Fiat 500's start&stop technology will be greener than expected

When Fiat announced in December that it would start using Bosch's Start&Stop technology in the new 500, they said the micro hybrid system would reduce fuel consumption between five and eight percent. Now that it is actually here and used in the popular 1.2 Lounge version of the Fiat 500, Fiat finds out that Start&Stop will reduce urban fuel consumption by up to 12 percent, from 37 mpg (U.S.) to 41 mpg on the urban cycle. Those numbers make this this model the most efficient 500 currently available. The new version is called, uninterestingly, the Fiat 500 Start&Stop, and starts at £9,500 in the UK. CO₂ emissions are just 113 g/km (down from 119). Fiat's driver feedback system, eco:Drive, is available in the Fiat 500 Start&Stop and should let attentive drivers produce better-than-average results. More details after the jump.

[Source: Fiat]

PRESS RELEASE:

NEW 500 START&STOP GETS STARTED

A new option on the Fiat 500, which will give the popular city car even better fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures, has just been introduced.

Called Fiat 500 Start&Stop, the new technology is based on the most successful 500 version – the 1.2 Lounge – and benefits from the combined expertise of automotive parts specialist Bosch and Fiat Powertrain Technologies.

The Start&Stop system stops the engine automatically (without the driver turning an ignition key) whenever traffic conditions bring the car to a complete halt, and restarts it when the driver wants to move off again.

Available at £9,500 OTR, the 500 Start&Stop becomes the most ecological version in the Fiat 500 petrol range. With Start&Stop, CO2 emissions on the 1.2 engine are just 113 g/km, while fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 12 per cent (urban fuel economy figures).

The Fiat 500 Start&Stop fuel consumption figures are:

	START&STOP 1.2 69 bhp	LOUNGE 1.2 69 bhp
Fuel Consumption
urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	49.6 (5.7)	44.1 (6.4)
extra-urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	65.7 (4.3)	65.7 (4.3)
combined cycle mpg (l/100km)	58.9 (4.8)	55.4 (5.1)
CO2 Emissions (g/km)	113	119

Fiat's Blue&Me hands-free telecommunications and entertainment system is standard on 500 Start&Stop, which means the car also benefits from eco:Drive, the system that allows customers to monitor and improve on their CO2 emissions and fuel consumption figures.

"We have been promising new ideas and features on our award-winning Fiat 500 since it was launched last year, and here is yet another example," says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK. "This is an important development for the 500 as it will help to make what is already a fuel-efficient, value-for-money car an even greater consideration for town and city drivers."

The Fiat 500 range starts at £8,100 for the 1.2 Pop, rising to £10,900 for 1.3 MultiJet or 1.4-litre Lounge or Sport versions.

Note to Editors:

Start&Stop is based on a starting procedure (battery and cranking system) able to perform a fast engine restart and deal with a far higher number of starts than a standard system.

Several sensors and control strategies are employed to manage stop and restart operations, to guarantee safety, driveability and energy balance of the car with a minimum impact on heating and other services in the car.

Engine stop is only allowed once a speed of 6 mph has been achieved after pulling away. To restart the engine the clutch pedal must be depressed. The Start&Stop system can be manually activated or deactivated using a button switch.

Start&Stop will not activate in certain cases, including engine still cold, battery in low charge state, heated rear window active, front wiper at maximum speed or reverse gear engaged (in a parking manoeuvre).

If the engine has been stopped and the clutch pedal has not been depressed for more than three minutes, the engine can only be restarted using the ignition key. Similarly, if the engine has been stopped and the driver's seat belt has been unfastened, or a door has been opened, engine restart will only be achieved with the key.