Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Fiat 500 gets New 1.3-liter Multijet II Diesel with More Punch yet Much Lower Fuel Consumption


Busting the myth that more power equals higher fuel consumption, Fiat announced today that it is replacing the 500 mini's 75HP Multijet diesel unit with a more potent yet much more fuel efficient 1.3-liter Multijet II engine that incorporates Start&Stop technology and a DPF particulate filter.

The new diesel unit that features a novel variable geometry turbocharger produces an output of 95 horsepower (+20HP) at 4,000rpm and 200Nm or 148 lb-ft of torque at only 1,500rpm.

The result is a significant improvement in the car's performance as top speed is increased from 165km/h or 103mph to 181km/h or 112mph while the 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration time is reduced from 12.5 to just 10.7 seconds.

At the same time, fuel consumption is improved from 67.3mpg UK (equal to 4.2lt/100km and 56.1mpg US) to 72.4mpg UK (3.9 lt/100km or 60.2mpg) in the combined European cycle, while emissions drop from 110g/km to 104g/km of CO2.