Fiat 500 TwinAir review
by David Finlay (4 November 2010)
Two-cylinder engines used to be fairly common in small cars, but that was a long time ago. If we ignore low-volume specials and concentrate on mass-production models sold by mainstream manufacturers on the UK market, the most recent example I've been able to come up with - after much discussion with more knowledgeable colleagues - is the 652cc unit in the 1980s Citroen LNA. Fiat's decision to develop such an engine for the 500 is therefore exceptional, though it does tie in nicely with the fact that the original 500, launched in 1957 and the spiritual if not technical inspiration for the current car, was also a two-cylinder.
The 875cc TwinAir unit has nothing, however, to do with nostalgia. The idea behind it is to combine reasonably high performance with excellent fuel economy and CO2 emissions (on the EU test, anyway) using Fiat's fiendishly clever MultiAir technology, and that certainly seems to have worked. In the first form in which it is being released to the public, the TwinAir develops a maximum of 85bhp, thanks partly to the fact that it's turbocharged, and has a top speed of 108mph and a 0-62mph time of 11.0 seconds.
That's pretty good going, but look at the "green" figures. These depend on which transmission you go for, but with the standard five-speed manual the TwinAir manages 68.9mpg combined and 95g/km. That's better than the (slower) 1.2 petrol four-cylinder 500 can achieve, and it also means that the TwinAir is exempt from annual Vehicle Excise Duty and - from January 2011 - the London congestion charge.
The news is even better if you opt for the semi-automatic Dualogic gearbox, though I wasn't impressed with this when it made its debut in the Abarth 500C. For the record, though, its economy and CO2 figures are 70.6mpg and 92g/km respectively.
All of this suggests that, if you're going to buy a Fiat 500, the TwinAir is a very sensible choice, but I'd like to cast aside these sober reflections for a moment and say that it is also fantastically good fun. It sounds quite unlike anything else on the road, muttering away to itself at tickover, speaking softly enough in city traffic and, when asked to perform to its fullest extent, giving off a bellow which, though you could hardly call it subtle, is so splendid that you want to hear it again and again. Or at least I did.
Although this sound perhaps makes the TwinAir feel quicker than it really is, there's no doubt that it performs well. Nothing much to speak of happens below 2500rpm, but at higher engine speeds it accelerates strongly, and as a colleague demonstrated while I was in the passenger seat it can make easy work of a steep hill on a dual-carriageway without having to be taken anywhere near maximum revs.
Another TwinAir, to be launched later, will be sturdier yet. That one has an output of 105bhp, and if you want to talk proportionally that makes it more powerful for its size than an Audi R8 or a Jaguar XKR. Clearly, it won't be remotely as quick as either, but it's going to be a lot of fun. There will also be a non-turbo TwinAir which produces 65bhp - that one will be cheaper, and of course more economical still.
The 85bhp version is available in all trim levels and special editions, namely Pop, Sport, Lounge, Blackjack and ByDiesel, at prices ranging from £10,665 to £13,365. There are also Pop, Lounge and ByDiesel versions of the 500C convertible, costing between £13,665 and £16,065 (I don't think I'd want to pay an extra £3000 for the extra body shake and the occasional opportunity to have the breeze ruffling my hair, but I've never been much of a convertible enthusiast).
These prices include VAT at the current rate of 17.5%, so be prepared for new prices between about £10,900 and £16,400 when the rate rises to 20% at the beginning of 2011. And, while we're clarifying things, don't be confused by the ByDiesel name, which refers to the design company, not the fuel. All TwinAirs run on petrol.
The 500 is dominated by its styling, and if you're a fan it's easy to forget that it has its faults. The visibility is terrible, the boot is tiny by comparison with that of almost every other hatchback apart from the MINI, and Fiat's habit of forcing the driver to delve deep into the trip computer simply to switch the sidelights on and off is simply barmy.
But for all that, I like the 500, and if I were going to buy one I would definitely make it a TwinAir.
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