Alfa Romeo, always a byword for sophisticated engineering and high-performance engines, proudly presents the revolutionary MultiAir system, developed and patented by FPT – Fiat Powertrain Technologies.
The head of this revolutionary family is the MultiAir 1.4 engine, which makes its global debut on the Alfa Romeo MiTo model and is offered with 3 different power levels (105 hp, 135 hp and 170 hp), all Euro 5-ready.
At launch, the first two MultiAir power units fitted to the Alfa Romeo MiTo are the 135 hp 1.4 and the 105 hp 1.4, available across the current range. This will be followed by the 170 hp 1.4 MultiAir TBi, which will complete the Alfa Romeo MiTo petrol engine range and be available on the brand new and unique Quadrifoglio Verde model. This broad product range will enable the MiTo to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly savvy public, who are rewarding the Alfa Romeo city car with excellent sales figures.
The 135 hp 1.4 TBi guarantees the
Alfa Romeo MiTo all the performance and temperament of a sporty, well-balanced car designed for customers who are concerned about driveability and good fuel economy. The torque delivery of the 135 hp engine is optimum under all conditions and ensures outstanding pick-up performance and vigorous thrust at all revs, setting a new benchmark for petrol engines. The new 135 hp power unit's top speed and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h are at the very top of the city car category.
This brand new engine, designed to work in conjunction with the Alfa DNA system, allows the excellent dynamic attributes of the Alfa MiTo to be exploited to the full. This makes long trips pleasant and comfortable, but also guarantees plenty of thrills on more demanding stretches of road, the natural terrain of any Alfa Romeo, due to the well-balanced weight/power ratio and excellent responsiveness.
Excellent performance is combined with respect for the environment and good fuel economy. This excellence is reflected in particularly low CO2 emissions, equal to 129 g/km, with a combined fuel consumption of just 5.6 litres every 100 km.
Balance and temperament are also attributes of the 105 hp 1.4 power unit. This engine sits in the middle of its reference market, where it represents the best choice. The 105 hp MultiAir adheres to Euro 5 regulations and tops its reference market in terms of maximum power and driveability. It also keeps the driver fully involved, making the Alfa MiTo a real star of city traffic, ensuring full safety and easy driving under all conditions.
In addition, the MiTo achieves excellent performance through the top-of-the-range 170 hp MultiAir version available on the exclusive Quadrifoglio Verde model. This marks the reappearance of one of the historical symbols most dear to Alfa aficionados throughout the world, who are passionate about the glorious past of a brand that has made racing and motorsport a real trademark.
The new MultiAir engines are built in Termoli at the FPT plant. Right from the development stage, they have been designed to further enhance Alfa DNA, the system that allows the personality of the Alfa Romeo MiTo to be adapted to the driver's needs and to different road conditions.
The sporty nature and technological features of these new engines are evident from the characteristic Alfa Romeo sound, which is as engaging when driving quickly as it is relaxing on extra-urban or city journeys.
The Start Stop system, making its debut on an Alfa Romeo, comes as standard with the three
MiTo MultiAir petrol engines. It temporarily turns off the engine and then restarts it to ensure reduced fuel consumption and low noise levels in the passenger compartment when the device is at work. In these situations, which are typical of heavy traffic in urban areas and when stopped at traffic lights, when the control strategy permits, the system automatically cuts out the engine in order to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 10% for an urban route and 3.5% over an NEDC-type cycle.
Moreover, the Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) linked to the Start&Stop system is a kind of co-pilot that discreetly advises drivers when they should change gear, leading to a more fuel-efficient use of the engine. For example, the GSI may suggest shifting to a higher gear, by means of a signal on the instrument panel, in order to allow the engine to combust a leaner mixture, i.e. containing less fuel, or to change down a gear to make best use of the available torque. The device is permanently active when the Alfa DNA selector is set to 'Normal' or 'All Weather' in order to ensure a smooth and comfortable drive while also aiming to save fuel and significantly reduce emissions.
The introduction of the new MultiAir engines also coincides with a fresh range of colours for the MiTo, a successful model that is already sold in 34 countries throughout the world and five different continents. It can already be ordered in the new metallic shade Tornado Blue, which will complement the already extensive array of exterior colours.
