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

Since the start of the International Engine of the Year Awards in 1999, the Sub 1-litre category has only ever been won by two Japanese OEMs: Honda (seven times) and Toyota (five times). But for 2011, not only is there a new winning powertrain in this micromotor division, it’s also the first such engine to be developed outside Japan. Hats off, then, to this year’s victor, Fiat, with the 875cc TwinAir unit.

The Italian two-cylinder ended four years of dominance by Toyota in this category and did so by amassing an astounding 479 points – more than 200 points ahead of second place!

Much has been made of TwinAir’s low CO2 output and impressive fuel economy, but an added reason why judges were quick to award the little 875cc Italian heart maximum points was its ‘fun-to-drive’ factor. “The TwinAir sounds like the old twin cylinder, and with that gorgeous rasp, it makes you want to step on the gas even more, and the best news is that its takes the high revs with great joy,” enthused Lorenzo Facchinetti from Auto in Italy.

TwinAir literally fires on all cylinders, making full use of the Mitsubishi-sourced turbo to create 85bhp at 5,500rpm and 150Nm of torque at just 2,000rpm. This means that the two-cylinder matches the larger three-cylinder and fourcylinder units on a green level and vies with them when it comes to performance too. For example, compared with Fiat’s own 1.2-litre FIRE 8v engine, TwinAir slashes emissions by 15% and offers 23% more power. It’s for these reasons why Sjoerd van Bilsen from De Telegraaf in Holland is a fan: “Such a small engine, but so potent,” he said. “It achieves low fuel consumption if you drive it economically but put your foot down and that typical twocylinder sound bellows out, giving the car a lot of character.”

Next up for TwinAir will be a naturally-aspirated 65bhp offering, as well as a tweaked, sport-orientated 105bhp derivative.