Fiat has vowed to become the greenest car company – and has become the first car maker to offer Euro 5-compliant engines. But an even more impressive range of engines is on the way, as Mark Bursa discovers
Go deeper with GlobalData
One of Fiat’s prime targets under CEO Sergio Marchionne has been to claim the ‘green’ high ground. The new 500 has won plaudits for its chic, retro style, but just as significant is the fact that some of its engines are already Euro 5 compliant – well ahead of the European Union’s 2009 deadline.
Last year, Marchionne said: “Regardless of what other car makers will do, our Group is committed, by 2012, to reaching the lowest weighted average CO2 emission level for the cars it produces.” Currently Fiat’s average CO2 emissions stand at an impressive 144g, according to figures published by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (EFTE). And that will fall as new engines are introduced.
Now Fiat is adding Euro 5-compliant 1.6-litre MultiJet turbodiesel engines to its new Bravo C-segment compact hatchback, together with an “eco” version with emissions of just 119g of CO2 from a 105bhp engine. This has revised engine ECU settings, as well as other modifications including optimised aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tyres and ‘taller’ gear ratios, resulting in fuel consumption of 62.7mpg in the combined cycle, some 5mpg better than the standard 105bhp 1.6 MultiJet.
Fiat Auto CEO Lorenzo Sistino said the MultiJet diesels were “the centre of gravity of the Fiat engine range”. He added: “They meet all targets for emissions, and are fundamental for the success of the Fiat Bravo.” And indeed, Bravo is a success story for Fiat. Developed in double-quick time in partnership with MagnaSteyr, 97,000 were sold in 2007 against a target of 70,000 – and with a high proportion of high-spec versions; around 42% were Elegance or Sport trim. The target for 2008 has been upped to 120,000 units, and Fiat hopes to sell 60% of Bravos outside Italy, as in 2007.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataHowever, despite Sistino’s enthusiasm for the MultiJet engines, there is a slight problem. Look closely and you’ll see that the version with the sub-120g CO2 emissions is only Euro 4-compliant. The Euro 5 versions are still pretty clean – 129g of CO2 for both the 105bhp and 120bhp models – they’re above the crucial 120g level.
And herein lies a problem for the automotive industry. European and national governments are incentivising consumers to buy cars with low emissions of CO2, the main greenhouse gas. Tax breaks based on CO2 emissions are becoming commonplace, such as the 10% benefit-in-kind tax band that will come into force in the UK in April for cars with CO2 levels below 120g – such as the eco-adapted Fiat Bravo 1.6 MultiJet.
But the same yardstick is not being used by the regulators who set the emissions standards to which the auto industry has to comply. Euro 5 – and Euro 6 (currently being finalised for introduction around 2016) are not based on low CO2 emissions. Instead they take a wider brief, encompassing other pollutants such as NOx and particulate emissions. These are genuinely harmful emissions in terms of human health – but unlike CO2, they are not held to be responsible for global warming. So in the efforts to save the planet, NOx and particulate emissions are just not sexy.
The European Commission, which sets the standards, doesn’t see it that way. Air pollution causes 370,000 premature deaths a year across Europe, it claims, and road transport is the biggest contributor of NOx and the second-biggest contributor of particulate emissions. Never mind saving the planet – the objective is to save lives.
As a result, meeting Euro 5 standards involves bolting extra particulate filters on to the car’s engine – and that causes a problem, says Fiat Powertrain assistant chief engineer Eustachio Bonamassa. “Euro 5 and Euro 6 are focused on particulate emissions – and that causes problems for diesel engines in trying to bring about lower CO2 emissions. We are likely to see a shift back to petrol as the cleanest engine technology in the future,” he said.
So the low-CO2 MultiJet isn’t really the future. It’s almost the extent of how clean engines can get with current technology. Fiat is justifiably proud of the way its engines have become smaller and cleaner, without sacrificing power and driveability. Gasoline-engined Bravos, launched last year, have small-capacity 1.4-litre T-Jet engines, but with power ranging up to 150bhp, giving driveability and performance comparable to a 2-litre car.
The 1.6 MultiJet turbodiesel also comes in 120bhp guise, and this engine will replace the existing 120bhm 1.9-litre MultiJet. Despite its smaller capacity, it has the same power as the 1.9, but torque is improved by almost 25% at 1,500rpm, and fuel consumption is reduced by 8%. CO2 emissions for this model are 129g – the same as the non-eco 105bhp version of the same engine. Impressive, but Fiat has something far more exciting up its sleeve.
When asked whether the eco-MultiJet would be given a catchy, Bluemotion-style brand name, Sistino was cagey. It won’t – but Fiat’s next-generation engines already have one – MultiAir.
This is a new series of modular gasoline engines that will be launched next year, starting with a radical 80bhp twin-cylinder 900cc turbo engine that will be able to achieve a staggering 69g of CO2 emissions. This little engine will be fitted to every small Fiat range from 2010 throughout the next decade.
The MultiAir system is a Fiat-patented technology with fuel and air injection that does away with camshaft and valve gear. The engine design is modular, and can be made into two, four, six and eight-cylinder configurations.
Fiat believes MultiAir will give it a significant competitive advantage. The two-cylinder engine in particular is smaller, lighter, more economical and cheaper to produce than an equivalent four-cylinder engine with traditional valve gear and camshaft. And to protect this advantage, Fiat won’t licence the MultiAir system to other automakers for four years. A case of once bitten, twice shy – common rail diesel was a Fiat invention, but a decision to licence the technology to Bosch meant Fiat traded competitive advantage for revenue.
The MultiAir system uses electro-hydraulic valve actuation, rather than a mechanical camshaft and throttle valve, to control the airflow into the cylinders, thus giving a greater degree of flexibility than with mechanical timing systems. The air and fuel flows can be fine-tuned, optimising combustion efficiency, and giving benefits in terms of power output, torque, consumption and emissions.
Fiat also claims the twin-cylinder engine gives a 20% reduction in weight and takes up 25% les space inside the engine bay compared to a 4-cylinder engine with the same power output. This makes it ideal for use in future low-cost cars, such as the replacement for the Palio/Siena world car, due in the next 12 months. And prototypes have been tested with flex-fuel capability, including CNG.
Crucially, the ultra-low CO2 emissions from the MultiAir engines will allow Fiat engineers the headroom to develop engines that meet Euro 5 and Euro 6 NOx and particulate standards while coming inside the current 120g CO2 level, and probable lower future barriers – at 69g, a 100g CO2 limit should be achievable.
Where this leaves diesel is another matter, of course. Could the cam-less direct-air injection technology could be adapted to diesels too in future? Somewhere in a technical centre in Turin, you can be sure there are people working on it.
Mark Bursa
See also: ITALY: New diesel makes Bravo Euro 5-compliant
