We've been hearing that Chrysler will adopt Fiat's Multiair family of engines, and last night the alliance release specs on some of the engines. Multiair is to Fiat what VTEC is to Honda, so all the engines should have variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust side.
First up are the two 1.4-liter engines, which are slated for use in the too-adorable-for-words Fiat 500 that we've been promised. The normally aspirated version will be rated at 100 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and 95 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 -- a typical subcompact meal ticket.
However, the turbocharged version veers into Mini Cooper S territory with its projected 170 hp at 6,750 and 170 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm.
Multiair technology has also been added to Chrysler's existing 2.4-liter engine (the one whose architecture was originally developed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi). In today's Dodge Avenger, the 2.4-liter is rated at 173 hp and 166 lb-ft. But with the addition of Multiair, Chrysler says it will develop 190 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque.
Chrysler also announced that Fiat's dual-clutch automated manual transmission will make its debut in the next generation of D-segment cars.
adb4 says:
10:51 AM, 01/ 8/10
Almost, but not quite. The next generation of D cars would be the Avenger and Sebring replacements--which makes sense, because 1) the 300/Charger are rwd, while Fiat's transmissions are fwd, and 2) who would buy a Chrysler 300 with a manual?
firstclass says:
10:54 AM, 01/ 8/10
Fiat is Latin for "Let it be done" and so far their living up to their name. Glad to hear the next generation D-segment cars will carry some Italian zest even if it’s just under the skin. A hundred horse power in the 500 should do just fine and prove to Americans that you don’t always need a sledgehammer to crack a nut. However I’m too American to pass up the turbo 500.
minibro77 says:
11:27 AM, 01/ 8/10
A good sign of things to come.
flicmod says:
12:23 PM, 01/ 8/10
So Chrysler will have a sub-par subcompact providing 100hp, and a Cooper S fighter? Seems kind of... out of touch, don't you think? The 500 Turbo better be priced under $20k if they want to sell them. The Cooper is pretty much a niche vehicle at a high price. As for the regular 500, I honestly don't think they'll have much success past the initial honeymoon phase. People will gobble them up for a few months because they're "new" and "refreshing". After that, they'll cease to make a dent for Chrysler' profitability because they just can't compete.
Where are the practical, yet exciting vehicles that will turn Chrysler around? What about the Grande Punto? Or the Croma or Sedici? Even the Palio would be a great, practical and cheap car to sell here.
The 500 seems to be a small effort compared to what Fiat could actually do. Chrysler needs big change fast. Not a trickle of product over the course of a few years.
estreka says:
03:50 PM, 01/ 8/10
^ I'm not even convinced the 500 will have a honeymoon phase. It's awfully small and the Smart pretty much soured Americans on small cars.
hondacura4 says:
07:22 AM, 01/ 9/10
What's Fiats reliability record like?
estreka says:
02:05 PM, 01/ 9/10
Better than before, but not especially great.
deadviper says:
06:13 PM, 01/ 9/10
"I'm not even convinced the 500 will have a honeymoon phase. It's awfully small and the Smart pretty much soured Americans on small cars."
What alternate universe are you living in? SMARTS sales may have collapsed but they are the exception to the general rule - mostly because of the retarded sacrifice you must make in practicality, safety and any pretense at all of performance to get marginal gains in fuel economy over SMARTs competitors.
the 500 is small (139 in long) but no smaller really than the yaris hatch (150 in long), the versa hatch (169 in long) the honda fit (156 in long) the hyundai accent hatch (159 in long) or the chevy aveo hatch (155 in long). When the 500 gets here, it will join the general trend toward growth for the small car segment of Americas auto market. The US may be done with the SMART, but with the market growing despite being crowed with competitors and more competitors still on the way, its appetite for small cars apparently has yet to be quenched.
flicmod says:
05:09 PM, 01/10/10
"the 500 is small (139 in long) but no smaller really than the"
Sorry, but if you think that between 11" and 30" isn't much of a difference for overall lengths in cars, let me put it in perspective. The 2010 Ford Focus has an overall length of 175" compared to the 2010 Ford Flex which has an overall length of 201.8". In case you're wondering, that's a difference of 26.8"; higher than the mean difference in your comparison. If you think that the Focus is "no smaller really" than the Flex, then I'd be forced to repeat your "alternate universe" insult to you...
The truth is that the 500 is an extremely small car. Estreka's comparison between it and the Smart ForTwo is dead on. The advantage of the 500 is that it has a rear seat whereas the Smart doesn't. More practical? Yes. But if it's chief competition is the Smart, then they have major problems. It'd be extremely difficult for Fiat to compete with the other B-segment cars like the Fit and Aveo due to the fact that the 500 sacrifices practicality, cargo room, and horsepower.
As I said before, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and say that it'll have some kind of honeymoon phase. But after that, I don't have much hope for it.