Article: Fiat Panda Aria Concept

[cfg83]

Hello -

While I was reading the Fiat "Eco Pack" article, I accidentally found this old article :

Fiat Panda Aria Concept Car Features Downsized Engine,
Hydrogen-CNG Blend Fuel and Stop-Start System - 7 September 2007
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007...anda-aria.html

Fiat will introduce its Panda Aria concept car at the Frankfurt Motor show later this month.

The concept car combines a new 0.9-liter twin-cylinder 80 bhp turbo engine from the new Small Gasoline Engine (SGE) family with a dual-fuel gasoline-CNG system designed to operate with a 70:30 mixture of methane and hydrogen. The twin-cylinder engine features Multiair electronic inlet valve control and is equipped with a stop-start device and coupled with the MTA (Manual Transmission Automated) gearbox. CO2 emissions are an estimated 69 g/km.

The basic new SGE 2-cylinder Multiair turbocharged engine delivers a 20% improvement in fuel economy compared to the larger, 1.2-liter naturally aspirated engine on A-segment vehicles. In addition to advantages in terms of consumption, the twin-cylinder engine also results in a 20% reduction in weight and 25% in volume inside the engine bay compared to a 4-cylinder engine with the same power output.

The SGE engine family adopts a crankshaft balancing system that significantly reduces vibration and noise levels compared to other two and three cylinder engines.

...more good stuff..

I have never seen a "normal" European car with emissions below 100 g/km, so this is impressive to me. I just wish they had achieved it with normal gasoline.

Here's a PDF on the engine :

http://www.fiatgroup.com/comuni/php/...84RVZCOZ39QK2W

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

On top of that, the Panda is generally well regarded as an A class vehicle.

At least in the UK, according to the two British car shows I keep tabs on.

Here's a fun Panda review (the 100hp gas guzzling version) vs. a Ferarri...

Fifth Gear Fiat Panda 100HP vs Ferrari 360 Modena