Fiat 500 and 500C get New TwinAir 85HP Two-Cylinder Turbo Engine

Fiat has rolled out the production version of its long-awaited two-cylinder gasoline engine family called TwinAir that's has been developed by FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies). The first car to receive the new turbocharged engine is the Fiat 500, in both three-door and convertible forms, with sales to begin from September, 2010.

The innovative 0.9-liter two-cylinder gasoline unit implements several technologies, including a small-sized turbine, start and stop and the firm's MultiAir electro-hydraulic valve management system that reduces fuel consumption and emissions by controlling air directly via the inlet valves, without using the throttle.

Fiat says that compared with a medium-sized four-cylinder of equal performance, the new Twinair engine is significantly shorter (-23%) and lighter (-10%), while returning 30% lower fuel consumption.

The new Twinair engine will eventually be offered in various flavors with power outputs ranging from 65 to 105 HP, while Fiat is also planning to present a hybrid variant pairing the two-cylinder gasoline unit with an electric engine.

In the 500 and 500C, the 0.9-liter gasoline unit produces 85HP at 5,500 rpm and 145Nm of peak torque at 1,900 rpm. The Italian automaker claims that compared to the 1.2 8v, the new 85 HP turbo has 23% more power and a 30% better performance.

Equipped with the 85HP 0.9-liter engine and a manual gearbox, the Fiat 500 reaches a top speed of 173 km/h (108mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 11 seconds, while returning a combined fuel consumption of 4.1 lt/100km [equal to 57.4mpg US and 68.9mpg UK] with C02 emissions of just 95g/km.

Those figures are further improved with Fiat's Dualogic robotised gearbox as the 500 returns 4.0lt/100km [equal to 58.8mpg US and 70.6mpg UK] with 92g/km of CO2.

In addition, the Fiat 500 with TwinAir 85 HP and the Dualogic robotized gearbox will come equipped with an ECO button positioned on the dashboard allowing the driver to select from two modes, Normal and ECO. In the first mode, the engine delivers the maximum available torque (145 Nm) while steering assistance is set on normal.

In ECO mode, the emphasis is on "eco-friendly" driving as torque is cut off to 100 Nm at 1,750 rpm to minimize consumption and promote a driving style more suitable for city traffic while the steering wheel is lighter (CITY mode is automatically selected).

The new Twinair engine will be offered on other A- and B-segment Fiat Group models including the Panda and the Punto Evo.

Suzuki Cooks Up New Alto SZ-L Special Edition for UK Buyers

A new special edition version of the Suzuki Alto has been released in Britain. Featuring various cosmetic and equipment upgrades, the SZ-L model is available in a limited number of 500 units, priced at £8,170 a piece.

Offered in either Superior White or Bright Red non metallic colours, the Alto SZ-L is based on the SZ3 mid grade model with air conditioning, pollen filter and side airbags fitted as standard equipment. Exterior upgrades include unique wheel caps, black fog lamp surrounds and black 'B' pillar trims as well as SZ-L embossed tailgate trim and black side mouldings.

Inside, the SZ-L gains carpet mats and silver coloured trim for gearshift knob, side ventilation louvres and door openers, plus body-colored surrounds for the heater controls, gear lever and door handles.

The small city car is powered by a 1.0-liter gasoline engine delivering 60HP and 90Nm / 66 lb-ft of peak torque, which returns a combined fuel economy of 64.2mpg UK and tailpipe emissions of 103g/km.

Truck Spills 2,000,000 Euros on the Road, Italian Motorists Coin it in...

Italian motorists hit a mobile jackpot on Monday when a truck carrying some 2 million euros or about US$2,5 million at today's exchange rates in €1 and €2 coins overturned and spilled most of its contents on the road after blowing a tire and hitting another car on the A114 highway near Foggia, in southern Italy.

Passing drivers seized the opportunity and pulled over on the motorway literally risking their lives to clean the road from the coin-debris. Unfortunately, their motivation was nothing more than unadulterated greed.

According to Italian press reports on the incident, fast acting motorists made off with at least €10,000 (around US$12,500) before the police arrived at the scene.

