MultiAir for Alfa MiTo

FIAT has confirmed its ground-breaking new MultiAir electro-hydraulic valve control technology will debut on Alfa Romeo’s all-new MiTo in Europe from September, before becoming available in Australia in early 2010.

The Fiat Punto-based MiTo three-door, Alfa’s smallest model since the classic Alfasud of the 1970s, will be officially launched here on July 7, when two turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine variants will be available.

Manual-only 88kW/206Nm and 114kW/230Nm variants will both be priced below the three-door 147 2.0-litre hatch ($37,990) they will effectively replace.

As previously reported, Australian Alfa importer Ateco Automotive also has Australian Design Rule certification for 66kW 1.3 and 88kW 1.6-litre JTD turbo-diesel versions of the MiTo, which could also go on sale here at a later date.

From their launch next month, both 1.4 turbo-petrol MiTos will come standard with a Q2 electronic differential, electronic stability control and ABS, seven airbags including a driver’s knee airbag, air-conditioning, power windows/mirrors, remote central locking and 16x7.0-inch alloy wheels.

Apart from a quicker (eight versus 8.8-second) 0-100km/h claim, the top-shelf MiTo will come with extra equipment including front foglights, while options across the range will include gas discharge headlights, daytime running lights and 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels.

From top: Fiat's MultiAir valve train, Alfa MiTo, Alfa MiTo GTA concept.

Of the two new MultiAir engines announced this week by Fiat, Australians are likely to next year see only the top-shelf 155hp (115kW) version, which in Europe will be exclusively badged as the MiTo “Quadrifoglio Verde” (green four-leaved clover).

As part of MultiAir’s first application, Europe’s MiTo will also receive two further naturally-aspirated and turbocharged 1.4-litre ‘Fire’ engines, producing 78kW and 100kW and mated to five and six-speed manual transmissions respectively. A twin-clutch automated manual will also be mated with MultiAir engines next year.

At the other end of the spectrum will be an eventual MiTo range-topper, as previewed by the MiTo GTA Concept and complete with Fiat’s new direct-injection 1.7-litre turbo four offering up to 180kW to challenge Mini’s Cooper S.

First revealed earlier this year, Fiat says its revolutionary MultiAir Electronic Valve Control technology will be as big an automotive development as fuel-injection was in the 1970s and common-rail diesel injection was in the ‘90s, but can be applied to any type of internal combustion engine.

Indeed, MultiAir diesel engines are also being developed and Fiat says its Start&Stop idle-stop system will debut in the MiTo with MultiAir engines.

The next application will be the new 900cc twin-cylinder SGE (Small Gasoline Engine) MultiAir engine announced in February, which will debut on a new model that Fiat says will be more efficient than a hybrid for a fraction of the cost.

A dual-fuel petrol/natural gas (CNG) version of the turbocharged version is promised to return standard-setting CO2 emissions of less than 80g/km, before MultiAir technology is integrated with direct-injection and spread across various-displacement engines for models right across the Fiat and Chrysler groups.

Fiat says that compared to a traditional petrol engine with the same displacement, MultiAir engines increase power by up to 10 per cent and torque by up to 15 per cent, while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10 per cent, as well as particulates and NOx by up to 40 and 60 per cent respectively.

A downsized turbocharged MultiAir engine is said to produce the same performance as a naturally-aspirated engine while reducing fuel consumption by 25 per cent.

It does so, says Fiat, by employing a power-oriented camshaft, early intake valve closing strategies to maximise the air mass trapped in the cylinders, reduced pumping losses, optimised valve control strategies during warm-up and internal exhaust gas recirculation (by reopening the intake valves during the exhaust stroke), and constant upstream air pressure.

The first MultiAir 1.4s will be produced by Fiat Powertrain Technologies at Termoli in Italy.

Read more:

Alfa MiTo turbos for Oz

First look: Alfa Romeo muscles in on Mini

BMW EV!

Alfa Romeo's new MiTo hits Europe

New Alfasud gets legs