Fiat Engine to Be Made by Chrysler to Increase Stake

Chrysler Group LLC, in a step that will help Fiat SpA increase its controlling stake, plans to invest $179 million in the next five years at a Michigan factory to build the Italian company’s 4-cylinder, 1.4-liter engines.

The production of as many as 250,000 engines annually will add 155 employees, according to documents Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler filed with the state for job-creation tax credits.

The fuel-efficient engine would be used in the Fiat 500 subcompact next year and satisfy a requirement for the Turin, Italy-based automaker to expand its 20 percent stake in Chrysler. The confirmation is the first of Fiat technology being added to a Chrysler facility.

“That’s good news,” said Serge Escude, an analyst with Cassa Lombarda in Milan who has a “hold” rating on Fiat shares. “It’s rather quick.”

Fiat can acquire an additional 5 percent stake each time it reaches one of three targets, including building a fuel- efficient engine in the U.S. Fiat may get as much as 30 percent ownership by the end of March 2011 and the remaining portion at the end of 2011, said Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst based in London.

Chrysler is under Fiat control after emerging from a U.S.- backed bankruptcy this year following a government bailout. The U.S. Treasury owns 9.85 percent of Chrysler, Canada has 2.46 percent and 67.69 percent belongs to the United Auto Workers union retiree medical fund, according to bankruptcy documents.

Expansion Targets

The other goals the U.S. government set for allowing Fiat to increase ownership are producing a car in the U.S. that gets at least 40 miles per gallon and reaching sales targets for Chrysler vehicles outside North America.

The plant, in Dundee, Michigan, builds 4-cylinder engines ranging from 1.8 to 2.4 liters. In August, Chrysler bought the stakes in the engine-plant business that it had shared with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. The operation is called the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance.

2009 Fiat Panda 4×4 Adventure

The Fiat Panda 4×4 Adventure, a brand new special series that brings new meaning to the famous slogan “The car that does what you think”, has today been launched in Italy and will subsequently arrive in the rest of Europe. The original version is for those at one with nature, with a love of outdoor activities, but also for professionals in the agricultural and forestry sectors.

Robust and with plenty of storage, the new version has echos of the Panda 4X4 Sisley, the famous compact off-roader that became synonymous with practicality and durability during the 1990s. With four-wheel drive and a choice of 1.2 60 HP and 1.3 Multijet16V 70 HP engines, the Fiat Panda 4×4 Adventure is available in Italy for € 14,100 and € 16,000 respectively (on the road).

From the outside, the adventurous spirit of the new Panda 4×4 is apparent from its original green bodywork, which emphasises the car’s bond with nature and Fiat’s eternal special attention to the environment and sustainable transport. The same colour is used for the front and rear bumpers, enhanced by the grey of the central badges, while the lights are bronzed and the windows are tinted.

In the spirit of off-roaders, a matt black was chosen for the pillars, the roof bars, the side bars and the mudguard arches. The 14″ wheels (painted in dark grey) with 165/70 M+S tyres and the black framing of the rear lights complete the off-road look of this new version. The inside of the car gives the same impression of robustness and practicality with its black, washable, anti-tear technical fabric and the scratch-resistant washable floor mats. Two great features for those using the car for outdoor activities, hobbies and semi-professional purposes.

In addition, the new 4×4 version has reinforced suspension and a maximum load of 445 kg. The vehicle can be ordered with just the front seats, giving a vast rear compartment configured for loads up to 1,000 dm3.

As well as its strong off-road character, the new Panda 4×4 Adventure also offers the performance levels of a small SUV. In fact, no challenge is too great for its automatic four-wheel drive system with a new electrohydraulic joint. Moreover this new version can go anywhere with its compact measurements: 357 cm long, 160 cm wide, 163 cm high (with roof bars) and a wheelbase of 230 cm.

This all proves that the Panda is not merely a super-compact city car, but a real platform upon which Fiat Automobiles is building a whole family of cars with advanced technology and high attention to detail. The Panda 4×4 Adventure is the latest incarnation of an extraordinarily successful model: since its launch in 1980, the Panda has sold more than 5.8 million units across all configurations, including the 4×4 versions.

Fiat Panda 4×4 Adventure

1.2 petrol 60 HP
1.3 Multijet 70 HP

ENGINE
No. of cylinders and arrangement 4, in line, transverse front
4, in line, transverse front

Bore x stroke (mm) 70.8 x 78.86
69.6 x 82

Displacement (cc) 1242
1248

Compression ratio 9,8 :1
18.01

Max. power output: CV-EEC (kW-EEC) 60 (44)
70 (51)

at rpm 5,000
4,000

Peak torque: kgm-EEC (Nm-EEC) at rpm 10.4 (102) at 2,500
14.8 (145) at 1,500

Timing (control) 1 ACT
2 ACT

with mechanical tappets
with hydraulic tappets

Fuel supply MPI
D Common Rail

Ignition Digital, electronically controlled static
Compression

TRANSMISSION
Drive Automatic 4×4 with new electronically controlled joint + two open differentials on the front and rear axle

Gearbox ratios: 1st 3,909:1
3,909:1

2nd
2,158:1
2,158:1

3rd
1,345:1
1,345:1

4th
0,974:1
0,974:1

5th
0,744:1
0,744:1

Reverse

Final reduction ratio 4,923:1
4,062:1

Type rack
rack

with electronic power steering
with electronic power steering
Turning circle (m) 9,6
9,6

Brakes – D (discs)
Front: mm D 240×20 self-ventilating
D 257×22 self-ventilating

Rear: mm D 240×11 (full)
D 240×11 (full)

SUSPENSION
Front Independent McPherson-type suspension with

transverse lower wishbones secured to an auxiliary cross

member; anti-roll bar connected to the shock-absorber

Rear Independent with tie rods fastened to a special frame with anti-roll bar

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase (cm) 230,5
230,5

Track front/rear* (cm) 136.6/135.8
136.6/135.8

Length/Width/Height* (cm) 357.4/160.5/163.2 (standard bars)
357.4/160.5/163.2 (standard bars)

Luggage capacity VDA (dm3) 1000 (two seats) / 200 /

855 (up to the roof) (four

seats without grille)
1000 (two seats) / 200 / 855

(up to the roof) (four seats

without grille)

WHEELS
Tyres 165/70 R14 M+S
165/70 R14 M+S

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (12V)
Battery capacity (Ah) 40 (heating) 50 (air cond.)
50

Alternator: max. current (A) 70 (heating) 90 (air cond.)
75

Alternator with climate control: (A) 70
90

WEIGHTS – CAPACITIES
Kerb weight DIN (kg) 980 (two seats) 990 (four seats)
1075 (two seats) 1085 (four seats)

Fuel tank capacity (litres) 30
30

Load capacity including driver 445
445

Max. towable weight 800
900

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed (km/h) 145
150

Acceleration from 0 – 100 km/h (secs) 20
18

Approach angle 26°
24°

Departure angle 45°
42°

Breakover angle 23°
24°

Minimum ground clearance (standard A) 160 mm (guard under engine)

Gradeability (in B standard from a hill start) 50%
55%

Gradeability (in B standard from a flat start) 60%
65%

EEC CONSUMPTION (l/100 km) under EC Directive 1999/100
Urban/extra-urban/combined cycles 7.9 – 5.8 – 6.6
6,7 – 4,2 – 5,2

CO2 (g/km) 155
136