. The clutch activation duties are always handled automatically. The full package delivers a ten percent improvement in fuel consumption compared to the standard 500.
[Source: Car and Driver]
Fiat: the vehicles for a sustainable transport
The best example of this continuous commitment in the research and realization of products, with minimal environmental impact are the vehicles and prototypes displayed in Geneva. Starting with the brand new Concept car 500 Aria and the prototype Panda Aria: which are really and truly "ecological manifestos" that confirm the will of Fiat to study continuous changes in the field of researching innovative solutions for the containment of polluting emissions and CO2 levels.
Alongside these remarkable examples, other Fiat models with a level of CO2 emmissions lower than 120 g/km with be displayed. They are the best examples of Fiat's research in the field of traditional motorizations, developed especially to reduce their environmental impact.
So here we have a Fiat 500 Sport equipped with a 1,2 litre petrol propulsion engine combined with the robotic shift Dualogic. There's also space for a Panda Climbing, ambassador of the wide and articulated Natural Power range of vehicles with dual petrol/methane-hydrogen fuel management. Under the spotlights we also have the Grande Punto and Bravo models equipped with 1,3 and 1,6 litre Multijet propulsion. In particular the Fiat Bravo model displayed adopts the brand new 120 CV 1.6 Multijet with robotic Dualogic shift, which boasts an important supremacy: indeed, not only does it have a CO2 value below the 120 g/km threshold, it's also the first Euro5 vehicle in it's category (in accordance with the limits of the future Euro5 law).
The combined result of these technologies can be equated to the Fiat leadership on environmental themes, starting from CO2 emmissions. In fact, in 2007 the Fiat Group reduced the average CO2 emissions of vehicles sold in Europe by 19% in comparison to 1995. Still in 2007, as many as 23% of cars sold had CO2 emissions inferior to 120 g/km and 67% inferior or equal to 140 g/km.
Boosted by these percentages and notwithstanding the decisions taken in the European headquarters, Fiat Automobiles commits itself to obtaining within 2012, the lowest average considered level of CO2 emissions for its cars. Fiat intends to follow this objective via the introduction of an intervention plan aimed at motors, shifts, and cars, as well as the structural use of the Stop & Start system.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-09-2008 @ 11:51AM
rgseidl said...
Looks like Fiat will be following in Citroen's and BMW's footsteps in making start-stop systems available on many more of its models. Let's hope they catch on, for urban runabouts in particular they're low-hanging fruit for CO2 reduction and also cut emissions.
Note that the Fiat 500 shares a platform with the Panda, whose Aria version featuring Fiat's upcoming Small Gasoline Engine was on display at the 2007 Frankfurt show. The SGE is a 900cc balanced parallel twin with variable valve lift via the hydraulic MultiAir system. With a turbo, it delivers 105hp on gasoline. Even without it, a gasoline engine may make more sense if most of your miles are in town because the smaller block heats up more rapidly. The engine is also lighter, which improves handling.
Whatever the engine, the auto mode on virtually all single-clutch manumatics is thoroughly annoying. It's more comfortable to time the gear shifts manually via the gear lever or paddle shifters. Europeans are used to operating a gear box, so there's not much of a learning curve.
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3-09-2008 @ 11:57PM
Karl-Uwe Strunzen said...
With the downsizing of high-performance multijets (in terms of emissions) such as the 1.6l on the Bravo, the introduction of TST multijets (on the Lancia Delta though currently in a 1.9l 190hp format which will hopefully be downsized as well) and above all the MultiAir camless 900cc petrol engine, it looks to me like Fiat are on their way to achieving the lowest average CO2 levels well before the 2012 target. Consider that in 2006 the official EU figures posted them at 144 g CO2/km average, barely behind Peugeot-Citroen at 142 g CO2/km.
I only wish Fiat would talk about their current plans for EVs. Renault have a very ambitious plan underway for EVs and Fiat would be wise to do something similar.....
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3-10-2008 @ 3:21PM
PJD said...
I'm assuming that the statements regarding the Fiat fleet CO2 figures are bad translations... and that "inferior to" should read "less than"?
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3-10-2008 @ 7:36PM
Karl-Uwe Strunzen said...
this is most certainly a word-for-word translation, and therefore an incorrect translation... when one's English is not so good, you might as well use Babelfish!
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