Fiat 500 MutiJet Released in the UK

A small, thrifty 1.3l 16-valve MultiJet diesel engine has been crammed by Italian carmaker Fiat under the hood of the 500, to replace the already old 75 bhp MultiJet found on the current generation. The differences between the two units will be visible in terms of both mileage and CO2 emissions, Fiat says.

The new engine, which uses Fiat's Start&Stop, becomes the most powerful diesel available in its segment. The unit develops 95 bhp at 4,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at only 1,500 rpm.

Translating all those numbers into performance, the 500 fitted with this unit is capable of reaching 62 mph in 10.7 seconds, some good seconds down from the previous time of 12.5 seconds. The top speed of the new unit is rated at 112 mph.

“This remarkable new diesel engine will add even greater excitement to the fantastic 500 range, but without adding to the cost of ownership,” Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK says. “In fact, with greater fuel economy and lower emissions, everyone will benefit from this new variant.”

As far as fuel economy goes, the new unit grew from 67.3 mpg to 72.4 mpg in combined cycle. At the same time, CO2 emission levels have been reduced from 110 g/km to 104 g/km, thanks to both the Start&Stop system and the DPF particulate filter, which allows improved emissions efficiency and effectiveness from a cold start.