Press Play to watch the video

Image: - Mr Aldo Marangoni, FPT Vice President Product Engineering

Fiat’s MultiAir, the single most innovative engine technology to appear in the past 12 months, has been rewarded by the Awards judging panel with the title of Best New Engine of 2010.

MultiAir employs an electrohydraulic system to independently control each cylinder’s inlet air charge. Depending on the driving situation, there are five main modes of inlet valve timing and lift, but in principle MultiAir enables infinitely variable control of the inlet valves.

The system is particularly special because it is able to increase power and torque while reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The concept is therefore ideal for today’s world of eco-conscious, downsized automotive powertrains.

Fiat Powertrain Technologies, which has developed and patented the system, claims that, compared with a traditional petrol engine of the same displacement, a MultiAir unit brings up to 10% more power and 15% more torque, while improving fuel economy by up to 10% and reducing emissions, whether they be CO2 (-10%), particulate matter (-40%) or NOx (-60%).

Taking as an example the 170bhp variant of the winning 1.4-litre turbo engine, which appears in the Alfa MiTo Cloverleaf, Alfa claims 6 l/100km (47mpg) on the combined cycle for the 170bhp unit, which is more than half a litre less than the previous 155bhp, non-MultiAir engine. A start/ stop system also helps cut fuel consumption levels.

The judges were predictably enamoured with a system that offers such impressive benefits. “Fiat’s MultiAir gives traditional internal combustion a breath of fresh air via an entirely new set of valvetrain strategies,” was the verdict of respected technical journalist, Dennis Simanaitis of Road & Track.

Fiat plans to roll MultiAir out across additional engine families. Next to benefit will be the eagerly anticipated two-cylinder turbo, which is on track to offer an astonishing 105bhp!