Maximizing Current Green Technology
Since its divorce and cash-paid settlement with General Motors, Fiat
has done some serious thinking about the future. After a near-deathbrush with accountants, the brand has moved well ahead, bouncing backfrom the sorry state it was in just a year ago with several newproducts for the Fiat brand and its luxury/performance subsidiary, AlfaRomeo, destined to enter North America by 2008.
One of the key vehiclesbehind the Italian firm's rejuvenation is the Panda, a city car soimpressive that it bowled over judges, winning European Car of the Yearback in 2004 when it debuted. Though it is powered by an assortment of engines suitable for smallkitchen appliances, Fiat's 'think big' motto and practicalitystrong-card helped this tall, boxy, but extremely affordable Panda putyoung Europeans on wheels.
Given
its outright popularity, Fiat has explored differentthemed routes with the Panda. The company's first modification was toallow the little machine to head for the hills by jacking up thesuspension, fitting it with a torquey MultiJet diesel motor and alightweight all-wheel drive system. The result? A Panda athome in the wilderness. Fiat also added some colourful cladding andsome new bodywork, spot lamps and a safari-style roofrack system to thePanda 4X4, and called it the Simba Concept. It was such a successful prototype that Fiat decided to produce it, giving it the name PandaCross. It's an appropriately cutename for such a cute vehicle.
In more recent times, Fiat has becomemore serious about the environment; this year's Geneva Show served as aplatform from which the brand launched a variety of new alternative fueltechnologies, including a prototype hydrogen-powered Panda, anear-production methane-powered Panda, and this, the Panda MultiEco.
As the name suggests, the MultiEco lumps together Fiat's advancements
in the environmental powertrain department. The MultiEcouses the fundamentals of the methane-powered Panda and combines it withother existing ecological engine technologies. By the way,methane-powered cars aren't anything new; in terms of the automotiveworld, methane fuel is natural gas, also known as CNG, a cleaner fuelthan petrol. Coincidentally, the MultiEco runs on methane, one of theprimary emissions of the black-and-white, bamboo-eating Panda. Allsilliness aside, what the MultiEco brings to the table is a new enginethat's able to run on gasoline, CNG, or a mix of the two, and in thenear future, hydrogen will be added to that list.
Built
on a modular and flexible chassis with a tall body, thePanda was an easy conversion to natural-gas power. Its frame allowedfor two new tanks - one longitudinally, one transversely - to befitted giving it a capacity of 50 litres (13 gal), without detracting from theinterior volume or cargo space in any way whatsoever. The MultiEco'spowerplant is a converted version of the Panda's FIRE (Fully IntegratedRobotized Engine), featuring a new belt-operated starter (BAS). Thisinnovative starter-alternator provides instantaneous starts for theidle-stop mode, and is a similar system to that used in hybrids.
Before thePanda's green-generated power hits the front wheels, it is mated to arobotized 'clutchless' manual gearbox, similar to the unit found in thesmart fortwo. This style of transmission combines the power and efficiency of a manual with the convenience of anautomatic, without the third pedal of the former or the energy-sapping torqueconverter of the latter.
Since its divorce and cash-paid settlement with General Motors, Fiat
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| The Fiat Panda MultiEco is the latest in a long lineup of Panda-based concepts. (Photo: Fiat S.p.A.) |
One of the key vehiclesbehind the Italian firm's rejuvenation is the Panda, a city car soimpressive that it bowled over judges, winning European Car of the Yearback in 2004 when it debuted. Though it is powered by an assortment of engines suitable for smallkitchen appliances, Fiat's 'think big' motto and practicalitystrong-card helped this tall, boxy, but extremely affordable Panda putyoung Europeans on wheels.
Given
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| Fiat CrossPanda Climbing: Not a verb, but a trim level. (Photo: Fiat S.p.A.) |
In more recent times, Fiat has becomemore serious about the environment; this year's Geneva Show served as aplatform from which the brand launched a variety of new alternative fueltechnologies, including a prototype hydrogen-powered Panda, anear-production methane-powered Panda, and this, the Panda MultiEco.
As the name suggests, the MultiEco lumps together Fiat's advancements
 |
| Hydrogen-powered Panda gives light for an even greener Panda. (Photo: Fiat S.P.A.) |
Built
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| Lightweight panels help to stretch the MultiEco's range to 350 km (217 miles). (Photo: Fiat S.P.A.) |
Before thePanda's green-generated power hits the front wheels, it is mated to arobotized 'clutchless' manual gearbox, similar to the unit found in thesmart fortwo. This style of transmission combines the power and efficiency of a manual with the convenience of anautomatic, without the third pedal of the former or the energy-sapping torqueconverter of the latter.