Luckily, the truck's driver and one passenger suffered only minor injuries from the accident.

Source: AP

SPIED: 2012 Peugeot 508 Station Wagon?

Our colegas at Diariomotor got themselves a series of spy photos showing what they claim to be a heavily disguised prototype of the Peugeot 508 Station Wagon. The French carmaker teased the sedan version of the 508, which will replace both the 407 and 607 saloons, with the "5 by Peugeot" concept model at the 2010 Geneva Salon this past March.

The estate variant featured in these photos will most likely feature a larger and more practical boot space than the 508 sedan. It remains to be seen if the 508 SW will make its debut alongside the saloon model, which is expected to be unveiled either in production or near-production form at this year's Paris motor show in September before going on sale next year. You can check out the rest of the spy by clicking the link below.

Photos Source: Diariomotor

New Volvo V60 Sports Wagon: 2011 S60 gets Practical

Revealed ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut, the all-new Volvo V60 is the estate version of the recently launched 2011 S60 sedan. Aimed almost squarely at European buyers as Volvo projects that "no less than 90 percent" of the annual V60 production of 50,000 cars will find a home in Europe, the sporty-looking estate model will go on sale this fall.

Volvo describes the low slung V60 as a sports wagon with a coupe-like roofline. "The typical sports wagon customer is an S60 buyer who would like some extra space and flexibility, but without the slightest compromise on sporty design and exciting driving properties," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stephen Odell.

However, Volvo's focus on looks come with a cost as the V60's boot space is a mere 430 liters with the rear seats up. That's compared to 460lt of the BMW 3-Series Touring, 485lt of the Mercedes C-Class Estate and 490lt of the Audi A4 Avant. The car will come equipped with a 40/20/40-split rear seat and the fold-flat front passenger seat.

Volvo has no problem admitting that the V60 isn't going to satisfy traditional estate buyers.

"From the design viewpoint the focus was on making the car as close to a coupe as possible, while retaining that handy extra space at the rear," say Örjan Sterner, head of exterior design for the new Volvo V60. "Our sports wagon does not aim to compete with the traditional estate car. For the customer who wants a lot of load space, there is our V70 or XC70."

Being a "sports wagon", Volvo claims the V60's handling and dynamics match those of the S60. The estate model will be offered with a choice of two chassis set ups, the standard in Europe dynamic chassis and the touring chassis. The difference between the two chassis concerns the dampers and the front and rear subframes, with the touring variant featuring a somewhat softer setting.

In addition to the two standard chassis, all variants of the V60 can be specified with the optional FOUR-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) active chassis, while there are also AWD versions of the V60.

The V60's engine lineup mirrors that in the S60 sedan and includes a variety of petrol and diesel units. There are five gasoline units, spanning from the 150HP 1.6-liter turbo to the flagship 304HP 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six that propels the V60 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 6.6 seconds while returning a combined fuel consumption of 10.2lt/100km (23mpg US or 27.7mpg UK).

The diesel lineup includes three engines, a 1.6-liter with 115HP, a 2.0-liter with 163HP and a 2.4-liter with 205-horsepower.

The new V60 will come equipped with a raft of safety features such as Advanced Stability Control, a new Corner Traction Control, which is a further refinement of the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) system and Pedestrian Detection system.

Engine range

Petrol engines	Displacement	Configuration	Output	Torque
T6	3.0	6-cyl in-line	304 bhp	440 Nm
2.0T	2.0	4-cyl in-line	203 bhp	300 Nm
T5	2.0	4-cyl in-line	240 bhp	320 Nm
T4	1.6	4 cyl in-line	180 bhp	240 Nm
T3	1.6	4-cyl in-line	150 bhp	240 Nm
Diesel engines	Displacement	Configuration	Output	Torque
D5	2.4	5-cyl in-line	205 bhp	420 Nm
D3	2.0	5-cyl in-line	163 bhp	400 Nm
1.6 D DRIVe	1.6	4-cyl in-line	115 bhp	270 Nm