Fiat 500 Gets 95 HP Multijet II Diesel

Italian carmaker Fiat will introduce to its 500 line a new Multijet II diesel engine, turbocharged into developing 95 hp, while at the same time meeting the Euro5 emission standards. The engine will be fitted on a version of the 500 which will also get new and improved rear suspension.

The 95 hp unit, built by Fiat's Powertrain Technologies, will feature start-stop as standard and comes with new common rail injectors with balanced hydraulic servo valve.

This allows the engine to control the amount of fuel which enters the combustion chamber, making the injection process better and more effective. The turbocharger which squeezes all those horses out of the small displacement block features variable geometry. With it, the 500 will provide fuel consumption figures some 8 percent lower in urban cycles than the previous version.

The improved suspension mentioned above is sourced from Abarth and was used on the sport version of the 500. Aside from being featured on the version which will get the new engine, the suspension with an anti-roll bar is already used on the 500C and will soon cover the entire 500 range.

It is unclear yet whether the Italian manufacturer will bring the new version to the States as well. The US was only confirmed so far to get the 1.4l Multiair in the fourth quarter of 2010. It will be followed by convertible, which will be on sale in 2011 and the Abarth version in 2012.