The model's level of engineering can also be appreciated due to a series of improvements that have further increased the quality of the Alfa Romeo MiTo. These improvements affect the interior finishes, couplings, gear manoeuvrability due to shortening the lever to 2.5 centimetres and also the steering and suspension system, which has been recalibrated.
To sum up, the Alfa Romeo MiTo offers 2 TDi engines (90 hp 1.3 JTDm and 120 hp 1.6 JTDm) and complements the current petrol engine range (the 78 hp, 120 hp TBi and 155 hp 1.4) with two new MultiAir engines: the 105 hp 1.4 and the 135 hp 1.4 TBi. This model, which is packed full of technology, offers: two configurations (Progression and Distinctive); two special packs available on Distinctive versions, one with a sportier content, the other more geared to comfort; seven different seat trims plus top-quality Pelle Frau leather upholstery in three different shades; two interior colours with Sprint dashboard on the Progression configuration; three interior colours with Competizione dashboard on the Distinctive configuration. Five different alloy wheels are also available (16', 17'' and 18'), as well as 10 different bodywork paints that reflect every facet of the new Alfa Romeo's sporty nature. These are combined with a multitude of taillight and headlight frame colours and finishes: chrome plated, satin, titanium grey or body coloured, offering clients a host of customisation options.
All the secrets of MultiAir technology
Alfa Romeo proudly introduces MultiAir technology to the world on its latest creation, the Alfa Romeo MiTo. The head of the new family is the MultiAir 1.4 engine, available in three different power levels on the model: 105 hp, 135 hp and 170 hp.
This marks a significant generational leap compared to current petrol engines, as occurred in 1997 with the Common Rail technology applied to diesel power units and introduced to the world for the first time on the Alfa Romeo 156. Now the 'sportiest city car ever' picks up the baton and marks a true leap forward in technology: the MultiAir system takes the controlled ignition engine to previously unthinkable levels of efficiency. This is achieved due to the principle underpinning this new technology: the possibility of continuously adjusting the main elements that guarantee optimum combustion at any speed and under all driving conditions.
In particular, the possibility of managing the opportune moment for opening and closing the intake valve has optimised the engine's volumetric efficiency, bringing benefits in terms of maximum torque delivery, particularly at low revs: compared with a conventional 120 hp TBi engine, the same engine with MultiAir achieves an increase in maximum power (135 hp) without penalising torque and response at low revs (5,000 rpm).
The introduction of MultiAir technology therefore makes the Alfa Romeo MiTo even more agile and nippy due to the power and torque increases possible with the new power units. The engines also ensure a significant reduction in fuel consumption and toxic emissions, with benefits in terms of running costs and respect for the environment.
For example, the flexibility and responsiveness guaranteed by the MultiAir system make it possible to manage engine load by means of the intake valves, eliminating the use of the throttle valve to benefit combustion efficiency at partial loads and therefore reduce fuel consumption. Suffice it to say that the same power unit reduces fuel consumption over an NEDC cycle by up to 10% compared with a conventional 120 hp 1.4 TBi engine.
The new power units represent a significant point of departure from the current petrol engine scene. For example, compared with a conventional petrol engine of the same capacity, MultiAir provides an increase in power (up to 10%) and torque (up to 15%), in addition to a significant reduction in fuel consumption (up to 10%) and emissions of CO 2 (up to 10%), particulate (up to 40%) and NOx (up to 60%).
At the heart of MultiAir is a new electrohydraulic valve management system that allows a reduction in fuel consumption (by controlling air directly via the engine intake valves, without using the throttle) and harmful emissions (via combustion control). As befits a flag-bearer for the downsizing concept, MultiAir is a versatile technology that is easily applied to all petrol engines and may potentially be developed for diesel engines.
Load management by means of the intake valves also means that combustion can be optimised even on motorways. The area within which the mixture is made richer has been greatly reduced by exploiting characteristics of the technology: the air-fuel ratio is still stoichiometric at 150 km/h, for example, ensuring a greatly reduced specific consumption.
Finally, the new generation of MultiAir engines has been designed to enhance the car setup options available via the Alfa DNA selector to ensure the most effective response to the driver's expectations and the different road conditions, adjusting its performance via a different torque curve, accelerator sensitivity and overboost management.
Source - Alfa Romeo
