Technobest 2010 Prize goes to Fiat’s TwinAir twin-cylinder engine

Thanks to its innovative TwinAir twin-cylinder engine, FPT – Fiat Powertrain Technologies has received for the second year in a row the prestigious international Technobest 2010 prize.

The winner of the Technobest 2010 award was chosen by the international, independent Autobest jury, consisting of 15 specialist journalists from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Turkey and Ukraine.

This jury was created in 2000 and is considered in the Automotive world one of Europe’s most important automobile juries.

The Autobest jury chose Fiat’s TwinAir  twin-cylinder engine as the members acknowledged its absolute technological innovation, which took the concept of downsizing to an extreme, thanks to the innovative technology of electro-hydraulic control of the Multiair inlet valves, combined with fluid dynamics studied specifically for the engine. The result: outstanding efficiency and minimal consumption.

The first member of the new family of TwinAir engines, the 85 hp turbo, had its world premiere at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show. Establishing new efficiency standards, the new family confirms the Fiat Group’s leadership in this sector.

Some of the technological features featured in the TwinAir engine are normally only found in higher engine classes. It’s the case of the electro-hydraulic control of the Multiair inlet valves and the timing chain which drastically cuts engine running costs because it does not need any maintenance.

The power output of the TwinAir, depending on the version, goes from 65 to 105 hp. Within the family the top-of-the-range engines stand out for their excellent specific power and torque values, delivered with a cylinder capacity of just 900 cc.

Thanks to its extremely small size, the new TwinAir engine is suited to be coupled with an electric engine, producing a hybrid propulsion unit, ideal for city driving. It maximises the advantages of hybrid propulsion by making it possible to store and recover the energy normally dissipated during frequent deceleration and braking.

The TwinAir 85 hp turbo engine, currently features on the Fiat 500 (version with MTA gearbox) and produces CO2 emissions of just 92 g/km, which is lowest offered today on the petrol engine market.

Fiat Group and Fiat Powertrain Technologies’ focus on respect for the environment, and their consequent and continuous commitment to the reduction of polluting emissions have once again been rewarded with the 2010 Technobest Prize.

Further proof of this commitment is the fact that Fiat Automobiles has been named by JATO Company, for the fourth consecutive year, Europe’s most eco-friendly carmaker, with an average value of just 123.5 g/km of CO2, an improvement of 4.3 g/km on 2009.